Beethoven makes a reminder note in the conversation book: In the Imperial Augartensaal, a morning concert is given by violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh. The concert had originally been scheduled for May 1, but was postponed for a week and a half due to bad weather. The concert opens with the “latest …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today. Beethoven is concerned about a comment from the housekeeper that the firewood in the basement is getting wet. Holz is skeptical, because they are not near the river. The wood is very dry, he reports, from an ironwood tree. He could have had …
The Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.19 of May 10, 1826 at 150-51 includes a rather fanciful and mocking account. The writer has been told that there will be a concert tonight at the Berlin opera house, with a symphony by Beethoven. “First kind of shock, a joyful one. What? I …
According to the April 26 letter to Holz, Brandenburg 2150, Anderson Letter 1482, Beethoven expected Holz for mid-day dinner today. The May, 1826 issue of The Harmonicon (Nr.XLI) includes at 100-101 a foreign musical report from Warsaw that includes a very early mention in England of young Frederic Chopin. The …
In London, a seriously ill Carl Maria von Weber attends the premiere of the opera Aladdin by Henry Bishop (1787-1856) at Drury Lane Theatre. Bishop had intended it to compete with Weber’s Oberon, which was playing at Covent Garden. Upon Weber’s entrance, the house rose. During the “Hunter’s Chorus,” the …
A benefit concert is held in the Hanover Square Rooms in London by Mr. Bellamy this evening. The instrumental music was comprised of the overtures to Iphigenia by Gluck, and to Prometheus by Beethoven, the remainder of the concert being devoted to vocal music. The Harmonicon for June 1826, Nr.XLII …
Composer and pianist Anton Halm, who had been commissioned by Mathias Artaria to arrange the Grosse Fuge Finale from the String Quartet op.130 for piano four hands, writes a letter dated today to Beethoven. “Most esteemed Herr v. Beethoven,” “I have finished your Fugue, which I have the honor to …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to see Beethoven with news that Mylord [Ignaz Schuppanzigh] wants to play the March with Chorus, op.114, which is about to be published by Steiner, at his April 26 Augarten concert. He asked Haslinger for it, but “he said however that he did not dare …
Today Conversation Book 109 begins being used. This is a rather thinner book of 31 leaves, and covers only a period of three days, mostly because poet Christoph Kuffner comes this evening and uses the book in a profligate manner, with one thought on a page, rather than the rather …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today, probably around dinner time as usual. He asks when Karl is expected back. Holz is eager to hear what someone unidentified has to say about the planned oratorio Saul in cooperation with Christoph Kuffner. He thinks it will certainly please him. “I like …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits the Musik-Verein library at the Sign of the Red Hedgehog today on behalf of Beethoven, who is looking for authentic ancient Hebrew music for use in the planned biblical oratorio Saul. Holz then goes to Beethoven’s apartment to report what he has found. “In connection …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven briefly today at mid-day dinner time to relate the conversation he had with Ignaz Dembscher at the quartet rehearsal last night. Dembscher told Holz that he wants to hear Beethoven’s new quartet [op.130] at his house. “This was the best opportunity for me to …
Beethoven has a sore throat and is rather hoarse. He starts a shopping list but doesn’t get very far: Unpaid assistant Karl Holz stops by the apartment around mid-day dinner time. The housekeeper bought a large quantity of eggs and Beethoven is unsure why. Holz suggests that the past servants …
Beethoven makes a cryptic note to himself in the conversation book either this morning or last night, together with the beginning of a shopping list: “That I will give the gentleman something to do, he can rely on that” Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today. He sees the note …
Very early in the morning, unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes by Beethoven’s apartment together with composer/pianist Anton Halm, whom Artaria is commissioning to arrange the Grosse Fuge for four-hands piano. Halm, on behalf of his wife, thanks Beethoven for the precious souvenir of a lock of his hair. If it …
In the evening after work, unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to visit the composer. Beethoven asks Holz how to pronounce “mi dear,” which he had written in his daily list several days ago [April 10.] Holz writes, “Mei dir.” Beethoven asks whether this would be addressed to a man or …
Beethoven goes with unpaid assistant Karl Holz to visit Mathias Artaria at his shop. Artaria tells Beethoven that there are already a lot of inquiries for the four-hand piano arrangement of the Grosse Fuge. He asks whether Beethoven will allow him to publish it. He’d like to print it both …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to pick up Beethoven after work. They are going to dinner this evening at the home of violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh and his wife Barbara. Holz mentions that Mozart’s Requiem, which has lately been the subject of much discussion in Beethoven’s circle, was given today at …
This morning, Beethoven dictates to Nephew Karl a letter to Tobias Haslinger, who is taking over operation of the Steiner Art and Music Shop. “I am reporting to you that both the Overture [King Stephan, op.117] and the Elegiac Song [op.118] require no further correction, and the titles are also …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz takes Beethoven’s letter by himself to the censor this morning. “I would have gone there yesterday, but where to find the time?” he tells Beethoven. Holz has learned from the censor that there is apparently a decree relating to Beethoven’s compositions. [This is probably the decree …