BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, May 11, 1824.

Nephew Karl discusses the options for theaters for the second Akademie with Uncle Ludwig. The Theater [presumably the Kärntnertor once again, from Karl’s description] would charge 4000 florins, and whatever is left over would go to Beethoven. Because of that, the Redoutensaal would be preferable, since there are more people who can spend 2 florins than 4 florins. When Karl was supervising at the Kärntnertor box office Friday, he saw that the tickets for the 4th floor were all gone at 11 o’clock, while the more expensive locked seats in the Parterre and Gallery sold slowly. Even though Schindler had 30 locked seats to hand out to various friends and guests of Beethoven, there were still several that remained unsold.

But this time, Karl is confident that all of the seats will go. Uncle Ludwig is unsure about whether they can fill the very large Redoutensaal. Karl suggests his uncle ask Ferdinand Piringer for his opinions as to whether the Redoutensaal or the Landständischer Saal would be better, or more worthy. There are limits to the Landständischer Saal, which you can’t fit more than 500 into, so Uncle Ludwig would take in only 2,000 florins. The winds and the choral personnel will cost 400 florins, and that doesn’t count the soloists. Kärntnertor Theater manager Louis Antoine Duport would certainly not provide the soloists for a concert at the Landständischen Saal. The orchestra servant [responsible for moving and setting up the chairs, stands, heavier instruments, etc. is paid 21 florins for himself and his helpers, which turns out to be pretty reasonable, 3 florins per day for the rehearsals and the concert last Friday.

Karl also notes with trepidation that most of the music lovers are already out in the country, a point Schuppanzigh had warned about at the dinner on Sunday. Karl makes a note of Joseph Dell, a bookbinder in the Deutsches Haus. [The intent appears to be to bind the Missa Solemnis score, which will be on Beethoven’s errand list on May 14.]

They are to meet violinist Joseph Böhm and Ferdinand Piringer this evening; Karl asks whether that will be at Neuling’s beer garden. [Beethoven intends to take Böhm up on his offer for him and Piringer to act as unpaid assistants in place of Schindler, who is not involved in the plans for the second concert until nearly a week later.]

Ludwig and Karl meet with Böhm and Ferdinand Piringer this evening, probably at Neuling’s in the Landstrasse suburb, a couple blocks from Beethoven’s apartment. Piringer dismisses the idea of having the second Akademie already on May 14th; the time is too short, only three days away. May 18 could be arranged, but the announcement should appear in the newspapers before that. Böhm will meet with Duport on Saturday at 4 o’clock, and if all goes well, they can announce the concert on Sunday, May 16. [Piringer appears to be clear that the concert needs to be in the Redoutensaal, which was under Duport’s control; Piringer no doubt immediately dismissed the Landständischer Saal as too small a venue, which would make a profit for Beethoven nearly impossible.]

At some point, possibly in this meeting, though it is not indicated in the conversation book, Beethoven contemplates changing the concert program somewhat for the second Akademie. The terzet Tremate, empi, tremate, op.116, could be performed in order to give the vocal soloists a display piece. Perhaps one of his piano concertos could take the place of some of the Missa Solemnis movements.

Piringer asks how long Beethoven will be at home tomorrow. The newspapers will need to be taken care of. The media-savvy Piringer says that what they can do is, rather than have a direct announcement, pique readers’ interest by saying that “according to a report,” there will be a second Akademie. “You may believe that it is a sure thing.”

But first Duport needs to talk to the Police and get approval for the Akademie. They need to make sure that the Police have nothing against it, and then it will be arranged. Since they had no objections before, they shouldn’t have any now. “More tomorrow at your apartment at 9 o’clock.”

Ludwig and Karl return home.

Conversation Book 67, 13r-17r.

An instrumental and vocal Akademie benefit concert is given by Friedrich Wranitzky, cellist in the Kärntnertor Orchestra, today in the small Redoutensaal. The concert opens with the Overture to Beethoven’s Fidelio, which “was characterized by singularly exemplary power and precision in its delivery. The whole orchestra felt with fire the momentum of the famous composer’s imagination.” The reviewer wishes that this fire in the orchestra would have been diminished by half in Wranitzsky’s concerto, because the string instruments were far too loud and the power of the basses overwhelmed the soloist too much. “A nice vocal quartet” by Franz Schubert was also on the program, “characterized by melodic momentum and harmonious appeal.”

Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung 37 (June 2, 1824) at 146.