BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Sunday, September 17, 1826 (approximately)

Beethoven goes to see his friend Stephan von Breuning briefly before going to visit Nephew Karl at the hospital. Breuning assures him that he will take care of everything related to Karl’s military career. However, he wishes to speak to Karl himself. Unpaid assistant Karl Holz [probably still in Baden this morning, though he will be back in Vienna to stay by tomorrow] can come to Breuning once a day, only not tomorrow [Monday September 18], and not on Thursday [September 21] and Friday [September 22] either.

Ludwig continues on to the hospital to see Karl. They discuss what branch of the military Karl would like to join. The cavalry is really not an option, since that is composed mostly of men from the nobility. It would therefore be very difficult to advance there. “Also my body is much more suited for the infantry, and the strain much less.” Perhaps a grenadier regiment would be suitable. [The grenadiers being an elite unit of the infantry, they were typically tall and powerfully built, and Karl was rather slight.]

Karl thinks it would be best to bring Stephan von Breuning to the hospital, and then Karl will talk to him.

Karl is now able to drink wine, and he has been able to have beer for a couple weeks. He has it fetched from the Traiteur.

Conversation Book 121, 29v-30v.

Beethoven writes a short, humorous note to Tobias Haslinger, probably sometime around now. “There are still some errors, among which is, as is self-evident, a Tobiasserle (of a certain Tobias, a runaway pupil of Fuchs and Albrechtsberger, who became Kapellmeister of Paternostergäßlersschen. See his Humorous Biography, published by Schott’s Sons in Mainz, 1825, page 300). As soon as these indicated errors are corrected, I ask you to send both the proofs and corrections back to me. You will receive them back immediately, as soon as I am satisfied with the improvement. At the same time, I ask you to have these errors corrected as well in the vocal parts and the piano reductions. Regarding the title of the piano reduction for piano solo, I would also have something to add.”

“Dixi — If you would hurry with this, I would be very pleased.”

“Farewell, primus p—r n—r G—r.”

“Yours truly, Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2216; Anderson Letter 1530. Because of the reference to the “humorous biography,” which had caused bad feelings between them, this letter probably dates from September, 1826, once things have been patched up, which occurred around September 12, but before about September 25, when plans start being made to travel to Gneixendorf. The “biography” had been published in Cäcilia 2 (1825, issue 7) at page 300. Since the letter refers to a work being published in score, parts, and piano arrangement, it must relate to the March and Chorus, op.114, and not Tremate, empi tremate, op.116, both of which were in preparation to be published by Haslinger about this time.