BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, April 18, 1822

The Name Day celebrations for Archduke Rudolph conclude tonight with a great musical benefit concert, organized by the local Casino society, with the participation of dilettantes and music lovers. The Archduke attends, and enjoys an uninterrupted series of “Vivat!” calls from the crowd. A specially-written prologue acknowledged the Archduke’s humanitarian actions. The concert raised a contribution of 546 florins to support the poor, and the local magistrates on behalf of the citizens added another 150 florins to the pot.

From the Wiener Zeitung of April 30, based on the Brünner Zeitung report of Thursday, April 25, 1822. Beethoven would have read with interest the fact that Rudolph was safely still in Olmütz and would not be demanding composition lessons from Beethoven any time soon.