Beethoven makes a list of letters he needs to write. The first is to the Danish Embassy, about Giuseppe Siboni, who has been acting as intermediary for the King of Denmark’s subscription to the Missa Solemnis. Second, to Karl’s mother Johanna. And finally, to Ferdinand III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who has still not paid for his subscription to the Missa Solemnis. [If any of these letters were written about this time, none of them appears to have survived.] Unpaid assistant Anton Schindler comes to Beethoven’s apartment. The manager of the Josephstadt Theater, Carl Friedrich Hensler, saw the ..read more

Pietro Mechetti advertises two new works for pianoforte by Beethoven’s former pupil, Carl Czerny, in today’s Wiener Zeitung at 396. The first is the set of Concert Variations for four hands, including a Rondo de Chasse [Hunting Rondo], on the popular March from the ballet Barbe Bleu [Bluebeard], Czerny’s op.67. “The numerous friends of four-hand piano music will certainly not find this new and brilliant, yet not too difficult, composition to be unworthy of being placed alongside the other earlier works of the same author, which have been received so favorably.” The second work is an Allegretto ..read more

In today’s Vienna Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung Nr.22 at 88, the Petition to Beethoven is printed once again, with the virtually identical commentary lifted from its appearance in the Wiener Theater-Zeitung last Thursday, April 15, together with the names of all the signatories. This printing of the Petition also incidentally confers noble status upon the composer, repeatedly referring to him as Ludwig “von Beethoven.” It’s unclear what editor Friedrich August Kanne was playing at here; he knew Beethoven well and surely knew his correct name. The original publication in the Theater-Zeitung t ..read more

Nephew Karl is with Uncle Ludwig after Mass (Ludwig does not attend) on this Easter Monday holiday, since he has no classes at the University today. With the proposed date of April 29th for the Beethoven’s Akademie benefit concert, alto Caroline Unger would not be able to sing in it as she had hoped to, since she has a probable conflict with an opera. Karl says Schindler and even Unger herself had suggested a dilettante by the name of Wertheimstein would be suitable. Uncle Ludwig wonders whether it would be better to just postpone the concerts until May. Karl thinks that would be bad, because ..read more

This afternoon, after a morning of proofreading parts, Beethoven is still angry that he can’t have his Akademie benefit concert at the Theater an der Wien on April 22nd. [Such a plan was wholly unrealistic since the copies for the choral parts have still not been distributed for rehearsal, if they have even been copied.] Unpaid assistant Anton Schindler says that it was due to a misunderstanding; an Italian opera was already firmly scheduled for that date. Caroline Unger will be coming with the bass Preisinger to see Beethoven with more details, but she is overjoyed that Duport relented and wi ..read more

Today is Good Friday, but Beethoven appears not to go to church, nor does Nephew Karl, though he would not have classes at the University today. But Karl does go out and about and then returns home in the afternoon. Karl tells his Uncle Ludwig about the fine scene at Brother Johann’s place yesterday. Johann had drafted his Complaint to the police regarding his wife Therese’s infidelities, and he put it in his briefcase. While he was talking to Count Lichnowsky about the problems at the Theater an der Wien due to the change of concert plans, Johann’s wife Therese snuck into the briefcase and se ..read more

Conversation Book 62 begins being used this afternoon. It is comprised of 31 leaves (62 pages), with writing on all pages (though some of that writing is fraudulently entered by Schindler after Beethoven’s death). The book covers about six days of time. The books are getting filled more quickly now. Part of the reason is that there is plenty to talk about with the plans for the Akademie concert, but it also reflects Beethoven’s increasingly bad hearing. Where two years ago he could often hear Karl speak, he seems unable to hear him at all now. Karl writes nearly everything out for his uncle. T ..read more

While Beethoven continues to proofread parts for the Akademie concert, violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh checks in as to how things are going. Beethoven is still upset about the movements from the Missa Solemnis; they will need to be called Hymns instead of their proper names, and even then the Censor may not approve. Schuppanzigh tries to reassure him that the names are not important. The whole city knows what these pieces are and what they are about. Schuppanzigh asks whether all of the parts have now been copied. Peter Gläser assured Beethoven that they would all be finished by next Monday, Apri ..read more

Ignaz Schuppanzigh visits Beethoven this morning regarding the plans for the Akademie benefit concert. Schuppanzigh asks whether Beethoven has not heard anything from Clement. The word is that when he got Beethoven’s letter saying Schuppanzigh was to be concertmaster, he was furious. Franz Jäger, who had been invited to sing the tenor part in the concert, wrote to Schindler declining. He said the part was too low for his voice. Schuppanzigh and Schindler knew about this for three days, but did not want to tell Beethoven because he didn’t want to upset him. Now Beethoven has to be aware so othe ..read more

A ..read more