BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, October 4, 1825
Beethoven, in Baden, jots down some ideas for letters, probably today. The first appears to be directed to Matthias Schlemmer, with whom Nephew Karl is rooming. “On the 3rd, he announced in Baden that he had to come in because of the tutor; why was the month up on the 8th of October.” Uncle Ludwig appears to have suspicions about why Karl returned to Vienna abruptly. Karl also seems to have asked for money to pay his tutor on October 8th, rather than the 14th of the month, as had been the case in the previous months.
The second note appears to be a thought of a letter addressed directly to the tutor. “Does Karl come to you on Sunday mornings? What about the afternoon and early morning hours?”
Brandenburg Letter 2064, Anderson Letter 1102. The original is in the Vienna City and National Library (I.N. 34366). On the back, Nephew Karl wrote “I was with him 10 minutes past 8 o’clock,” which may be related to the text of the second note. There is a discussion in the November 1825 conversation books that indicates these lessons with the tutor were held daily this autumn from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning and in the afternoon from 5 to 6. Conversation Book 98, 19v. According to that same discussion, beginning November 7 Karl will have classes at the Polytechnic Institute daily from 9 to 11, and then again from 3 to 5.
Uncle Ludwig then writes a letter to Nephew Karl dated today. “Dear son! Like the wise Odysseus, I also know how to help myself. If you come on Saturday, you needn’t fear that it will be too cold. Some of the old window shutters are here, which can help you quite a bit. I hope to get rid of my cold and catarrh here too, but it is dangerous now anyway in my catarrhal condition to be here. The winds or rather hurricanes are still prevailing.”
“Regarding Biedermann, ask whether S. [Maurice Schlesinger] gave him an order, because one can still write to Peters right away, in case Biedermann doesn’t have an order from Schlesing.—” [This letter relates in part to the sale of the quartets op.132 and op.130 to Parisian publisher Maurice Schlesinger. Schlesinger had promised that Beethoven would get immediate payment upon delivery of these scores to the Biedermann banking house, but Uncle Ludwig appears to suspect that Schlesinger did not follow through; in that case, he appears to consider as a backup plan that he would send the quartet op.132 to Leipzig publisher C.F. Peters in satisfaction of the 360 florins Beethoven has owed him since 1822. The plan was for Beethoven to correct the score and deliver it to Biedermann, who will be traveling to Paris in mid-October.]
“I expect it was hardly possible for you to write today, but I hope you write to me tomorrow and to see you on Saturday. I wish that you may never be ashamed of your unkindness towards me. I—only suffer, I can’t say anything else. I wish and hope that everything you mentioned here about going to Vienna will turn out to be the truth.”
“Rest assured that you can only expect all the best from me at all times, but shouldn’t I also wish this from you?—Even if you see me stormy, attribute it to my great concern for you, as you are easily threatened by danger. I hope to receive a letter from you tomorrow at least. Don’t worry me, oh think of my suffering. By rights, I shouldn’t have any concerns about it, but what have I already experienced?!”
“As always, your most faithful Father.”
“Remember that I’m stuck sitting here and easily can become ill.”
“N’oublies pas de demander des quittançes, e donnes moi aussi vite que possible des Nouvelles.” [Don’t forget to ask for receipts, and give me news as soon as possible.]
Brandenburg Letter 2065; Anderson Letter 1438. The original letter is held in the Biblioteka Jagiellonska (Mus. ep. autogr. Beethoven 13).
Beethoven writes a second letter to Nephew Karl either later today or early tomorrow morning. The contents of this letter are unknown and the original letter is not known to exist, but it is referenced in another letter written tomorrow by Uncle Ludwig to Karl. Brandenburg Letter 2066. Uncle Ludwig is obviously very concerned and suspicious of Karl’s doings, as his need to control his nephew increases just as Karl is becoming a more independent young man; likely the two factors feed off each other more and more as time goes on.