BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, June 29, 1826

Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to see Beethoven today around 2 p.m. after an absence of four days. The servant that Beethoven sent with his letter inquiring after Holz did not get to him timely and he did not find it until last evening. He’s not sure what happened, as she says Nephew Karl gave her the address. Beethoven invites Holz to mid-day dinner but he declines, saying he has just come from his dinner.

Karl has worked out an arrangement where he will bring all the bills at once from now on, for even the most insignificant things, and Holz thinks that will be better. Beethoven asks why he thinks so, and Holz says it will reassure him that everything is in order.

Holz asks if Beethoven knows that his patron Archduke Rudolph is in the City again. [He arrived on June 17.]

Carl von Harrach, who works at the same office as Holz, has become Court Councillor for Music; Holz had mentioned his application earlier to Beethoven.

Beethoven asks Holz what sort of curtains he should have; Holz tells him it depends on the fabric. His sister is the expert; she made all the curtains in the house.

Holz mentions that the Ninth [he calls it “your latest symphony”] is now being rehearsed in Berlin. Beethoven asked where he heard that. He says he read it in a foreign journal. [Exactly where he read this has not been determined.] The article was written as if the symphony had already been published by Schott. [It has not yet been printed, as they are still waiting for the metronome markings from Beethoven.] Holz suggests it would be a good thing to send the King of Prussia [to whom the symphony is dedicated] a copy of the symphony. This winter, when it will be performed in Vienna, everything will have been engraved by then, and it would be appropriate for the King to have his dedication copy earlier.

Beethoven asks whether there is any word on the payment from Prince Nikolai Galitzin in St. Petersburg. The courier Lipscher has written, Holz tells him. “7 times he went to see the scoundrel, the last time he was told that he had gone to Moscow for the coronation; all Russian tricks. Several couriers here told me that the embassy does only very little; they do not want to spoil things with the gentlemen.”

Holz offers to correct anything that is needed in the symphony copy for the King. It would be good if the copy could be sent to Prussia as soon as possible. Holz believes that the honorarium will not be long in coming.

The dividends on Beethoven’s bank shares can be paid now, Holz believes [the payment as of July 1 was 32 florins C.M. per share for the first six months of the year; since Beethoven had 7 shares remaining, that would be the not inconsiderable sum of 224 florins C.M.]

Holz tells Beethoven that Mylord [Ignaz Schuppanzigh] asks often about Beethoven; Holz asks if Beethoven has any instructions for him. He will see Schuppanzigh today at Dembscher’s [Dembscher often had musical salons at his home on Thursday evenings.]. Beethoven is surprised that Schuppanzigh is playing there; doesn’t Joseph Mayseder and his quartet play at Dembscher’s? Holz says yes, but Schuppanzigh plays whenever Mayseder is prevented from coming. Today, Mayseder has to play the violin solo for Don Giovanni at the Kärntnertor Theater [an arrangement of the mandolin part of the Canzonetta, “Deh, vieni alla finestra.”]

Beethoven mentions that Dorothea Ertmann visited. Holz asks whether she played on the Graf loaner piano. [Beethoven’s response is not recorded.]

The oratorio Saul comes up. Holz asks whether Beethoven ever wrote to the poet, Christoph Kuffner, about it. Beethoven has been reluctant to move forward if Ignaz von Mosel is going to present Handel’s version of Saul. Holz assures Beethoven that Mosel never intended to present it. Beethoven’s version will be given in the Reitschule. Beethoven asks how many people that venue holds. Holz tells him 800 persons.

Holz asks whether the Schotts have transferred the money for the quartet yet. No, Beethoven tells him, though Karl is making inquiries with their bankers, Franck & Co.

Beethoven mentions his plan for an advertisement instructing anyone who wants to correspond with him that he should be written to directly in Vienna, and that items should no longer be directed to the Steiner firm, now Haslinger. Holz makes a suggestion for wording: “I ask my postal correspondents, who have until now let their business affairs be handled through the Art Dealers Steiner & Co. to turn directly to me in the future. [Holz crosses out the additional phrase “as from now on I will have no connection with the company mentioned.”]

Conversation Book 113, 9r-13v.