BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, June 3, 1824

Nephew Karl is at his Uncle Ludwig’s apartment this morning. Aware that Ludwig rented a summer apartment back on the first of May, Karl inquires as to when his uncle intends to move to Penzing. “If you haven’t designated the day yet, I thought about taking the necessaries out on Saturday evening [June 5], because I can be with you during both days of Pentecost [Sunday June 6 and Monday June 7, both holidays in Catholic Austria] in order to help set things up and to take care of what is needed with the wagon, etc.” Ludwig appears to tentatively agree to this plan.

Karl says the housekeeper should write out what needs to be bought for the kitchen this afternoon. He also asks how many dust cloths he should buy. Uncle Ludwig thinks six would be right. Karl will arrange to buy a mattress, 2 straw sacks, a bed quilt, 6 dust cloths, kitchen utensils and 2 or 3 sheets. Karl asks what kind of quilt he should get. It wouldn’t need to be silk. He adds a mattress pad to the list. If he iss going to have straw mattresses, then rough linen would be appropriate. Uncle Ludwig suggests getting a gridiron as well. Karl thinks they cost between 15 and 20 florins.

Ludwig does not, however, start packing seriously, but instead goes to a coffee shop and reads the newspapers. There he copies out an advertisement in today’s Intelligenzblatt for salt at 7 florins per hundredweight.

Conversation Book 71, 15r-16r.

Today’s Wiener Zeitschrift, Nr.67, at 579-580 contains a substantial and quite enthusiastic review of Beethoven’s second Akademie concert held on Sunday, May 23 at lunchtime [to an unfortunately small crowd, not mentioned in the review] in the large Redoutensaal. This venue was an appropriate choice. Here in the Redoutensaal, the effect of the music was much more impressive to the reviewer, since in the opera theater [the Kärntnertor] the sound tends to get confused due to the lack of any device to close off the background. Such a concert hall is more suitable for oratorios. However, it cannot be denied that even if the room is favorable to the effect, the full force of some of the individual instruments lost their effectiveness there. This was particularly the case with the bassoons in the symphony. In the finale, entire verses of the singing got overpowered by the instruments.

Kapellmeister Umlauf took charge again, and his influence and merit were already evident in the first performance. Herr Schuppanzigh led the orchestra, reinforced by members of the Musikverein. In this second performance, the genius in all its beauty appeared, and much became more evident with the added clarity. This Akademie really offered music lovers an enjoyment worthy of this holiday.

“After the well-known Overture, with its great power and excellent execution, the Master was greeted with loudly erupting cries of joy and received with repeated and intense outpourings of enthusiastic sympathy.” This was followed by a Trio -perhaps from Die Ruinen von Athen by the same composer [actually Tremate, empi, tremate, op.116] – marked with the stamp of grandiosity, performed by Mad. Dardanelli, Messrs. Donzelli and Botticelli. “The poignant effect of this vocal piece, which places considerable demands on the singers, was greatly increased by their participation, and was wholly appropriate to its character. The tenor was particularly effective, and was supported and lifted by the powerful euphony of the bass voice and the female singers in both tone and articulation of the notes.”

After this, Dlles. Sontag and Unger and Messrs. Haitzinger and Seipelt performed the Kyrie from the new Mass, along with the chorus. The fourth piece was a Cavatina from Rossini’s Tancredi, sung by Signor David, who decorated it elaborately.

“Fifth came the grand Symphony, a masterpiece of the first magnitude. The Scherzo, which overflows with rich life, this time was performed at a more moderate tempo. The listener’s interest continues to grow in the inexorably surging stream of harmonies, stimulated in many ways by the equally original trio….The mood changes with the entry of the melodic, songlike Andante. This was followed by the strange Finale with solo and choral voices, to the eternal Lied an die Freude. The theme that arises after the reminiscences from the previous parts, is just as light and pleasing, as noble and solemn as the meaning and spirit of the poetry, and imprints itself in the memory with rapid effectiveness and continues to ring in the minds of the listeners for a long time afterwards. It is not the wild rush of sensual pleasure that reveals itself here, but that which aspires to the high regions, the spirit of intimate delight and the pure joy of the soul, which alone forms the essence of true well-being. Here, in all its cheerfulness, it unites with the serious truth of the characteristic expression in the words, ‘Brothers, a good Father must live above the starry skies.’ This turns into oratorical devotion with the following sentence, ‘Fall down, you millions! Search for him above the starry sky,’ which reminds one of the mysterious depths beyond, and at last rises to the highest level of enthusiasm.”

