BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, April 27, 1824

Today is a very busy day: preparations for the Akademie and rehearsals, apartment hunting for the summer, and arranging for the score of the Ninth Symphony to be sent to London and for some of Beethoven’s debts to get paid.

Copyist Peter Gläser meets with Beethoven today early in the morning. He says that the other day after the performance, he gave unpaid assistant Anton Schindler the Josephstadt Theater’s score of the overture to Consecration of the House. [It appears to have been used as music for a drama at the Theater.] Schindler said that Beethoven wanted it, “and I immediately gave it to him with my own hands.” But it’s nowhere to be found. Perhaps it has been misplaced? Beethoven asks if Gläser might have it at home, but Gläser says he doesn’t keep any music at home. He is acquainted with it and can find it immediately. He gives Beethoven the corrected parts that have been copied.

Gläser has corrected the soprano music as well as all the others. But the Tenor part has too many bars in it, so he will take that out now. [These appear to be the vocal parts that copyist Paul Maschek had extracted before being removed from the project about a month ago.]

Beethoven would like to send the copy made by Gläser of the Ninth Symphony to Franz Kirchhoffer, who helps with Beethoven’s finances and acts as go-between with Ferdinand Ries in London. That copy will then be sent along to London. But the score still needs corrections, and speed is of the essence.

Gläser wants to do that work tomorrow at Beethoven’s apartment so the composer is available for any questions. He’ll bring along the copyist who copied the score, so everything should be corrected immediately. The violas are written separately, because he has to make 3 first and second parts. [Editor Theodore Albrecht suggests this references the place in the Finale of the Ninth where the violas divide, in the Adagio divoto at “Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?“]

After Gläser leaves, Schindler comes [he had made a 9:00 appointment with Beethoven, so this is likely around then.] Schindler had wanted to fetch violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, but he had already left long before. His upcoming concert in the Augarten on May 1 is keeping him busy. He has already scheduled a rehearsal for it tomorrow afternoon. So Thursday, April 29, would work for a rehearsal for Beethoven’s Akademie, Schindler thinks.

Schindler spoke to Kärntnertor Theater manager Louis Antoine Duport this morning, and he would gladly hold the concert earlier than the 4th of May, since things are not going well for his singers. The bass Antonio Ambrogi is sick, so there is a question about whether the opera can go on this week. Soprano Henriette Sontag is also supposedly not well. But Schindler told him they could hardly be ready before the 4th.

Brother Johann is expecting them at 1 o’clock at the latest. If they have time, they could look for a summer apartment for Ludwig in the town [of Penzing, most likely.]

Schindler notes that the gold medal from King Louis XVIII of France is already somewhat damaged on the rim from handling, or possibly through a fall. He advises Beethoven to keep it at home, so it doesn’t get damaged any further. Beethoven accuses Friedrich August Kanne of causing the damage when he had it lithographed for the Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. Schindler says he might not have, but in any event, such valuable things ought not to be circulating in public.

Schindler has to leave, but he will return at noon to pick up Beethoven. They could also stop by Sontag’s apartment and give her the soprano part that Gläser just corrected for the Ninth Symphony. Perhaps her health will improve if she sees Beethoven. She has recently complained that Beethoven visited Caroline Unger, and Sontag was not able to boast of the same thing.

Before Schindler departs, however, Schuppanzigh arrives. He suggests that the first rehearsal be on Sunday morning, May 2, and then that they have 2 more general rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday mornings. [Schuppanzigh here addresses the composer as “Dear Beethoven,” and continues his usual odd habit of referring to him in the third person.] Schindler says they could send the chorus parts to director Ignaz Dirzka, but they can’t rehearse the chorus until tomorrow. It is agreed that the “small rehearsal” of the amateur musicians be held on Sunday morning, May 2. Schindler jests, “If Schuppanzigh takes it over, he will soon beat them into shape.”

Beethoven appears to suggest a fourth rehearsal be had, and Schuppanzigh points out that every rehearsal creates more expense for him. But if he wants it, then naturally the results will be better. Schindler speculates [considering the many errors in the parts] that the first rehearsal might be considered a proofreading rehearsal.

