BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, January 24, 1826 (approximately)

Sometime between January 22 and February 7, an increasingly suspicious Beethoven writes a letter to Mathias Schlemmer, with whom Nephew Karl is living while he attends the Polytechnic Institute studying business. “Your honor! It strikes me as remarkable that Karl is almost never to be brought into pleasant company where he could most decently enjoy himself during this time. It might give rise to the suspicion that he perhaps enjoys himself in the evenings or even at night in certainly not such good company. I urge you to pay attention to this and, under no pretext, to allow Karl to leave the house at night unless you receive written notification through Karl from me. He was once, with my knowledge, with Herr Court Councilor Breuning.” [On Sunday, January 22.]

“In bringing this matter to your attention, which cannot be an issue of indifference to either of us, I once again commend you to give it your utmost attention. Your most devoted Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2114; Anderson Letter 1380. The original is held in Nuremberg at the German National Museum (Archive, Autographs Capsule 27). According to Sieghard Brandenburg, the letter would have been written during Carneval 1826, specifically after the ball at the home of Stephan von Breuning on January 22, and before Shrove Tuesday, which fell on February 7th. This was the only event of its kind at von Breuning’s home, giving us a possibility of right around two weeks where the letter could have been written. Since Uncle Ludwig suspects Karl might still try to slip out, the letter seems likely to be at the earlier end of this time period.

Assuming Conrad Graf keeps his promise made several days ago, today he delivers to Beethoven a loaner piano while the Broadwood is in his shop for repairs. This new instrument has four strings instead of the usual three on each note, and Graf’s hope is that Beethoven might be able to hear it better.

Attached is a photo of the Graf piano, courtesy of the Bonn Beethovenhaus, where it resides now in the museum (Mö 2). The lower keys are covered in ivory, and the upper keys in ebony. The body is spruce and oak, veneered with mahogany wood. The inscription reads “CONRAD GRAF / Imperial and Royal Court Fortepiano maker / in VIENNA / next to St. Charles Church in Mondschein No.102.” A separate nameplate in front of the damper rail reads “L. van Beethofen.” Beethoven keeps the piano the rest of his life; it is only returned to Graf after Beethoven’s death. Due to the quadruple stringing, the tension of the strings is approximately 7600 kg. In the mid-19th century, new legs were made with casters and a new lyre with only three pedals were installed. The previous Janissary stop was removed from the piano at that time.

Sauer & Leidesdorf again advertises in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.19) at 83 the two volumes of new dances put out by disabled actor C.F. Müller. The collection of 50 waltzes includes the new waltz by Beethoven, WoO 85, while the volume of miscellaneous dances includes Beethoven’s Ecossaise, WoO 86.