BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, June 20, 1822 (approximately)

Beethoven responds from Döbling with a short note to Georg August von Greisinger. “I am pleased to receive a few lines from you, and as soon as I come to town I will visit you. I have been ill for 5 months and can only be sparing with the yield of my art – I was really happy to hear something from you, meritorious (in general – and in particular to Haydn’s biography) man.
With kind regards, your most devoted
Beethoven”

The imperial residence, the Amalien-Hof. Detail of engraving by Carl Schütz, 1790, published in *Sammlung von Aussichten der Residenzstadt* *Wien von ihren Vorstädten und einigen umliegenden Oertern*

Greisinger had written the first biography of Haydn after the composer’s death in 1809. The book was published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1810, and a second edition was printed in 1819. Beethoven may already understand from his meeting with Rochlitz a few days ago that Härtel in particular wants to suggest Beethoven think again about doing a setting of Goethe’s Faust.

Anderson Letter 1082; Brandenburg Letter 1471. The original is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus, H.C. Bodmer Br 136. The original can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/en/media/view/5377564730195968/scan/0

The Wiener Zeitung of June 22 reports that on this date Archduke Rudolph arrived in good health to the Hofburg Palace from Kremsier at about 7 in the evening, and moved into his apartments in the Amalien-Hof (the imperial residence, also called the Amalienburg), which had been prepared for him. He will no doubt be anxious to resume his composition lessons with Beethoven after the long break.