BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, March 9, 1826 (approximately)

Although unpaid assistant Karl Holz assured Beethoven recently that he would soon receive the proofs of the four works that the Steiner firm would be publishing [op.114, 116, 117 and 118], Beethoven writes to the firm: “Herr Steiner et Compag. I most respectfully request that the proof sheets be sent to me and that you please write to me when I will receive them? Yours sincerely, Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2134; Albrecht Letter 428. The original is held in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek (aut.67). Haslinger wrote “1826” on the letter, and it is confirmed to date from this time period based on the recent entries in the conversation books expressing Beethoven’s anxiety about being able to see the proofs of these four works before they were published. Sieghard Brandenburg notes that Holz’s comment might have been made in response to seeing this letter.

Rehearsals begin for the new opera Oberon at Covent Garden, under the direction of the already fatally ill composer, Carl Maria von Weber. Rehearsals will continue for the next month