Unpaid assistant Karl Holz meets up with Beethoven later today. They probably go to see the magistrate about Karl first. However, an unspecified number of pages are torn out of Conversation Book 119 at this point, so exactly what is discussed is unknown. They discuss Nephew Karl in the general …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven, probably today. Former unpaid assistant Anton Schindler came to see him about how to handle Nephew Karl. Schindler thinks Karl should stay here under his uncle’s watchful eye. Holz thinks otherwise, and that Beethoven can still consider sending him off to work in an …
The conversation book entries for today are very lengthy; they fill the rest of Conversation Book 118 and nearly half of Conversation Book 119. We are therefore forced to greatly compress the content for purposes of this column, retaining references to musical matters and the questioning by the examining police …
Today, the examining magistrate questions Nephew Karl at the hospital regarding his attempted suicide about three weeks ago. Uncle Ludwig does not attend, but unpaid assistant Karl Holz does, and will report to Beethoven tomorrow about the inquest. Beethoven makes a shopping list but cannot keep his morbid thoughts out …
Beethoven makes some morbid memoranda in his conversation book, indicating a depressed state of mind: [Birthe Kibsgaard suggests that these may be possible excuses or explanations in the event Beethoven is interrogated about Karl’s suicide attempt; he is no doubt troubled, shocked, and frightened, and dreads that he will be …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz delivers to Archduke Rudolph’s offices Beethoven’s receipt for the 6-month payment of his annuity. Holz advises Beethoven he could have made the receipt as two semiannual receipts for 300 florins C.M. because he can save a florin on the stamp tax that way. [The tax is …
Given the conversation book comments later today, there is an undated note from Beethoven to unpaid assistant Karl Holz that may date from early this morning. Beethoven writes to Holz inviting him to mid-day dinner. “For Herr v. Holz. Due to a special coincidence, I ask you, when you get …
Beethoven makes a note in the conversation book, and unusually, dates it with today’s date: This comment suggests that despite the popular impression, even at this late date he still had some residual hearing that allowed him to use an ear trumpet to hear a little bit. Conversation Book 118, …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to visit Beethoven, around this afternoon. He reports that violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh is pleased that Beethoven has accepted his invitation to dinner. He has also invited the cloth merchant Johann Wolfmayer, who is an enthusiastic supporter of Beethoven. Wolfmayer will be very happy to be …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz went earlier today to check on whether the interest coupons could be signed there by the director of the Viennese Deposit Office. But he reports to Beethoven that he was told to come back tomorrow, because Herr Director was not there yet. So he will have …
Early this morning, unpaid assistant Karl Holz takes a fiacre and goes to check on Nephew Karl’s condition at his mother Johanna’s house. There he finds the police removing Karl to the hospital, under guard since attempted suicide is considered a crime in Austria. He then goes to Ludwig to …
The heat wave in Vienna continues unabated today, with temperatures again at 26 Reaumur, or 90.5 Fahrenheit. Wiener Zeitung of August 5, Nr.179, at 753. Beethoven continues working on the string quartet in F major, op.135, in the sweltering heat. After the musical celebration for Dr. Dominik Vivenot’s name day …
The heat in Vienna is quite oppressive today, with temperatures around 25 Reaumur, or 89 Fahrenheit. Wiener Zeitung (Nr.177) of August 4, 1826 at 745. Holz had described a somewhat lower temperature last week as “walking through Hell.” Nephew Karl stops by Uncle Ludwig’s apartment this morning very briefly. He …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today, succeeding in his second try. He tells Beethoven that he had come an hour earlier, but Beethoven was locked away in his music room. [Apparently the servants were out doing shopping or running other errands.] Although Holz had complained about the hot weather …
Nephew Karl visits Uncle Ludwig again today, and delivers the letter to Schott’s under today’s date. His uncle reviews it and signs it so Karl can put it into the mail. “I hasten to inform you of the proper receipt of your bill of exchange under cover of your letter …
Nephew Karl visits his uncle today. Probably in relation to the visit yesterday to see Haslinger with Holz, and the dispute over the title pages, Karl is somewhat dismissive of his uncle’s concerns. “You act as if you were an aspiring author, whose works one does not want to buy …
As promised yesterday, Nephew Karl and unpaid assistant Karl Holz visit Tobias Haslinger’s music shop with Uncle Ludwig’s demands. Holz comes to the Schwarzspanierhaus to report to Beethoven, while Karl returns to his rooms at Matthias Schlemmer’s. Holz tells Beethoven that Haslinger “was very submissive; he said that he would …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz and Nephew Karl join Ludwig for mid-day dinner today, probably at a restaurant near Karl’s rooms. Beethoven is still interested in going to the baths at Ischl. Holz suggests they could go together, but there is no good view from there these days. Holz comments that …
Beethoven works on an errand list this morning after working on the next quartet, op.135 in F major: Later in the day, he goes to visit Nephew Karl at his rooms rented from Matthias and Rosalia Schlemmer. The housekeeper, Marie Stiegel, likely doing shopping, either accompanies Ludwig or meets him …
Nephew Karl and unpaid assistant Karl Holz are visiting Beethoven today. They return to Conversation Book 114, which will be used pretty much exclusively for the next few days. Holz has subscribed to a paper that has appeared abroad, relating to the impact of Catholic and Protestant religion on art. …