In Frankfurt am Main today, a grand vocal and instrumental concert is given by Herr and Mad. Hoffmann. Hr. Hoffman is one of the most outstanding members of the orchestra there, and Mad. Hoffmann, who has received widespread applause in the opera, said farewell to the local audience, following an …
Hans Georg Nägeli writes to Beethoven today from Zurich. His book of poetry, Liederkränze, has been published, and as promised last year, he is sending nine copies in the next few days to the Vienna post office, with a message that the parcel contains a book shipment that Archduke Rudolph …
Today, the long-awaited premiere of Franz Grillparzer’s five-act tragedy, King Ottokar’s Fortune and End takes place at the Hofburg Theater. After Grillparzer submitted it for approval in the fall of 1823, Metternich’s censors prohibited both the publication and performance of the drama. The reason given was that it raised “unfavorable …
The Newspaper for an Elegant World for today (Nr.35) contains a short anecdote about Beethoven at 278. “The poetic interpretation of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, which the readers of this newspaper recently read in the witty article by my worthy friend Mosengeil in these pages [which compared Mozart and Beethoven (January …
Today is Ash Wednesday. Beethoven’s shopping list includes chamomile tea. The housekeeper, who announced yesterday she was departing, suggests as her replacement a woman who currently works as a housekeeper at Court Councilor Franz Haymerle (1748-1825). [This woman may be an applicant who has come to the door.] Beethoven makes …
The mid-day dinner menu for Fat Tuesday today is: Noodle soupMeat with mashed potatoesKraut with Kaiserfleisch [young smoked pork]Preserves. For supper tonight:A chicken with rice.Cake.Potato cake. The housekeeper announces she is going back to her old position, because there is too much to do here. Karl already needs his laundry …
Beethoven is interested in a new apartment (he has been told by his current landlady that he needs to leave due to all the shouting and carrying on), but it gets too much sun in the afternoon, and too little in the mornings, when he does most of his work. …
Brother Johann visits Ludwig today. Apparently Johann was ill with some stomach upset, since he says he didn’t step outside at all yesterday, because he still didn’t trust himself. Or the fierce wind might still be raging that had frightened him so several days earlier. The Wiener Zeitung does indicates …
This morning, Nephew Karl and Uncle Ludwig are gossiping about Brother Johann and his estranged wife Therese. She draws interest from half of his property, from the estate, the wine business, etc. They are interrupted by a knock at the door; it’s the shoemaker, come to collect payment. Today is …
Beethoven received Ferdinand Ries’ letter about three days ago, requesting a copy of the Ninth Symphony to be performed at the Lower Rhenish Music Festival in May. He responds today, dictating to Nephew Karl: “Dear Ries! You insist so on an answer that I can only tell you the bare …
Nephew Karl comes by Ludwig’s apartment in the morning, having been summoned. The housekeeper woke him up just now since he was not aware. Uncle Ludwig wants to discuss the Akademie concerts that Brother Johann and Ignaz Schuppanzigh are pushing him to have in the Landständischer Saal. Karl is not …
Karl is at Beethoven’s apartment today, probably after stopping to read today’s newspapers and reporting the news to his uncle, still laid up with an aching foot. Poet and medical student Samuel Saphir has died at the age of 23. The poet who won the prize of 25 ducats for …
Nephew Karl comes to Beethoven’s apartment this afternoon, having already read the newspapers for his uncle. “Herr Benjamin Constans [Benjamin Constant (1767-1830)] gave a speech [in the French Chamber of Deputies] in which he provided evidence that one must compensate all those with private incomes who lost their property during …
Beethoven makes a note that he still needs to buy blotting sand. Nephew Karl lets him know that the shoemaker is here. He will return twice more in the next few days, so he is probably measuring Beethoven’s feet, perhaps taking into account the corn problems and swelling Ludwig is …
Brother Johann comes to visit Ludwig at his apartment today. It’s no wonder Ludwig’s feet are bothering him badly. He has a corn on his foot, for which Johann prescribes Lapis Infernalis. [Fused silver nitrate, a primitive antiseptic commonly used at the time to treat and cauterize wounds and burns.] …
Brother Johann has guests for dinner and does not come to visit Ludwig today. It seems Nephew Karl does not visit Uncle Ludwig today either, because the following letter is entirely in Ludwig’s hand, and Karl customarily wrote out the correspondence with publishers from Ludwig’s dictation. Beethoven writes his publishers, …
Beethoven is having corn problems and rheumatic swelling with one of his feet, which is giving him significant pain, and he probably does not leave the apartment today. He makes some memoranda to himself about the proposed England trip. The additional 100 guineas he requested from Neate to make the …
Young Julius Lamatsch comes to visit Beethoven today. He has just come from his lesson with Carl Czerny. Beethoven’s former pupil had told him that Beethoven had received an invitation to go to England, and knew he would be looking for someone to accompany him. Czerny said he thought immediately …
The visitor from yesterday comes to Beethoven’s apartment this morning. It is a representative from the Joseph Loydl Co., which acts as the business agent in Vienna for publisher Heinrich Albert Probst in Leipzig. Probst is furious that he has read in the musical press Schott’s announcement they are publishing …
On his morning walk, Beethoven stops at a coffee house. He will be having dinner later today with Joseph Bernard, and knowing how much Bernard likes to talk, Ludwig probably wants to make sure he gets his customary afternoon newspaper reading in this morning. As he does so, he makes …