BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, January 17, 1826

Probably in the morning, Beethoven makes his shopping and errand list:

• Food basket with bowls.
• Silver spoons.
• 2 napkins.
• 2 pillow cases.
• Wiping cloths.
• Locksmith. +
• Candles.
• Quilt bed and quilts.
• Chair.
• Locksmith. [repeated after Beethoven turns the page that had the first entry for the locksmith.]
• Carpenter.
• Hand towels.
• Butcher.

Beethoven appears to meet unpaid assistant Karl Holz and visits former housekeeper Barbara Holzmann in the home for the aged in the Bürgerspital, to see if she would return to fill in as housekeeper since Theresia Adelmann intends to leave. Holzmann thanks Beethoven for thinking of her. Holz has to return to the office. Beethoven wants to have some coffee. Holz reluctantly agrees, but he insists he cannot return to the office too late. Holz suggests Joseph Wirschmidt’s coffee house right there in the Bürgerspital. Beethoven doesn’t like that suggestion (probably wanting to get a more substantial meal since he is without servants), so Holz says they can meet later at Zum wilden Mann restaurant and hotel later on for dinner.

Beethoven goes to Zum wilden Mann and continues working on his list as Holz goes back to his office:

• Machine for letters to be submitted. [Possibly a letter press or a sealing mechanism.]
• Washing here nearby.
• Vest buttons.
• Trim the Quartet.
• Proofread the Artaria Quartet [op.130, which Holz had sold to Mathias Artaria earlier this month] more.

Holz rejoins Beethoven at Zum wilden Mann. He sees the last entry on the list and assures Beethoven that the quartet will be proofread better from the copy that is made for the Schuppanzigh Quartet to perform. Holz has himself played through it, looking over the proofreading. One believes it is impossible that something can be missing. Holz says he will take the parts with him.

Someone suggested to Holz that Beethoven take a cook on a short-term basis, until the person he needs can be sent. [Apparently Holzmann was not able to come immediately.] Holz asks whether Beethoven has never had the washing done at home. He usually has it sent out. Beethoven wants to get something to flatten the cloth, like a stone weight, or perhaps like a napkin press. Holz cautions that the landlady cannot heat the room for him, and it will be cold when he returns home.

Holz mentions that he saw the widow of Court Councilor Sonnenfels; Holz thought she had been dead for a long time. She is a very old woman who walks with a cane.

Beethoven asks Holz whether he has been to Steiner’s music shop. Holz answers no, he hasn’t been there “since the beer business.” [A reference to their boozy New Year’s Eve celebration at the shop.] But he knows that Steiner [or more likely Haslinger] is aware the new quartet has been sold to Artaria. Steiner would have paid 60 ducats [Artaria paid 80.] And that doesn’t take into account the various stipulations that Beethoven wanted.

Holz has bread soup with two eggs for dinner, and says that it fills him up quickly. Holz points out a man to Beethoven as one of Metternich’s secret police spies; he’s been planted there to act as a bloodhound the whole day and report what everyone is doing.

Returning to the Schuppanzigh Quartet: Schuppanzigh appears to Holz to be inclined to rehearse the op.127 quartet again; there was never any discussion about only rehearsing it once, given the problems at the premiere. There should have been two rehearsals. Holz asks when that quartet is intended to be published. Joseph Mayseder would be glad to play it again with his quartet. When he did it last April, after the disastrous premiere by Schuppanzigh, it was seen as a reparation of Beethoven’s honor. He would like to play it at the home of Court War Councilor Ignaz Dembscher; the musicians there would be good. If Mylord [Schuppanzigh] plays it, then Mayseder would play it the next Tuesday. But Holz is not raising the question with Mylord, because it would be unpleasant for him in any case. He speaks nothing good of Mayseder.

Beethoven doesn’t think his friend Holz has had enough to eat. Holz assures him that it’s just like his dinner; the proprietor of the restaurant was not harmed in it. “Why should I eat more than the stomach desires?” Holz had breakfast today, and if he has breakfast he usually is not very hungry at dinner time. He’s been that way since he suffered from jaundice some months ago. Holz suggests Beethoven have a Strassburger pastry served.

Holz returns to the quartet and the necessary proofreading. He asks when the copy for the performers will be ready. Beethoven tells him he still has to proofread them. Holz says Beethoven should leave that to him; if there are mistakes in it, they can clean those up at rehearsals. Artaria’s copy was proofread well. There were several details Holz overlooked that can be attributed to the original writing.

Holz asks about the next quartet, in C-sharp minor [what will become op.131.] Perhaps they could rehearse something from that, if the first movement is finished? Beethoven probably tells him that it’s not ready for performance yet. But Beethoven writes four bars from the fourth movement in the conversation book at 11r for Holz an example. [These bars are seen here, and correspond to part of bars 9-13 of the fourth movement Andante ma non troppo e molto cantabile.]]

Holz continues pointing out people at Zum wilden Mann, including a group of officers who are speaking of their heroic deeds with a great deal of vanity and boasting. Beethoven keeps pressing Holz that he should eat more. Holz tries to dodge the subject by saying he ate some bad meat yesterday; that may be the reason he’s not very hungry.

Holz mentions that he was in the Landstrasse concerning a possible housekeeper for Beethoven. But he thinks it needs to be pointed out to her from the very start that she must do everything Beethoven wants punctually, and when something cannot be done, she needs to say that right away and explain why. “In this way, many misunderstandings and vexations will be avoided.”

Holz points out some other diners to Beethoven, including the wife of the Empress’s secretary, who is named Gross. The Provincial Marshall [Holz’s employer] is summoning him, but luckily he is also the President of the Musikverein. Beethoven asks what his name is. Holz says it is Count Johann Peter von Goess (1774-1846).

As they prepare to leave, Holz observes that Beethoven should wear felt overshoes, to keep his feet more dry. Beethoven asks if he will see Holz later today. No, he must give lessons, and he will see Beethoven tomorrow. He will also check in on Nephew Karl later today.

Before he departs, Holz remembers that there is a B-flat in the first movement, first violin part, which is somewhat uncomfortable to play; it would be much easier if that B-flat were to be omitted when the first violin part is proofread. Holz here writes in bar 144 of the violin part near the bottom of leaf 12r, seen here, saying “One comes down easier.” [The bar and the B-flat before it remain precisely the same in the Gesamtausgabe version. Beethoven thus probably suggested something rude, for example that Schuppanzigh learn to play his instrument better, because Holz abruptly breaks off writing, “Tomorrow” and then crosses it out, seemingly ending the entries for today as they go their separate ways.]

Conversation Book 102, 6r-12v.