BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, August 13, 1823

Beethoven today leaves Hetzendorf behind and moves to Baden bei Wien. He will stay at Rathausgasse 10, the Kupferschmiedhaus, for the next few months.

Today’s Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr. 33) at 538-540 reviews Bibliographie musicale de la France et de l’ètranger (Niogelt: Paris 1822). The reviewer sarcastically mocks the author’s myopic coverage of music published outside of France thusly: “According to his opinion, there have appeared in Europe up to the present day – e.g. as far as concerti are concerned, one by Beethoven, none by Mozart, none by Spohr, Ries, etc., but one by Kaske and one by Cannabiels. (He means: Haake and Cannabich.) There is only one little work of fugues in Germany. Unfortunately, we poor Germans only have eight scores in print or engraving; and even these – the thing that is and at the same time is not – they are not even scores, but all of them are only piano reductions. We are somewhat richer in symphonies; we have their new ones, including one by Beethoven: unfortunately none by Haydn, nor by Mozart, although one by – Tuch. As far as quartets are concerned, we’ve made it to nine volumes. But of quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Spohr, Ries, etc., none are known to have come out! Church music in print or engraving does not yet exist “jusqu’ á ce jour” at all in Germany; how sad!”

Not to be outdone in the Rossini Wars by Sauer & Leidesdorf, the Artaria & Co. firm announces that they are publishing arrangements of Rossini’s operas for wind or military band. Ready and in hand are Zelmira and Corradino, the latter with Turkish elements. Orders can be placed for any of Rossini’s opera, so arranged.