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 …
Johann and Karl are both at Beethoven’s apartment this morning. Johann spoke to Franz Nehammer of the Musikverein as he had said he would last Friday, and they have already reserved the Landständischer Saal for an Akademie benefit concert on the evening of a Norma Day [a religious holiday in …
Apparently neither Nephew Karl nor Brother Johann visits Ludwig, as there are no conversation book entries that can be dated today. The Wiener Zeitung of February 1 at 111 indicates that the weather in Vienna was foggy much of the day. About now, Ferdinand Ries writes to Beethoven, his former …
Nephew Karl takes delivery of the firewood that the housekeeper ordered yesterday morning. The total cost, including chopping, cutting twice, and stacking comes to 6 florins, Karl computes. There is another florin and a half due for the driver. Karl makes the payment. They also need more wine, and Karl …
The housekeeper goes early to buy more wood, which will be delivered tomorrow. Beethoven makes a note in his conversation book with the title of the two volume set of variations on Anton Diabelli’s theme, the first volume being Beethoven’s op.120 set of 33 variations, and the second the variations …
Beethoven goes with Nephew Karl, and probably also Brother Johann to the Heniksten banking house to make arrangements for collecting the 50 ducats from Prince Galitzin. The score is not delivered, but the quartet appears to be finished and is being copied. Galitzin sent the money in the form of …
Beethoven writes letters to two publishers today. First, he delivers the bad news to Heinrich Albert Probst in Leipzig that he will not, after all, be getting the works that had been promised: The Consecration of the House Overture op.124; Opferlied op.121b; Bundeslied op.122; Six Bagatelles op.126; and Der Kuss …
A new maid starts working for Beethoven today on a 14-day trial period. Brother Johann comes to visit Ludwig in the mid to late afternoon. He spoke with Ignaz Schuppanzigh about the possibility of holding more Akademie benefit concerts. Schuppanzigh is prepared to handle everything: the ticket subscriptions, arranging the …
Beethoven writes two columns of numbers, consisting of the numbers 6 and 12. Karl observes that it has been rainy all day, so the linens will dry slowly. In the late morning, Nephew Karl notes that Brother Johann has not yet sent his “splendid dish” that he promised yesterday. Perhaps …
Conversation Book 82 starts being used today. It is quite short, with only 16 leaves, all of which have writing. Schindler dated this book to Winter 1826 but he is clearly off by a year. Brother Johann and Nephew Karl go to the Schuppanzigh Quartet concert today at 4:30, with …
Beethoven is in high spirits this morning and writes a letter that includes a comical biography of his friend Tobias Haslinger to the Schott publishing house in Mainz. But first, business must be addressed: “On January 16th, both works [the Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony] were delivered to Friess [Schott’s …
Nephew Karl is at Beethoven’s apartment this morning. He notes that the flour, which was out there, is used up. They seem to be having an issue with former housekeeper Barbara Holzmann, perhaps gossiping about them. Karl says, “Even if she hadn’t given us any evidence that she is against …
The first public announcement of Beethoven’s new quartet, op.127, is given today in the Theaterzeitung, Nr.9 at 36. “Musical Notice. The famous composer Herr Schuppanzigh, whose excellent achievements have often been discussed in these pages with well-deserved distinction, and who is increasingly establishing his reputation in the musical world, will, …
A new maid starts working for Beethoven today. She is willing to carry wood and water. The housekeeper immediately hired her, otherwise the previous maid would have had to be extended another 14 days. Along with her “bread money,” she gets paid 7 florins 56 kreutzers. Conversation Book 81, 23r-22v. …