BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, May 19, 1824

Conversation Book 68 begins being used probably today. This book of 30 leaves covers a period of about four days.

After helping his Uncle with their shopping this morning, Karl suggests his Ludwig may need new lenses in his glasses. He mentions that during their shopping Uncle Ludwig mistook a ten for a twenty today. But Karl doesn’t think any harm was done.

Talk turns to invitations for the second Akademie. Six invitations for 1 florin C.M. each makes 6 florins C.M., or 15 florins W.W. They would need to be taken to the theater manager, Louis Antoine Duport.

The orchestra servant, who is responsible for setting up the seating and stands for the concert comes to Beethoven’s apartment. He wants to make sure that everything needed for every part is assembled, so he can place them on the stands for every player tomorrow. That way it won’t cause as much disturbance as it did at the rehearsal for the first Akademie in the Redoutensaal.

Beethoven is expecting conductor Michael Umlauf and alto Caroline Unger. The orchestra servant believes Umlauf is in a rehearsal and probably will not be coming, but Unger said she would soon be here.

Karl mentions that the cook is making Boef à la mode [rump roast with ham or bacon, then stewed with onions, mushrooms and spices] for dinner today.

Unpaid assistant Anton Schindler arrives with Caroline Unger. Beethoven asks whether Umlauf will be joining them. Schindler is surprised Umlauf didn’t tell Beethoven he would not be able to come. Beethoven had told Unger that if she knew anyone she loves, she should bring him along. But she didn’t find anybody.

Soprano Henriette Sontag still doesn’t have her part for Tremate, empi, tremate, op.116, to be performed at the repeat Akademie concert. She is living in Meidling, near Schönbrunn for the summer but is in the City almost daily. She got the official notification about the Akademie only today from Duport.

Unger admires Beethoven’s two sculptures of what she calls Cossacks, and would like to own one, if Beethoven could do without him. [Both today are at the Bonn Beethovenhaus, which suggests that he did not give her one. Photos of the pair can be seen here:]

She heard some Englishmen speaking yesterday, and she really liked their incomprehensible language.

Nephew Karl is planning to meet the printing factor today at 5 p.m., and also to Steiner to have the invitations for the concert engraved. Otherwise it will be too late. Uncle Ludwig is still concerned about losing money due to all these expenses. Karl reminds him that according to Schindler, Duport guaranteed Beethoven 500 florins C.M.

The wood cutters come to the door and ask to be paid; the housekeeper takes care of that.

Unger continues, giving multiple reasons why the concert would be better held in the Redoutensaal. That way Beethoven would be sure to have 1200 florins [probably meaning W.W., 1250 of which would be equivalent to 500 florins C.M.] The music will sound better, and Beethoven will have no worries. Most importantly, “It is my opinion!”

Unger will not be going to Milan. Next fall she plans to go on tour through Prague and Berlin, to Hamburg. Her contract is up in December.

Karl heads to Steiner’s to have the 50 invitations engraved.

Unger says she is studying Iphigenia, and would also like to study Fidelio. “You would make me infinitely happy if you would lend me the piano score.” Beethoven agrees to do so, and she is overjoyed: “You’ll do it?!!!! Really?!!”

Schindler asks whether Beethoven has seen the review of the first Akademie concert in yesterday’s Sammler [Nr.60 at 239-240]. Beethoven has not. It’s a second review, and is very fine, much like the first one [which appeared in Nr.58, May 13, 1824 at 231-232.] “The second is far more comprehensive, goes more into detail, and really the best, along with the first in the Sammler.”

Unger talks about how, while the crypt of the Hapsburg royal family was being expanded, a few days ago they found the sarcophagus of a Roman general, with all his insignia, in good condition.

Beethoven appears to complain that the soloists did not stand in the Finale, except when they were actually singing. Unger says that she would have liked to have stood up during the first Akademie. But the other three soloists wanted to remain seated, so she couldn’t do so. But this time she will stand up.

Still nothing has been settled about the Akademie, either the place or the date or whether Beethoven will take the 500 florins guaranteed income or go the route of risk/reward. Schindler asks, “Tell us now your firm decision, so that we know right now what must be done.” Beethoven’s decision is to go with the Redoutensaal on Friday, May 21. [He appears to have come to that decision before Karl left, and so informed him.]

