BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, September 22, 1824

Recovered for the moment from his stomach ailments, Nephew Karl has rejoined his Uncle Ludwig in Baden bei Wien at some point over the last few days. While he was in Vienna, Karl went to see Andreas Streicher, and explained to him Maximilian J. Leidesdorf’s plan to publish Uncle Ludwig’s complete works. Streicher would not accept it, because they were only thinking of their own profit. There should be a fitting sum all at once, or not at all. But on the whole, Streicher doesn’t think Ludwig should get involved in anything at all with Leidesdorf. He doesn’t have the finances to take on such a project, so enough talking about it.

Karl here writes the name “Jacob Reinlein adlos von Reinfeld.” [That may be the friend he stayed with in Vienna while he was ill.]

Uncle Ludwig writes the word, “Impromptu,” in the conversation book.

Housekeeper Barbara Holzmann announces that she has heard the King of France is dead. Karl writes this news upside down at the bottom of the page. [Louis XVIII of France, who had given Ludwig his gold medal for the Missa Solemnis earlier this year, had died on September 16, 1824. This information would not appear in the Vienna newspapers until September 23, but due to the strict censorship, it’s quite possible that gossip traveled more quickly than the press could operate. This also might be a later addition.]

In the afternoon, Nephew Karl takes the carriage back into Vienna. He takes with him Uncle Ludwig’s eyeglasses for repair. According to Karl’s later comments, he immediately does not feel well and gets stomach aches. He goes to Uncle Ludwig’s apartment in the Ungargasse. One of the tasks he has been given is to deal with the building superintendent since the lease is up on Michaelmas, September 29, and they likely will not have moved out by then. Karl goes to see the building superintendent’s wife, and she takes pity on his wretched state and makes him some camomile tea to settle his stomach. He then goes to bed, using the chamber pot frequently.

Conversation Book 75, 1r, with supplements from Karl’s later comments at 2r-2v.

Another new work by Beethoven’s former student, Carl Czerny, is advertised in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.218) at 914. These are the Grand Variations on Haydn’s Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser! [better known today as the Deutschlandlied, or Deutschland über alles], for piano with orchestral accompaniment, op.73. The same is also available in an arrangement accompanied by string quartet. The description, probably written by Czerny himself, states:

“The publisher, always striving to provide the art-loving public with the latest products by patriotic artists as soon as possible, flatters itself to announce a not unwelcome contribution to the piano players in this completely new work, which has been worked out with particular diligence and on a larger scale. The noble, beautiful theme, which will remain forever dear to our fatherland and our hearts, and which, moreover, as the work of the immortal Haydn, retains an unchanging musical worth, is presented here after a brilliant introduction, accompanied by the entire orchestra on a grand scale. It is also available with accompaniment by a simple quartet for smaller circles. The publisher has endeavored to make an edition worthy of the beauty of the piece.”

The work can be heard here in its orchestral version (Felicja Blumental, piano; Hellmuth Froschauer, Vienna Chamber Orchestra):

and in the piano quintet version (Maureen Jones, Die Kammermusiker Zürich):