The oppressive heat in Vienna continues for the sixth day in a row, with temperatures again at 26 Reaumur, or 90.5 Fahrenheit. Wiener Zeitung of August 5, Nr.179, at 753. The first part of this critical day is reconstructed in chronology from later entries in the conversation books. Nephew Karl’s …
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 miserable heat wave in Vienna continues today, reaching a peak of 26.5 Reaumur, or 91.6 Fahrenheit. Wiener Zeitung of August 5, 1826, Nr.178 at 749. Beethoven continues his shopping list on the next page of Conversation Book 116, accidentally repeating the entry from yesterday: Unpaid assistant Karl Holz comes …
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 …
Beethoven makes a note to speak to Vincenz Guldener von Lobes (1763-1827), a member of the faculty of medicine at the University of Vienna. Beethoven had consulted Guldener now and then since at least 1820. Nephew Karl joins his uncle briefly this afternoon. He does some financial computations for the …
Today is Ignaz Schuppanzigh’s name day. Although invited to spend the day, Beethoven does not attend, in part because Nephew Karl said that he would be too busy and cannot get away. Unbeknownst to either Beethoven or Holz, Nephew Karl goes to Baden today, possibly to select a place to …
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 …
About today, unpaid assistant Karl Holz checks in regarding Beethoven’s supply of fish with Wilhelm Klingenbrunner, who is acting as go-between with fishmonger Therese Jonas. Holz reports to Beethoven that he told Klingenbrunner that the fish were very expensive. “He asserted that now these trout normally cost 3 florins each, …
Unpaid assistant Karl Holz visits Beethoven early in the morning and suggests the composer come with him to Döbling in the country for the day. “I have a friend there, who has a house there, the broker [Franz Edler von] Bogner. A wonderful family.” They can be there by 8 …
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 …