BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, April 13, 1826

In the evening after work, unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to visit the composer. Beethoven asks Holz how to pronounce “mi dear,” which he had written in his daily list several days ago [April 10.] Holz writes, “Mei dir.” Beethoven asks whether this would be addressed to a man or a woman; Holz says it is one and the same, male and female.

Beethoven asks whether his old housekeeper Frau Lindner has stopped demanding her payment. [A substantial amount had been withheld by Holz for all the crockery and glassware she broke.] She does not come any more, Holz says. “I let her know that if she dared send you a letter ever again, I would go to the police and disclose everything, which should have been done a long time ago. Since that threat, she no longer shows herself.

Holz ran into Brother Johann, who has been by the apartment in the Schwarzspanierhaus twice, and not found Ludwig at home. “He always asks me to persuade you to come to his place, at least to the countryside. I answered him that if I would like to see you angry, I would tell you.”

No proxy is needed to collect Karl’s pension. He can draw the money on official paper, but the required signatures and proof Karl is still alive must always be there. Without them, the payment won’t be made under any circumstances. Even the certificate from the priest? Yes, Holz says, it must always be there. His pension is a personal right, and it cannot be transferred to his mother Johanna. Giving Johanna the sheet of paper to collect the money directly would be even worse than giving her the money, as they are currently doing. There are so many profiteers who lend money at inhuman interest rates on such security; that would plunge her into even greater debt.

Holz stopped by Mathias Artaria’s shop today to talk about the piano arrangement of the Grosse Fuge. He has already talked to Anton Halm about making the arrangement and so far as Artaria knows, they have an agreement. If they did, then Artaria gave him an advance of 40 florins C.M. “I know him, he is not a Steiner.” Beethoven can draw the money as soon as the arrangement is ready.

When the oratorio that Beethoven is planning to write with Christoph Kuffner is finished, Ignaz Schuppanzigh should notify conductor Joseph Weigl.

Holz asks Beethoven (presumably on behalf of the housekeeper) what he wants for supper. Beethoven lists off four courses, including soup. Holz opines that 4 courses are really too much if everything is prepared well. The housekeeper was apparently expecting that they would have had mid-day dinner earlier than half past 2. The roast needs to have time, otherwise it will be either soft or burned.

They held a military mass today in honor of the Emperor and his recovery from his serious illness. “Once again, thousands of gulden were wasted; the generals’ most beautiful uniforms were soaked by rain. [It rained in both the morning and afternoon of April 13.]

Van Aken’s traveling menagerie is back in Vienna. But his Bengal tiger died. It was ill with a cold for 4 months. Now it is at the University, being dissected and prepared for taxidermy.

Brother Johann and Nephew Karl join the pair. Johann’s wife Therese is in the countryside for the day. He just came from the third Concert spirituel; today they performed Cherubini’s Solemn Mass Nr.2 in D minor in the Landständischer Saal. Cherubini’s Mass was the only work on the program. “Most people had no sense for this music, many went away during the performance. The applause was also very sparse.”

Johann asks whether there has still been no reply from Prince Galitzin. There has not. “You ought to write again yourself, and bring the letter to the post office yourself, but soon.—” Ludwig wonders whether he ought to get his attorney, Johann Baptist Bach, involved. Johann says Dr. Bach can take care of it for him.

The new quartet, op.130, probably should be performed again soon. Johann thinks Schuppanzigh is too lazy to do it again; Professor Joseph Böhm and Joseph Mayseder both want to perform it soon. Johann definitely wants to hear it again; he thinks Schuppanzigh could probably get 1,000 florins if he did it at an Akademie benefit concert.

Johann cautions Ludwig against eating anything in the evening for a few days. “Diet is the best medication,” which is somewhat interesting advice coming from an apothecary.

Bell founder Johann Caspar Hofbauer, the father of Johanna’s illegitimate daughter Ludovica, has paid off Johanna’s debts to the extent of 30,000 florins. [Johann appears to depart at this point.]

Holz mentions that he went to see Head Censor Franz Sartori; Tobias Haslinger did not show up to dispute Beethoven’s allegations. “Tobias does not look at me any more.”

The sound dome that Graf is making for Beethoven’s Broadwood piano to try to make it audible for him should be finished in a few days.

Beethoven asks whether Holz visited Mathias Artaria today. “I was only there a few minutes in order to talk to [Anton] Halm about the Fugue; but he did not greet me, he was only looking at his own nose.” [Holz might mean Halm did not even look up at all.] Holz was there at mid-day and was asked to come back at 6 in the evening.

Nephew Karl is heading home, but he would like to borrow a volume of the Wiener Zeitschrift to read before he goes to bed. Holz agrees it is better for him to read such things than to go out to the coffeehouse.

The transfer of the Steiner music shop to Haslinger has been implemented; it should be publicly announced within 8 days. The Magistrate signed off on the handover 10 days ago.

Schuppanzigh plans to give a morning concert in the Augarten again this year, on May 1. [The concert is actually held May 11.] But it is very doubtful whether he will make any profit. If the weather is fine, people go for a walk; if it is bad, no one goes out at all. A well-attended concert in a large hall usually does not bring in more than 600 florins W.W., because of the many free tickets, high taxes, and other expenditures. An Akademie concert had been announced for the occasion of the Emperor’s recovery. [That concert will be held on Monday, April 16.]

Beethoven is having rice with egg for supper.

Holz makes a comment about a composer [Schindler indicated in a marginal note that it relates to a four-part Mass by Tobias Haslinger, who did have pretensions to being a composer.] He worked on it for a whole year, and had assistance. “He can hardly write a two-part bar; his teacher [Jan Nepomuk] Dolzálek (1780-1858) did most of it.” Publishing something like that is the “greatest wretchedness,” Holz thinks. “I said to him that he ought to write upon it: 1st work. Otherwise, a mistake could easily arise later.”

Holz departs.

Conversation Book 108, 13r-21r.

Publisher Maurice Schlesinger writes to Beethoven today from Paris, inquiring about the quartet, op.130, which he had been promised by Beethoven last fall. [Schlesinger’s agent in Vienna, not having heard from Schlesinger in some months, refused to pay Beethoven for the quartet, despite their agreement, and Holz convinced Beethoven to sell it to Mathias Artaria instead.] Schlesinger voices his suspicions that Ludwig has sold it to Brother Johann. He also reminds Beethoven of his promise to write three string quintets for him. Schlesinger also asks about the copy of the quartet op.132, which had been commissioned in September of 1825. He finally inquires about Beethoven’s travel plans, and the well-being of Nephew Karl.

Brandenburg Letter 2146. The letter is not known to exist; its date and contents are inferred from Beethoven’s response to Schlesinger on April 22.