BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, February 10, 1825

Nephew Karl comes by Ludwig’s apartment in the morning, having been summoned. The housekeeper woke him up just now since he was not aware.

Uncle Ludwig wants to discuss the Akademie concerts that Brother Johann and Ignaz Schuppanzigh are pushing him to have in the Landständischer Saal. Karl is not enthused about the idea. Uncle Ludwig might end up with 1,000 florins C.M. net, and he should not stoop so low for that small amount of money. “I can’t see why a grand Akademie should not be given in a Redoutensaal or Theater. [Both of these locations were double the capacity of the proposed hall.] Also, the works cannot have the appropriate number of performers in the Landständischer Saal.

The housekeeper has been looking for a maid at the police headquarters. The going rate there is 15 kreutzers per day. The housekeeper, who is making a Bohemian fish for dinner, is astonished at Beethoven’s knowledge of Bohemian cooking. The building superintendent’s wife is asking for her monthly money. When the housekeeper who inquired yesterday comes, if she pleases Uncle Ludwig, he should take her on without further ado. The present housekeeper is likely to leave as soon as her 14 days are up.

Someone from the Steiner publishing house calls on Beethoven. Steiner would like to meet with him on Tuesday, February 15, either here at Beethoven’s apartment or at the music shop.

Brother Johann comes later in the morning, returning the letter from Ferdinand Ries that he borrowed yesterday. He thinks it would be good to comply and let them perform the Ninth Symphony at the Aachen Music Festival, since it will cost Ludwig nothing but a letter to Ries.

Johann mentions that he talked to a foreigner yesterday, who said that in Dessau they frequently perform Ludwig’s Mass in C op.86 as an oratorio, with Latin text. [The work is usually sung in Vienna with a German text that was specially written for it.] Karl agrees that it’s better in Latin. Ries has been asked about the oratorio. He guarantees 800 florins, so the music societies there must have money. Since there are 80,000 people in Aachen, the event will be well attended. Every day for three days, there is one concert after another. The festival gathers together all the musicians from 6 to 8 cities in the area.

Brother Johann advises that Ludwig should wear his blue spencer coat. [A spencer coat was a woolen short double-breasted waistcoat without tails.] Otherwise the moths will eat it up if it stays in the closet.

Copyist Ferdinand Wolanek stops by briefly. The score [it is uncertain of what, but it may be the copy of the Ninth Symphony for Ries, since the first movement will later be referenced on Sunday as being 80 bifolia in length (320 pages).] is the hardest part, but he will have it for Beethoven by Monday. He is determined to copy very accurately. Wolanek would like to get a job as a court copyist with a salary, rather than doing piecework as he is. After he leaves, Karl comments that Wolanek looks like an old woman. [Wolanek’s acting career had been cut short by a disfiguring facial injury.]

Johann tells Ludwig that he needs to get down to business and have Karl immediately write to Ries, since he has time to do that. It is Thursday, and their time is better spent writing that letter than going out to the coffeehouses and reading the newspapers. Ludwig is recalcitrant, so Johann applies more pressure. “Ries is asking for an immediate reply, because he is going this month to [confer] with the directors.” Ludwig does see the possibilities for some easy money, which Johann agrees is a very good thing.

Johann’s next assignment is Ludwig’s living quarters. He thinks Ludwig should commission Tobias Haslinger, who knows all the apartments and what Beethoven needs, to find him one. But it should not be out in the suburbs, but rather by the Glacis, or on the bastions within the City.

Johann also has some medical advice for Ludwig. He should avoid sour wines, which are more harmful to the chest than Hungarian wines, which are less sour. Ludwig likes his wines sour. Johann reminds Ludwig that when he came back from Baden he had a severe cough. In late fall, the apartments are too cold. [Johann probably means the apartments in Baden, which are typically used in the summers; Ludwig stayed there too long last fall and got quite ill.]

The story about Van Aken being beheaded by one of the lions in his traveling menagerie comes up again. Johann thinks the story was a lie, since nothing about it has appeared in the newspapers. He has another story, though: “Two brothers in England were bitten by a rabid dog. Both of them immediately had their wounds cauterized. After 24 hours, one of them developed hydrophobia anyway and died–what a terrible misfortune for the other brother!”

Johann mentions that yesterday Joseph Bernard said he would come today. [He does not appear to do so; his next appearance in the conversation book is on February 13.]

The Jewish community’s request for a cantata or oratorio to mark the opening of their new Temple comes up. Johann thinks that first the Jews of Vienna, and then those of Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, etc., will all make a terrible noise; they will scream, “He wrote for Our People!”

Johann has thought more about the letter to Ries. Ludwig should write him today. through Karl, saying he can have the new symphony and the Missa Solemnis for this music festival, both, for 40 carolines [a South German coin worth about 9 or 10 florins, so this would amount to 360-400 florins income with very little effort.] Ries can present that to the directors. Then they can perform both of these works on the 2nd day, and Christ on the Mount of Olives on the first day. Johann will take care of the copying, so Ludwig absolutely doesn’t have to do anything other than take delivery on the 40 carolines. [Johann has forgotten about the time-consuming proofreading chore.] That will be an advantage for these works to be heard more now. Ludwig agrees to write to Ries, but will do it tomorrow since he wants to sleep on the idea.

Conversation Book 84, 25v-32v.

The T.Weigl Music Shop advertises the newest dance music in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.32) at 145. Among the selections offered is the set of Forty New Waltzes for piano-forte by 40 various composers, the Musical Gift for the New Year. Among the 40 new waltzes is Beethoven’s Waltz WoO 84, written in November 1824 for this set.