BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Tuesday, September 28, 1824

Nephew Karl is with his Uncle Ludwig in Baden. He appears to add some entries out of order later in Conversation Book 76, 24v-26r.

Karl jokes that tomorrow is the Nameday of the patron of all landlords: Michael. [Michaelmas, September 29, is the traditional beginning of new leases in the autumn. The spring lease beginning is on Georgi, or St. George’s Day, celebrated on April 24 in Catholic Vienna.] Thus, every landlord is named Michael Georg.

Expecting Johann Andreas Stumpff to be visiting tomorrow from London, Karl recommends, in French, that his uncle speak in French. [Editor Theodore Albrecht suggests that this instruction is so that the servants would not understand their conversation.] He notes that the English eat their soup first, then fish, then the meat, and after that, the green dishes.

Karl has an anecdote to tell. “In Paris at one time an actor from Flanders appeared in a tragedy, and acted so badly that the whole thing failed. Among other things, he had to say: ‘Mais pour ma fuite, ami, quel parti dois-je prendre?‘ [Friend, to where should I flee?] To this, a voice from the Parterre answered: ‘Ami, prenez la poste, et retournez en Flandre!‘” [Friend, take the postal coach and return to Flanders!]

Karl recollects there was a similar story told in Germany. “At the end of a performance, a dancer who had received universal applause, declared as he went out for a curtain call: ‘If you are glad, I am not sad.’ To which a bass voice answered in rhyme from the highest gallery: ‘He is mad.'”

At a market, Karl notes they have doves there. As part of the shopping, Karl also writes down limburger cheese, Swiss cheese, 1 florin 36 kreutzers for mustard, and French mustard.

Conversation Book 76, 24v-26r.

Today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.223) at 934 includes an advertisement for a reprint of Beethoven’s Trois Sonates pour le Pianoforte, published by J. Bermann, for 6 florins W.W. This is likely the set of three sonatas op.10, which according to KH2 was printed by Bermann, from the plates originally owned by his father-in-law Joseph Eder. The sonatas were originally published in 1798.