BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, April 28, 1825

Dr. Braunhofer checks in on his illustrious patient again today. He will prescribe drops for Beethoven to take in the evenings.

After he leaves, Nephew Karl comes to the apartment. The first thing he writes is, “Almost.” [We suggest that Karl has almost completed the arrangements for the summer apartment in Vienna for his uncle at 1009 Krugerstrasse, since Karl will confirm that they have taken that apartment tomorrow. They need to get Ludwig out of his current Johannesgasse apartment since the term was up four days ago, and the landlady has already rented it to someone else. The apartment on the Krugerstrasse is furnished, so much of Beethoven’s property will go into storage at Johann’s apartment building for now.]

Karl has just come from the pastor of the Karlskirche, where he needs to get an affidavit signed by the parish priest that he is still alive so he can continue to collect on his father’s pension in the civil service. But he was invited out to dinner and was not going to be home again until the evening. So Karl will try again tomorrow at 8 a.m.

Uncle Ludwig asks whether Braunhofer is a professor at the University. Karl replies that he is a Medical Adjunct there.

Joseph Böhm has personally asked for the quartet op.127 parts back, so that he can perform it again. [Beethoven for whatever reason does not authorize another performance by Böhm’s quartet; it is not heard again in Vienna until September when the Schuppanzigh Quartet will play it.]

Beethoven asks when he is supposed to drink the little bottle of vegetable juice that Braunhofer has prescribed. Karl tells him 2 hours after supper in the evening. [The doctor had also instructed that he drink nothing afterwards.]

Conversation Book 88, 26r.