Conductor Michael Umlauf comes to the composer’s apartment briefly, and gives his input as well. “In the Redoutensaal, with the guaranteed income, is the best.”

Unger says she has to go, since she has to sing today and has to study at home. “Adieu, my honored friend.” Beethoven is concerned that she may have stayed too long and interfered with her work. She brushes that off, “I did not miss anything.”

After she leaves, Umlauf talks about the contracts of the members of the Court Theater, which has led to abuses, such as the Kapellmeisters going to the homes of female singers to hold rehearsals. Since the Opera Theater is the only place for training in the state, the costs should be paid out of the state treasury, in his opinion, and not be funded on the heads of the citizens. The musicians have always been very poorly paid, even by Emperor Joseph II. Everyone got 300 florins C.M. salary. Not until Empress Maria Therese (1772-1807), wife of Franz I, were the salaries raised to 500, 600 and 800 florins C.M. [Editor Theodore Albrecht suggests that Umlauf is generalizing too much, since section leaders and wind players were paid higher salaries, and the incomes had risen significantly during this period.]

Umlauf says that no one in Vienna gives singers the methods that the Italians possess. Giuseppe Tomaselli (1762-1835) is the singing teacher. Joseph Simoni (1764-1832), a tenor and Imperial Singing Master, would be in a position to do it, but he has money and is comfortable so he probably could not be persuaded.

Brother Johann comes to the apartment. Attorney Bach will be sending Beethoven a letter today. If the Akademie is at the Kärntnertor Theater, then Beethoven should take the box seat tickets home to sell. Schindler, Umlauf and Johann all leave. Schindler goes to play at the Theater in the Josephstadt tonight, while Johann visits Duport.

Later, Karl returns in the early evening and reports on his errands. He first went to Haslinger’s because Ferdinand Piringer insisted on knowing today for sure whether the Akademie was to be on Friday May 21, or Sunday May 23rd. Karl told him it would be the 21st. Karl was on his way to go see Duport, when Brother Johann came in and reported he had just spoken with Duport. “He, however, made trouble and absolutely did not want to let you have Friday, but produced a kind of contract in your Brother’s presence. More of this later.” So, things are back up in the air and Piringer still does not know what to tell the dilettantes that he is supposed to be getting for the concert.

The pair of Karl and Johann went back to see Duport, but he couldn’t speak to them. So Johann took the letter and sent Karl to see Schindler in the Josephstadt, and to tell him to appear at Duport’s in the morning to obtain his answer. Then Schindler needs to go see Piringer right away since he needs to know what to tell the dilettantes and the artists about when to come. Schindler gives Karl Duport’s letter, which he now delivers to Ludwig. [The letter, which would exclude Friday evening for the Redoutensaal, does not appear to survive.]

Duport wants to have one of the movements of the Missa Solemnis left out, and instead be replaced by an aria or something similar, if the Akademie is to be in the Redoutensaal. Duport also suggested that the famous Italian cellist, Giuseppe Fenzi, who is visiting Vienna, be allowed to play. But everyone was outraged at that idea. Ludwig asks Karl how he knows this, if he wasn’t able to meet Duport. These are the conditions that Duport told to Johann. Another idea Duport had was to have someone play the Czakan [a flute shaped like a walking stick; editor Theodor Albrecht suggests Karl is being sarcastic here, since it is not a serious instrument.]

Karl says he told Haslinger what Schickh had written in the conversation book yesterday. “He just laughed about it and said: There are many people like this, who, when they ought to contribute something, run away from it, but then cry about it afterwards.” Beethoven asks what Karl thinks about the pieces being too long. “I am of the opinion that you should not cut so much as a single note.”

Piringer, Haslinger and Joseph Böhm are all of the opinion Uncle Ludwig should go to visit the ten to twelve most prominent bankers. That would raise that many more hundred florins, since if word gets around that Beethoven himself invited them to the Akademie, they would all have to honor it.

Conversation Book 68, 1r-8v. Despite all the wrangling and indecision, we have finally (and reluctantly) arrived at mid-day on May 23rd, four days away, at the large Redoutensaal for the second Akademie. It remains to be seen whether, as Schickh had predicted, this is too late to hold the concert.