BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Thursday, November 18, 1824

Beethoven writes today to his patron Archduke Rudolph from Vienna. “Your Imperial Highness! When I came here from Baden, ill, I was prevented from going to Y.I.H. as I had wished, for I was forbidden to go out. Only yesterday was the first day when I was allowed to go out into the open air again. Your gracious letter [not known to survive] found me lying on the bed, sweating as my illness comes from a cold. I could not get up. I know that Y.I.H. is convinced that I could never neglect the respect that is due to him – tomorrow morning I will have the pleasure of paying my respects. There will be no lack of means here anyway to awaken Y.I.H.’s musical spirit, which can only be beneficial for art – my refuge – thank God. Your most obedient servant, Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 1899; Anderson Letter 1320. The letter is held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek (Mus. ep. autogr. Beethoven 10.) Although Beethoven frequently played ill when the Archduke sought composition lessons, he seems likely to have more or less been telling the truth about his health around this time. At least his story about his illness is consistent across various letters.