BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, September 19, 1826

Beethoven writes a quick letter to unpaid assistant Karl Holz, but is interrupted by the arrival of copyist Wenzel Rampl. “Did you come home today from the realm of love, since I wrote to you and Breuning? If not, you could still go with the letter to Breun. after your office. But you have quel resultat [what result]? I can’t say anything more; the copyist is here. I hope to see you this afternoon at 5. Take a fiacre if you need it. How it pains me to have to fall so burdensomely, heaven will help! — Karl has only 5 more days to stay [in the hospital].”

“Hastily, your friend Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2202; Anderson Letter 1524. The reference to the “realm of love” refers to Holz’s frequent visits (sometimes overnight) to Döbling and the home of his fiancée Elisabeth Bogner. The referenced letters to Holz and Breuning appear to be lost. The original letter (which presumably was delivered by Beethoven’s housekeeper or maid) is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus (BH 37) and can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/5780789581053952/scan/0

Wenzel Rampl has come to see Beethoven. Rampl is doing more and more copying for the theater, because it is a regular income, and they allow him to write at home. The days are getting shorter, so he has to work at night as well. “I still have a debt to pay from my wife’s long-term illness. [Rampl’s wife Anna had died on May 4, 1826; Wiener Zeitung Nr.106 of May 10, 1826 at 455.

Beethoven invites Rampl to dinner, but Rampl is already full.

Beethoven had asked for a copy of the oratorio Saul by Handel; not long ago Rampl spoke to someone who said he could get the full score for him. While it might be bought, Rampl doesn’t know the price. He will ask one of these days and see how much it would cost. Could you just borrow it, Beethoven asks. Rampl says he will ask if he can spare it for half a day, but he doesn’t know if he will be able to get it, for he will definitely demand something. But if Beethoven orders to have it and buy it, that would be best since people want assurance and will hold back, thinking Rampl is pulling their leg. Rampl would like to know what he can offer for the copy of Saul.

Beethoven asks about the score of Fidelio, of which Rampl was going to make an additional copy. The score for Fidelio [owned by the Kärntnertor Theater] has been loaned to a female singer [no doubt Nanette Schechner, who has been rumored to be preparing a performance of the opera] for a long time; Rampl has often asked for it.

Rampl takes his leave, saying it is urgent that he go into the City to the Kärntnertor Theater, since they have the opera Leicester [by François Auber] coming up and that is making the copying urgent.

Beethoven later in the day meets with Stephan von Breuning at a coffee house regarding Nephew Karl’s future in the military. “I suppose Holz must have written to you that I’ll go with you to see Karl.” Breuning is not keen on the coffee; it is thick and looks like bark.

“Karl could either join the Archduke Ludwig regiment, where [Field Marshall Joseph von] Stutterheim is the 2nd in chief, or the Archduke Rudolph regiment.”

Beethoven mentions that Anna von Gleichenstein, née von Malfatti, (1792-1869) is in Vienna. Breuning asks how he knows this, and Beethoven tells him that it was in the Arrivals column of yesterday’s Wiener Zeitung. [Gleichenstein arrived in Vienna on September 15. Beethoven had asked her sister Therese to marry him in 1810.] Anna’s husband, Ignaz von Gleichenstein, has been in Vienna several times, but he did not visit Breuning.

They go to the hospital to see Karl, and Breuning speaks to Karl alone. He reports back to Beethoven that he introduced Karl to what military life consists of, including hardship, discouragement, and obstacles to advancement. “I painted it in strong, but true colors; however, he holds firm on the military career and speaks of his long-prevailing preference for this career, which could not be altered for anything. That was the short result of the long conversation.”

What was Karl’s response to your warnings of the difficulties of military life, Beethoven asks. “He says, though he did not know and see everything as clearly as now, his resolve remains firm, and he is convinced that if there is yet to be some happiness for him, then he will find it in a military career.”

Afterwards, probably around 5 p.m. as he had suggested in his letter, Beethoven meets with Karl Holz. Beethoven asks whether he should pay a tip to Karl’s doctor. Holz advises that is not customary; only the nurse gets something. “It is not customary with regard to the doctors, for they get their salary from the hospital after all. If you think about all the expenses you had there, I would not think they would expect a gift.” Beethoven asks what the monthly charge is for Karl’s care. As of now, it is 40 florins.

Beethoven needs a new watch for Karl, who pawned his to buy the pistols he used in his suicide attempt. The best watches can be found for 20 florins W.W., Holz tells him. “I’ll take you to a watchmaker who can be trusted. If only it does not go to the devil again.”

Conversation Book 121, 33v-39r.