BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, March 30, 1826

Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes with a load for firewood for Beethoven. The coachman demanded 15 kreutzers more than ordinary to haul the wood, which he said was very heavy.

The housekeeper is making fish and has questions. Holz hopes that she does not prepare it worse out of malice. Holz knows a woman fish master [Therese Jonas], if Beethoven wants to have fish during the week. He can send the order to her and then pay the bill monthly. That would be the best. But 3 pounds of carp would be too much.

Beethoven writes in the book, probably to avoid the housekeeper hearing, “For example with the meat chopper [butcher]: What is paid [for] 2 pounds, [if] paid in advance and the rest after.”

Copyist Wenzel Rampl comes to deliver more copies of Beethoven’s music. [He has been engaged to copy Fidelio, the Ninth Symphony and the Missa Solemnis for Beethoven.] Rampl says he worked on the piece being delivered for almost 4 weeks. The price is calculated per 16 sheets. “It is a job.”

Holz observes that Rampl copied it on 16-line paper. From the last piece, there were 150 sheets. At 8 kreutzers per sheet, that would be 20 florins C.M. For the finale alone he would have earned 20 florins, if it had been written in parts. [The work turned in is thus from context likely materials for the Ninth Symphony, since Fidelio has a Finale for each act, and the Mass has none.] Holz points out that Beethoven paid 10 kreutzers per page to have the quartet op.130 copied, implying that Rampl’s rates are quite reasonable.

Mathias Artaria still wants some religious songs from Beethoven. He’s putting together a set of church singing to be advertised. He will have the texts translated from Latin to German. Artaria would be happy to send Beethoven a copy. The translator has time now.

Holz gives the charge for the firewood:
Chopping 1 florin 30 kreutzers
Cutting 2 times 3 florins
Carrying and laying 1 florin 30
6 florins.

Holz will send the lantern tomorrow to Beethoven, together with the requested fish. Butchers like to cheat with makeweights; Holz’s mother also complains about them exceeding the amount permitted by law. With the smallest portions one has to pay for the makeweight, and if you don’t want the meat like that, then you end up with the bad parts.

The earnest money needs to be paid to the new housekeeper, Anna Sokugin. Beethoven complains about the last one; Holz agrees that if he only gets persons like that, then the earnest money will need to be as much as half the annual salary of the housekeeper.

Beethoven complains that he has to stand guard over them to avoid being cheated. Holz jokes asking “Do you also have the citizen’s uniform when you have to stand guard?” Beethoven writes, “As kitchen maid it is not so necessary right now” [probably meaning that he doesn’t need a maid right now.] Holz says that Sokugin wants to be hired as a housekeeper. She is not afraid of cooking, but of writing. [She was shaking too much yesterday to be able to write in Beethoven’s conversation book.] She thinks that if you get a kitchen-maid who writes better, then she would be helpful; she seems to be an honest person.”

The current housekeeper [who was given 14 days notice already] said she would leave next Thursday [April 6] but she can be finished by Wednesday [April 5.] She won’t take a letter of recommendation. Beethoven asks Holz whether he should ask for a letter of recommendation for Anna Sokugin? Holz says one could ask for it, but you really can’t demand it. Why would she need a letter of recommendation if she’s not going to look for work any more? Or who can say that she doesn’t tear it up on the stairs [if it’s not good]. But one has to give the servant a testimonial if it’s requested. “Because of this the police have the servant’s office, where all maids have to be registered when hired or discharged.” [The servant’s office had been established in 1810.]

Holz asks when Archduke Rudolph is expected back in Vienna. They will need to talk to him about making a catalogue of Beethoven’s works, working from the complete edition that Tobias Haslinger had made up and sold to the Archduke for 4,000 florins. “One must not fail to learn when he is coming, otherwise Tobias will go to him before you can tell the Archduke about the plan.” Beethoven asks what difference that would make? “I only mean that he could act against your intention without meaning to or knowing it.”

After some discussion of the housekeeper not packing eggs in her basket well, resulting in breakage, Holz engages in some fawning over the composer: “Beethoven seems to me to be an eagle, that flies towards the skies. On his feet (not on his wings) however, he has a rope that reaches the earth. This is held by a housekeeper. Often he suddenly breaks free and flies quickly into his heaven; but when he thinks of earthly life, he wants to go down again for a short time, he lets the rope fall, and look—the housekeeper has him again. This life robs you of most of your time.”

Beethoven is thinking of moving again; Holz asks him what kind of apartment he wants. [Beethoven does not in fact change apartments this year.] Holz encourages Beethoven to get out and see people more often. “See people again, go out in the company of good people, who (and that is the case with most of them) mean well by you. Why should it not be possible here? It does not have to be every day; but 2 or 3 times a week.”

Holz mentions that the second Concert spirituel is taking place today. They are performing Haydn’s Seven Last Words of the Savior on the Cross. Beethoven asks if Holz is attending, and he says no, he didn’t want to ask conductor Ferdinand Piringer for a ticket. It was because of Piringer that Holz dropped his membership in the Musikverein. “He might have been annoyed about that, and as he perhaps expected me to decline participating in the Concert spirituel out of petty vindictiveness, he did not ask me.” Baron Eduard van Lannoy and Leopold Sonnleithner are conducting today’s concert. Holz repeats that he would have taken part in the concert, if not for Piringer.

Conversation Book 107, 12r-20r.

As Holz notes above, the second in the series of Concerts spirituel is held today in the Landständischer Saal. Unbeknownst to Holz, the program includes Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor, as well as Haydn’s oratorio The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross. “Apart from minor details, the concert was performed exceptionally well.” Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.19 (May 10, 1826) at 312; Wiener Theater-Zeitung of May 13, 1826 (Nr.57) at 331. A handbill for the concert (actually for the third Concert spirituel, modified by hand) is produced here courtesy of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.