“Who would not wish, after this second presentation, to hear these masterpieces for a third time, and due to their duration and impact in general, to be heard at an appropriate time of day!”

A review of this second Akademie also appears in today’s Wiener Theater-Zeitung, Nr.67 at 266-267 with similar high praise.

Beethoven gave in to the eager wishes and urgent demands of the admirers of true beauty, of real art, and through the efforts of such friends, a second performance of the latest compositions by this unique genius was held. This time it was at lunch time in the large Redoutensaal.

Once again, the works which we had already heard in the theater: his new overture, the entire symphony, and a hymn from the new Mass, were performed, as well as a not-yet heard Trio for soprano, tenor and bass voices.

Kapellmeister Umlauf again took charge. Herr Schuppanzigh led the orchestra, and many excellent dilettantes took pleasure in reinforcing both the orchestra and the chorus.

The attention and attendance, one might say the devotion, with which these sublime compositions were heard by the large audience may only be appreciated by those in Vienna who know this titanic composer, who appropriately expresses the world which he harbors in his bosom.

But many people don’t understand him; the naive people openly admit this, and also some professionals.

“Nothing could be more suitable to prepare for the most sublime than the opening overture. It is itself the prototype of the pathetic in music. The simple, noble motif is supremely carried out with dignity and with a constant increase in effect. This musical movement expands the mind and raises the spirit to be receptive to the noblest and the greatest.”

“If a heart may be touched by sounds, then the heavenly harmonies of this hymn must strip it of all sensuality, it must be carried upwards on cherubic wings, it must glow with fervent piety.”

“What more can be said about the world of sound that is found in the form of a symphony, based on the words of this powerful author! Instrumental music has nothing more grandiose to offer. All the joys and all the pains of the human soul echo here in the most diverse forms, entwining themselves in wondrous magical knots that unravel once again, to weave themselves into new miraculous symbols.”

“The moving earnestness of the visionary allows us, in this magical world of sounds, to sense infinity through diversity brought into unity. If one senses the infinite diversity, the highest unity is brought to us. It appears that he justifies his boldness in the Scherzo, by giving us a clearer expression of what makes up the organism, with the contrast of the name creating the most wanton comedy, then leading us back to the deepest depths of feeling. There the flashing golds of the mind flow pure and glowing shining, bright gemstones that animate the thoughts with their lightning, and which ripen to future deeds in the noble.”

“For deeply moved artists, the airy shapes of instrumental music, the word, human speech, are no longer enough. He needs more to express himself sufficiently. How will he express himself? What will he say? What will he be singing? What else but a Song of Joy. Joy, sweet spark of the gods, you must sparkle where such a spirit of the universe shines, and where its eternal Creator concentrated his focus. And how does it sparkle! Whoever did not have his night lit up, really likes to sleep.”

“The performance that took place gave the most honorable testimony to the meaning. The noblest zeal thrilled every contributor. The four most beautiful voices of our German opera sang the hymn of the Mass and the solos of the vocal conclusion of the Symphony, Dllen. Sonntag and Unger, and the gentlemen Haitzinger and Seipelt. Kapellmeister Umlauf has once again proven himself to be a real virtuoso in the conducting art. He must be related to the great spirit, which when he kindly follows the call, lets it shine in all its glory. This also applies to Hrn. Schuppanzigh….”

“What else may be said about the applause given? Enough that there were many, very many indeed, who understood.”

Our thanks to our friend and regular contributor Birthe Kibsgaard for her assistance in the translation of both of the above reviews.

Today’s Wiener Zeitung, Nr.127 at 536 includes an advertisement from the Lithographic Institute for portraits of many members of the Austrian royal family, including Beethoven’s patron Archduke Rudolph. Alongside the royals, they also offer a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven, after the life drawing by Johann Stephan Decker made May 27, 1824, for a price of 2 florins W.W. (though the imperial family sells for double that each.) The image of the Beethoven lithograph is flipped from Decker’s original drawing.