BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, June 22, 1825 (approximately)

Beethoven writes a letter from Baden to Nephew Karl in Vienna probably today or tomorrow, Thursday, June 23. “I am glad, my dear son, that you enjoy this sphere [his training for business at the Polytechnic], and, since this is the case, that you are eagerly tackling everything necessary for it.”

“I didn’t recognize your writing; indeed, I am only asking about the meaning and significance, since you must now also achieve the beautiful external aspect here — if it is too difficult for you to come here, then do not do it –but if you can, at least, possibly do so, it would give me great pleasure to have a human heart around me in my solitude.”

“If you come, the housekeeper will help ensure that you can leave by 5 o’clock, which will still leave you time to study–“

“I embrace you warmly, your faithful father.”

Beethoven adds a postscript in pencil: “Don’t forget to bring the Morgenblatt and the letter from Ries.” [This may relate to the Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände of June 21, where Beethoven is mentioned several times on pages 3 and 4.]

Brandenburg Letter 1998; Anderson Letter 1393. The original is in the Biblioteca Jagiellonska in Krakow (Mus. ep. autogr. Beethoven 15). The undated letter is probably connected with a note Beethoven makes in the conversation book for Karl to bring the Stuttgart morning paper about this time. The only letter from Ries during this summer is the one dated June 9, which probably would have been received in Vienna about this time.

Today’s Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.25 at 424 includes a summary of the subscription concerts held during the month of January, 1825 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The second concert of the month included Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony Nr.3. The 17th concert in the subscription series includes Beethoven’s Symphony Nr.5 in C minor, while in the 20th concert Symphony Nr.8 in F major was heard, as well as an Andante by Beethoven, arranged for orchestra by Ignaz von Seyfried. [The latter is probably one of the pieces from the set of five Morceaux arranged by Seyfried, published earlier this year in Leipzig by H.A. Probst. If so, the only one of these five that is an Andante is Nr.3, an arrangement for orchestra of the Violin Sonata op.12/2, second movement, Andante, più tosto allegretto.] The 23rd concert included a Scene and Aria by L. v. Beethoven, sung by Dem. Queck. The 24th and final concert included Beethoven’s First Symphony in C major.

At the memorial service held today for composer Antonio Salieri, who died last month, his Requiem Mass in C minor, composed in 1804, is performed for the first time. Salieri had given Beethoven instruction in Italian vocal writing around 25 years earlier, and they remained friendly over the years. Salieri, a highly respected teacher, had given similar lessons to Franz Liszt and Franz Schubert, among many others.

Salieri’s Requiem in C minor is here performed by the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Lawrence Foster:

Anton Diabelli & Co. again advertises Carl Czerny’s arrangement of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata Nr.9 op.47 (“Kreutzer“) for four hands piano in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.140) at 604.