BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, May 5, 1825

Beethoven is getting ready to move to Baden for the summer on Saturday May 7. This morning, Ludwig Rellstab stops by to pay one last brief call. He has just collected Beethoven’s letter to him from Steiner. Rellstab says in the conversation book, “I am traveling this evening. I bid you a hearty farewell.” He promises to write from Berlin with further details.

Rellstab gives an account of his last day in Vienna in Sonneck, Beethoven: Impressions of His Contemporaries at 190-191. “Our departure for Gratz had been fixed for the following afternoon, at six o’clock. Chance rather than a little business errand led me once more to the Steiner music-house, which lay opposite my dwelling.”

“‘It is well that you have come,’ the proprietor [Tobias Haslinger, since Steiner himself is in Leipzig] called out to me, ‘a letter has been left here for you from Beethoven.'”

“‘From Beethoven!’ I cried joyfully startled, and trembled with impatience until it had been put in my hands. It was, with a mistake in the initial letter of my name, addressed to Mr. L. Nellstab; yet it was truly meant for me! One of Beethoven’s letters–for me!” [Rellstab here quotes Beethoven’s letter of May 3.]

“I turned over the page and found still more: a reiterated salute and a little canon. Beethoven had written: ‘While convalescing, I still find that I am extremely weak; content yourself with this trifling token of remembrance from your friend Beethoven’ [There follows Das Schöne zu dem Guten, WoO 203]. [Rellstab confuses the order here; his last visit to Beethoven is today, not several days earlier, but since he clearly references Steiner in the conversation book today, the incident with the letter must have occurred before, not after, his final call on Beethoven.]

“As to the details of this last visit of mine I can report but little. Beethoven spoke freely, with much animation. I expressed my regrets that during the entire period of my stay in Vienna I had heard but one symphony of his, no quartet (save the one mentioned [op.127]), that I had not had a chance of listening to a single composition of his in concert and that ‘Fidelio’ had not been given.”

“This gave him an opportunity of freeing his mind with regard to the taste of the Vienna public. ‘Since the Italians (Barbaja) have so firmly established themselves here, the best has been crowded out. For the aristocracy the ballet is the main thing about the opera stage. Artistic appreciation is out of the question; they think only of the ballet-dancers. Our good times in this city lie in the past. But that I do not care about: I wish only to write that which gives me pleasure. If I were well I would be indifferent to it all.’ Thus he relieved himself in these and similar remarks.” Rellstab then departs and leaves Vienna this evening.

Dr. Braunhofer comes to visit Beethoven. He thinks Baden will do Beethoven good. His condition should improve there, and if it does not, then let him know. He asks when Beethoven is going, and is told the day after tomorrow. Braunhofer asks again for a souvenir of some music “only a few insignificant notes” in Beethoven’s hand; the important thing is that it be his handwriting. [Beethoven will get around to complying next week.] He recommends Beethoven stick to a diet of beef and spinach or cabbage or cooked lettuce with it. “No veal or young animals.” Beethoven has had a reaction today to the new medicine that Braunhofer had prescribed. “It will be better tomorrow. Today, the first effects of the medicine are to blame. I treat illness according to the laws of Nature, not imagined theories,” he says.

Nephew Karl goes to make certain of the wagon to transport Uncle Ludwig’s belongings to Baden. They confirm they have his order. Mid-day dinner is romaine lettuce cooked in the manner of asparagus. In this hot weather, lettuce is better than meat. Barbara Holzmann would like to sleep here, since it is a long ways back to the Spital.

Brother Johann comes with a suggestion for Ludwig to invest. With the 1,000 florins coming in, he should buy a bond or a bank share. They can earn a good percentage annually, and can be gotten immediately from the banker Fries. Johann wants to take a copy of the Missa Solemnis with him today and send it on the postal coach. A copy should also go to Prince Radziwill, who subscribed to the Mass nearly two years ago and still has not received his copy, even though it is about to be published.

The piano mover, Johann Schanz, shows up a day early with his wagon to take Beethoven’s piano. The plan is to tune it today, and then it can be moved up to Baden tomorrow. The piano is still covered with music and papers, and Karl hurriedly gets it cleared off so it can be removed.

Johann is happy about the excellent wine vintage that they’re having this year. He stopped by Matthias Schlemmer’s place, where Karl is to stay for the foreseeable future, but Schlemmer wasn’t there, and he spoke only to Schlemmer’s wife.

Ludwig doesn’t feel all that well, but Karl observes that at least the belching has stopped.

Karl tells his uncle that there is too much to do and cooking takes too much time. They’d be better off getting their meals from the restaurant. Johann slips out. Karl thinks the two portions of meat they have will suffice for the two of them. Ludwig adds up two columns of financial numbers. He then makes a note with his red pencil, “Metronome.” [He still owes Ries the metronome markings for the pieces to be played at the Lower Rhenish Music Festival later in May, as well as the markings for the pieces sold to Schott’s.] Johann returns and agrees with Karl; they should just have some beefsteak brought up from the restaurant; the doctor says he can eat that.

