BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, November 11, 1824

Today’s entry is by Guest Editor Birthe Kibsgaard.

The Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung published today (Nr.46) contains at 752 a short review of the publication of Grand Exercice di Bravura en forme de Rondeau brillant, op.47, by Beethoven’s former pupil Carl Czerny, published by Cappi & Diabelli. “No one would call it too short. Such a number of diverse figures, full-toned themes, flourishes and means of expression, leaps and trills were probably never all seen together in one and the same musical work….However, everything is well assembled, sounds pleasant, sometimes even perfect, and it is very entertaining. One can determine to what a high standard piano music is held in Vienna from the fact that a man like Czerny writes such a piece, and a man like Cappi publishes it.”

The same issue of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung at 745 contains an interesting tidbit from the Paris correspondent, in a discussion of the late King Louis XVIII’s contributions to music over the years. While the Théatre Italien was put under his protection and maintained by the government, since his reign began in 1814, the Conservatory, as the Royal School of Music and Declamation, has been reduced to almost half its size. He is said to have written the libretti for Grétry’s grand opera Caravanne du Caire (1783) and Monsigny’s comic opera Belle Arseine (1773). “Apart from that, nothing is known of his influence on music here; nor is anyone here aware that he had a medal struck for Beethoven, as a Viennese report indicates in these pages from May in No. 37.”