Schuppanzigh says they should have the rehearsal in the Landständischer Saal, since it has music stands and all possible conveniences, and they would be left to themselves. Schindler agrees that the rehearsal should definitely be closed to outsiders.

Schuppanzigh will have Ferdinand Piringer [leader of the Concerts spirituel of amateur musicians] call his dilettantes for 8:30 on Sunday; then they can begin punctually at 9 o’clock. The orchestra can work on the Overture and the Symphony, so the men and women solo singers need not come until 10. The chorus need not come to this rehearsal. Schindler confirms that only the dilettantes would be coming to this rehearsal. Schuppanzigh and Schindler appear to depart at this point.

Schindler returns about noon, after having checked in with his government sources. With regard to the Diploma making Beethoven a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the necessary approval from the Emperor for Beethoven to accept it, Court Councilor Martin has kept his word and he got the approval of the Emperor on April 21. It has now moved back down the bureaucratic chain to Count von Saurau, the Minister of the Interior. The diploma will be delivered to Beethoven through the government. Beethoven asks whether he should make a request for it, but he [probably Martin] said Beethoven shouldn’t reply.

Beethoven is still angry about being blamed for the Petition having been published, now in two newspapers, the Theater-Zeitung and then the Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. Carl Czerny told Schindler that the Petition had been written by Herr Stainer [von Felsburg], and it went through so many hands, someone could have copied it. Schindler recommends Beethoven take no notice of it. AMZ editor Kanne made several comments about it, so no one would believe it was done through Beethoven. Only a jackass and unintelligent person would think so.

Beethoven and Schindler go to Johann’s apartment about 1 p.m. Ludwig appears to make a comment to his brother that it’s his own fault for marrying Therese. Johann protests that he is not as guilty as his wife. He will tell Ludwig later “about the rare cunning that she used to coerce him into marriage.”

Die Ahnfrau by Franz Grillparzer is being presented at the Theater in the Josephstadt today, starring 18-year-old Betty Schröder and Philipp Klingmann.

The topic of Count Moritz Lichnowsky and his anger with Beethoven over the publication of the Petition with his name attached comes up. Beethoven makes a suggestion [perhaps to dedicate a work to him?], which the others agree would be the finest satisfaction. Or instead of listing his name, the canon intended for him [probably “Bester Graf, Sie sind ein Schaf,” WoO 183.] Schindler will instruct Johann Schickh that when he reprints the Petition, that he needs to keep Lichnowsky’s name off it, and make the [untrue] annotation that Lichnowsky’s name absolutely did not appear in the original. [Schickh did not reprint the Petition at all in his Wiener Zeitschrift, possibly dissuaded by these problems it was creating.]

Johann asks what Ludwig will be getting for the publication rights to the new symphony. About 550 florins C.M. [net after copying costs.] Johann thinks that in any case, an opera would be more lucrative at 2,000 florins C.M., and then it could be sold afterwards for more. He asks whether Ludwig had worked on the Symphony an entire year; Schindler says no, since it was begun in December. [The serious work on the symphony had begun in February of 1823, though it was greatly slowed by Beethoven’s issues with his eyes, as well as all the issues surrounding the subscriptions to the Missa Solemnis. But about a year would be right, though Ludwig does not appear to correct Schindler, possibly embarrassed about the slim reward for the year’s effort.]

The three of them take Johann’s carriage on a trip to Hietzing and Penzing to look for a summer apartment for Ludwig. In town, there are very nice apartments to be had on the upper floors for reasonable prices, according to the coffee maker at a coffee house where they stop. The landlord of one apartment makes unreasonable claims about the amount of sun that it gets, and Schindler jokes that “His palace has morning, midday, evening, and midnight sun.” He wants 500 florins W.W. for it; Schindler says he could consider that, or offer about 450 florins.

