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. …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today. He was supposed to deliver some money to someone; Holz inquired at the coffeehouse yesterday, but was told he is in Baden and will not come back until tomorrow, Saturday [July 22]. His business partner has sent for the money. But one day …
About today or yesterday, copyist Wenzel Rampl visits Beethoven. The composer had asked him to track down a copy of Handel’s oratorio Saul. Rampl reports that it cannot be had anywhere but from the court. Count Harrach is the Court Councilor of Music, and it was promised to Rampl by …
Beethoven’s publisher B. Schott’s Sons in Mainz writes several letters related to Beethoven today. Neither of these letters survives, but their existence and general contents are known from other letters. Schott’s sends Beethoven a bill of exchange for 40 ducats, representing the second half of the purchase price of the …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven about today. He says that he will pick up the latest proof of the quartet op.130 from Mathias Artaria today. He asks Beethoven for the parts to compare. Holz also delivers Beethoven’s restrung violins, saying that violin maker Bernhard Stoss did a fine job …
Violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh visits Beethoven sometime in the first half of this week, but the date cannot be narrowed down much more than that. Since Schuppanzigh often did so on Mondays, we propose the visit may occur today. As usual, Schuppanzigh addresses Beethoven in the third person, which is ignored …
Nephew Karl visits his uncle as usual today. He reports to Ludwig that Mathias Mann, the house superintendent of the Schwarzpanierhaus has asked all the tenants to contribute toward the sum of 25 florins for the monthly spraying to keep down the dust. However, some of the tenants have gone …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz stops by Beethoven’s apartment briefly today; he would like to pick up the oratorio text for the first part of Saul so he can make a copy. [Holz is concerned that Beethoven will lose it in his disorderly apartment.] Leopold Sonnleitner (1797-1873), who is one of …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven today. He says he will fetch Beethoven’s violins from Bernhard Stoss’s shop, where they are being restrung. Holz shows Beethoven the first part of Christoph Kuffner’s oratorio Saul for consideration by Beethoven for setting to music. “With this oratorio, Kuffner wants to leave the …
Beethoven writes a shopping and errand list: Housekeeper Marie Stiegel makes some household notes regarding expenses, including purchase of spices. Conversation Book 115, 19v, 1r.
Beethoven begins using Conversation Book 115 today, even though he has not yet completely filled Book 114. Conversation Book 115 is a book of 36 leaves, all of which contain writing. Beethoven writes “July, 1826” in ink on the first page of the book. Leaf 19 appears to be out …
This morning, Beethoven writes a short note reminding unpaid assistant Karl Holz to come meet him for dinner today: “Quite astonishingly best one!” “At 2 o’clock precisely we go to dinner; I am expecting you will most certainly be there, where it will all be ready for you.” “Today it …
Uncle Ludwig goes to visit Nephew Karl at his rooms with the Schlemmer family probably after his examination today is over. Housekeeper Marie Stiegel accompanies him. Frau Rosalia Schlemmer makes a recommendation to Ludwig of a bookbinder in the Wickenburggasse. Beethoven makes a note that Karl needs summer pants. Conversation …
Nephew Karl visits Uncle Ludwig today. Karl made an effort to visit someone (possibly publisher Mathias Artaria), but he was not at home. So Karl says he will try again this afternoon. He will combine that with another errand. Uncle Ludwig would like chicken for dinner, but they are out …
Beethoven’s publisher B. Schott’s Sons today writes to Beethoven. In the postscript of this now-lost letter, Schott’s advises that they intend to send two copies of the Ninth Symphony to the King of Prussia, to whom it is dedicated. Brandenburg Letter 2166. The date and partial contents of this letter …
Beethoven makes a quick shopping note: Later in the day, unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes to see Beethoven. Beethoven would like to change the wallpaper in his apartment. Holz knows a paper hanger who lives nearby; he will ask this fellow to come see Beethoven. He might take over the …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz briefly stops by Beethoven’s apartment sometime around now. Holz tells him the interest payable for the first half of the year on Beethoven’s seven shares in the Austrian National Bank: 224 florins, or 32 florins per share. Beethoven asks Holz to stay for dinner. Holz replies, …
Today’s Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr.27) at 220 includes a request directed to Beethoven: “May it please the Master Beethoven to write cadenzas for his piano concertos.” “One of the reasons why Beethoven’s concertos are so rarely performed by piano virtuosos is certainly that it is not everyone’s ability to …
On a hot day this summer, Beethoven writes an undated note to unpaid assistant Karl Holz. “In this heat, it is probably best if you come to the aforementioned inn in Rossau, directly opposite the street where Rampel [copyist Wenzel Rampl] lives. At one thirty.” Brandenburg Letter 2165; Anderson Letter …
This summer in Vienna is hot, dusty and smelly, as can be seen from the charges for the incessant spraying of water to try to keep the dust down. Everyone who had the time and could afford to do so fled to one of the nearby spa towns and villages. …