Ludwig agrees to take on as a servant a woman his brother recommended. He says she is honorable, and will vouch for her. She comes to Obermayer’s bakery every day to get bread, so Johann will tell her personally tomorrow. Johann gives Ludwig some more of his medicine, in soup to make it more palatable. Johann says that Ludwig could also have partridge. “A woman who has just given birth may eat it because it is most easily digestible.” Karl comments that today Uncle Ludwig’s urine is much better than yesterday, so Johann thinks that it was Ludwig’s imagination yesterday. But it is likely to continue to be discolored, until Ludwig’s stomach is completely restored.

Johann believes that the woolen vest that Ludwig is wearing is much too warm for this afternoon. [The Wiener Zeitung of May 7, 1825 indicates that the high temperature this afternoon is 20.5 Reaumer, or over 78 degrees Fahrenheit.]

Ludwig asks whether everything is arranged with Reisser for Karl’s lodgings and other expenses. Johann has absolutely not agreed. Reisser thought everything altogether would come to between 600 and 800 florins for the year.

Ludwig asks when the next mail coach to Bonn leaves, since he has something else to send to Ferdinand Ries. Johann says tomorrow, but cautions Ludwig that it’s too late to send him anything. Even without that additional piece, he has enough. It’s too late and the concert is immediately after Easter. [Easter was in April, so Johann probably means after the Easter season, i.e., at Pentecost or Whitsunday.] Ludwig still wants to send it. Johann tells him again that it needs to be turned in by Friday, and asks whether it has already been copied. Ludwig wants to make sure he gets paid for the music he is sending for the Lower Rhine Music Festival. Johann reassures him that the money is surely coming.

Dr. Braunhofer returns and confirms that Ludwig may eat wild game meat. Ludwig is despondent about his condition. “You must try to cheer up and amuse yourself,” Braunhofer adds. “The energy must come from within, and the person become strong, as he is completely healthy.”

Through all this, a prospective cook appears to be given a tryout. She had made the partridge because she didn’t get any regular poultry. But she hasn’t been hired. She makes another sauce, even though they were satisfied with the first one.

Johann says he must go to see Reisser, of the Polytechnic, by 3:30. Karl doesn’t need to come along, but Ludwig should write a few lines saying that you are herewith taking Reisser as Karl’s co-guardian. He had verbally agreed with Johann that he would do that. Ludwig asks what he should say for instructions to Reisser, and Johann tells him “he will, with all his power and in every respect exercise care and responsibility in all matters which are necessary.” It may not be necessary, but for purposes of prevention it is good to write down such a notice. At 4 p.m., he’ll return and they can go for a drive in the Prater. “Please wear your black suit coat, because all the people out for a drive, even the Archdukes, will take note of you.” Ludwig can rest for the next hour.

Johann returns about 4 p.m., and he observes it is very warm inside, and they should open the windows, though it is also very warm outside. He reports that there are two young men staying with Schlemmer, where Karl is to have an apartment. They are studying at the Polytechnic and are being sponsored by Archduke Rudolph, who doesn’t pay more than 300 florins for them. [Johann is clearly suggesting that Ludwig is being significantly overcharged.]

Johann and Ludwig take their drive in the Prater, and return probably between 6 and 7 p.m. For his light supper, again Ludwig gets boiled cream with a soft boiled egg in it. Ludwig is belching once more; Johann thinks it’s because Ludwig’s intestines are so empty and they are full of gas. Ludwig complains about not having enough bowel movements, and Johann challenges him as to how many he had when he was healthy.

Ferdinand Piringer intends to visit Ludwig tomorrow or the next day. Johann doesn’t know where he lives, but he will stop by his office at 1 o’clock, when he should be able to talk.

A note comes from former unpaid assistant Anton Schindler. He wants to get a letter of recommendation for another position, and he is coming on May 8th. [He will find that Beethoven is no longer here on that date, having moved to Baden on the day before. Beethoven probably sheds no tears over missing his annoying factotum.]

Conversation Book 88, 18v-25r and 20r (bottom half). Tomorrow will be another busy day as Ludwig, Johann, and Karl try to get everything ready for the departure to Baden on Saturday, May 7.

S.A. Steiner advertises several newly-published Beethoven items in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.102) at 444. These are the Grand Overture in C major op.115 [today known as the Name-Day Overture], in parts, full score, piano solo and for piano four hands. Steiner also advertises as op.121 Beethoven’s “Kakadu” Variations for piano trio. Steiner has had the Overture in hand for years, and Beethoven has repeatedly complained about him not publishing it, but it has finally reached the public. This leaves the King Stephan Overture, op.117, likewise in Steiner’s possession for years, as unpublished so far.

The Name Day Overture is here performed by Eugen Jochum, conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra:

On the same page, Pietro Mechetti advertises the first volume of the Complete Operas of “Amadé Mozart” arranged for two violins by Franz Alexander Pössinger (1766-1827). This volume contains the first act of Die Zauberflöte. “To praise the excellence of Mozart’s operas would be completely superfluous, given their status as acknowledged classics. They have already appeared in many different arrangements, and have been well received in each one. In order to make it possible for those music lovers who do not always have a large ensemble at their disposal to enjoy them more often, this arrangement was made, which, with the exception of the recitatives has been arranged as completely and as vocally as possible without great difficulty for the player. It can therefore be used both for practicing violin playing and for developing taste. To make purchasing and selection easier, this edition of the operas is being published in volumes, each of which contains one act, and the first of which is available now.”