At a second place, Schindler talks to the owner since it’s very noisy there. It costs 500 florins. Another is too large and won’t be broken up. It would be at least 600-700 florins, Schindler thinks. Another at the Blauer Bock [Blue Goat] in Mariahilf would be 400 fl. C.M., and it doesn’t have midday sun so it would not be appropriate. Yet another has sun at 4 o’clock [in the morning], but the woman here only knows it’s 250 florins, but doesn’t know whether that’s W.W. or C.M. [1 florin C.M. = 2.5 florins W.W., so the difference is not trivial.] Schindler notes that in W.W. it is too cheap; in C.M., it’s too expensive.

Returning to the City after looking at a couple more apartments, they pay an 11-kreutzer toll, and Beethoven returns home.

Later that evening, Ludwig mentions to Nephew Karl that he needs to see Franz Kirchhoffer to deliver the Symphony and collect the funds. Karl points out that Kirchhoffer is not at home at midday. He is at the office after 7 o’clock in the morning. He notes that Kirchhoffer says Ludwig owes him 500 florins, which he would like to be repaid out of the payment for the symphony.

[The 50 pound sterling commission from the London Philharmonic Society is presumably what he means. Beethoven may have received a now-lost letter from Kirchhoffer that Karl is referencing. Kirchhoffer appears to have advanced the money to publisher S.A. Steiner in repayment of some of Beethoven’s long-standing debts, and taken two of Beethoven’s bank shares as security until the fair copy of the symphony is received. The need for such sudden haste in paying Steiner after nearly eight years suggests that Steiner has been threatening Beethoven’s attorney Johann Baptist Bach again with a lawsuit against the composer, which would likely be injurious to the planned Akademie.]

Otherwise, Ries asks that the dedication go to Kirchhoffer. Ludwig doesn’t want to do that. Karl suggests that he not give him a flat rejection; just give him a noncommittal reply until he has the stock shares. Karl asks, “Isn’t the Symphony completed?” Ludwig says he is about to send off the score, with the dedication to the Philharmonic Society. Karl notes that it might be a year from now before the symphony is engraved. The Overture could be dedicated to him instead.

Ludwig fills Karl in about the plans for the summer apartment. Johann can get away from his wife and live in Ludwig’s apartment in town. Karl asks if anything has been done in Penzing to get the apartment. Karl makes some writing samples in Greek before asking if he went to Johann’s, which he did.

Conversation Book 63, 26v-38r.

Today, J.J. Schott of the B. Schott’s Sons music publishing house in Mainz writes once again to Beethoven. He is pleased to say that they sent off to Beethoven, care of S.A. Steiner & Co., a little parcel that contains the first issue of their new journal of the arts, Cäcilia. If Beethoven would make a contribution, the editors would be much obliged.

They would ardently like a response to their letters of March 24 and April 10, accepting Beethoven’s terms for the new Quartet, and also taking on the Ninth Symphony and the Missa Solemnis. They will accept whatever banking or wholesaling business Beethoven chooses to accept as middleman, and they can forward the score of the Quartet [which will be op.127] to Mainz upon receipt of the fee.

“Our greatest wish is to be able to regard ourselves as the publisher of all three offered works [the Quartet, the Missa Solemnis, and the Ninth Symphony], about which we still, as always, look forward to a friendly response from you.” While their usual practice is to offer less than the asking price, they want to be honorable people, which is why they made the offer to pay in installments. If the terms are too protracted, they can arrange for a banking house in Vienna to fulfill his demands. “You will excuse our forwardness; you must attribute it to your offer, which we highly value.” They also offer to reimburse Beethoven for any postage charges.

Brandenburg Letter 1819; Albrecht Letter 361. The original is held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek, aut.35,72d.

The London correspondent of the Wiener Zeitschrift today, in a letter dated March 20, reports at page 438 of the great successes that Rossini has had there, meeting with the King. Rossini’s his operas have been performed there to much acclaim. The writer also mentions that the London Philharmonic Society has begun its concert series. On the first evening, Herr Kysewetter played a Concerto by Joseph Mayseder, and this was followed by the Heroic Symphony by Beethoven [Nr.3 in E-flat], “which was very excellently executed.” The conclusion of the concert was Weber’s Overture to Der Freischütz, which was making its English premiere “and found general applause through its originality.”

The Heroic Symphony is here played by the London Philharmonic, conducted by Karina Canellakis: