AGE 39 THROUGH AGE 40 - [1810]
MIDDLE YEARS - HEROIC YEARS - [1802 - 1812]
WORKS CREATED (Decreased Composition from 1810-1811)
| op 83: 3 Goethe songs | (Oct-Dec) (?per Kerman, comp. Spring-Summer??) #1 "Wome der Wehmut" #2 "Sehnsucht" #3 "Mit einem gemalten Band" |
| op 84: Goethe's Egmont incidental music | (written Oct 1809 - June 1810) |
| op 95: String Quartet "Quartetto Serioso" | (written during Sum., completed Oct.) (expressive of melancholy, rebellion, reminiscent dream) |
| op 97: Trio for piano, violin and Cello #6 in Bb "Archduke" begun | begun 10-12/1810 completed 1811 |
| WoO 18: 2 Marches in F | (Aug 11) |
| WoO 19: March in F | (completed June) (added Trio 1822) |
| WoO 20: March for mil music in C | (Trio added 1822) |
| WoO 21: Polonaise in D | |
| WoO 22: Ecossaise in D | |
| WoO 23: Ecossaise in G | |
| WoO 27: 3 duets for clarinet & bassoon #1 in C, #2 in F, #3 in Bb | |
| WoO 59: Fur Elise | (pres. to Therese Malfatti Apr 27) B. note to Therese: "Soon you will receive other compositions of mine, in which you will not have to complain much about difficulties." |
| Hess 93: Simplified setting of Clarchen's lied, #4 (of Egmont op84) | |
| Hess 94: Keyboard setting " | |
| Hess 95: Keyboard setting " | |
| Hess 194: "I dream'd I lay" | (replaced by WoO 153#5) |
| Hess 196: "Ill praise the saints" | (replaced by WoO 153#12) |
| Hess 197: "Tis but in Vain" | (July) (replaced by WoO 153#15) |
| Hess 203: "Faithfu' Johnie" | (July) (replaced by WoO 108#20) |
| Hess 206: "To the Blackbird" | (July) (replaced by WoO 155#20) [53 folksong arrangements to Thomson in Edinburgh as commissioned 1809. (July 17th)] |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
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DATE
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LIFE NOTES
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OTHER NOTES
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| Jan | Josephine married children's tutor, Baltic Baron Christoph von Stackelberg. Marriage is unhappy from beginning w/ separation occuring June 1812. Therese living with the couple and children providing care of children and support. | Both Chopin and Shubert were born in 1810. |
| Jan - Feb | Deep depression & marked dec. in comp. | |
| Jan 30 | Archduke Rudolph returned to Vienna | |
| Early | Sextet op81b published | |
| Early | Beethoven received money due from Clementi from 1807 (4/20) for publishing rights sold. | |
| April | Sextet op71 published | |
| April | B. broke his mirror - asked friend Zmeskall to loan him one. B. also bought new clothes at this time leading some to speculate that he was preening for a proposal to Therese Malfatti. | |
| Apr 24 | Moved to Molkerbastei 8, Pasqualatihaus (4th fl). Remained there for 4 years until March 1814. A close neighbor of Anna Marie Erdody (within 1 block). | |
| April 27 | Fur Elise presented to Theresa Malfatti: Letter to Therese Malfatti: "You received herewith, honored Therese, what I promised, [some music] and had it not been for urgent hindrences, you would have received more, in order to show you that I always offer more to my friends than I actually promise -- I hope and have every reason to believe that you are nicely occupied and as pleasingly entertained -- but I hope not too much, so that you may also think of us. -- It would probably be expecting too much of you, or overrating my own value, if I ascribed to you "people are not only together when they are in each other's company, also the Distant One, the Absent One lives in us." Who would ascribe anything of the kind ot the lively T. who takes life so easily? -- [Anderson p27 2-4, per Man of His Word p75] Do not forget the pianoforte among your occupations, or, indeed, music generally, you have such fine talent for it, why not cultivate it? You who have such feeling for all that is beautiful and good. Why will you not make use of it in order to learn the more perfect things in so beautiful an art, which always reflects its light upon us --. | |
| May 2 |
Letter to Wegeler admitting depression & increasing deafness: "...Yet I would be happy, perhaps one of the happiest of men, if the demon had not settled in my ears. - If I had not read somewhere that man must not voluntarily part with his life as long as he can still perform a good deed, I would long ago have ceased to be - and, indeed, by my own hand. - Oh, life is so beautiful, but for me it is poisoned forever. - " B. also asked that his baptismal certificate be sent from Bonn (evidently related to marriage proposal made that month). [per Solomon] Letter from B. to Wegeler: "I am sure you will not refuse me a friendly request, if I beg you to see to my certificate of baptism." -- Breuning has a running account with you, you can at once pay yourself, and I can settle everything here with Steffan, -- If you yourself think it worth the trouble to hunt up the matter, and care to make the journey from Coblenz to Bonn, put everything down to my account. -- But there is one thing that you must bear in mind, namely that a brother was born before me who was also called Ludwig, only wiht the additional name Maria, but he died. In order to fix my age beyond doubt, this brother must first be found, in as much as I already know that in this respect a mistake has been made by others and I have been said to be older than I am -- I have lived for a long time without, unfortunately, knowing myself how old I am. -- I had a family register but it has been lost -- heaven knows why -- So do not be angry if I commend this matter very warmly to you, viz. to find out about the Ludwig Maria and the present Ludwig who came after him -- The sooner you send the certificate the greater will be my obligation. -- [Anderson p2730 per Man of His Word p71] |
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| May | Marriage proposal offered through intermediary Gleichenstein to Therese Malfatti (19 yo niece of his physician.) Opposed by Dr. Malfatti (who became B's physician after the death of Dr. Schmidt in 1808) and made without her romantic interest. Ultimately rejected. | |
| May | Bettina Brentano (writer and friend of Goethe's; described as very talented and seductive) visiting Birkenstock house. Introduced sister-in-law, Antonie Brentano when they visited him at the Pasquali house. Over next 2 yrs a close relationship developed between B. and the Brentano family (Antonie, her husband Franz, and their then 8yo daughter). They became freq visitors to his home and he to theirs (Birkenstock mansion). Beethoven also became close to their children. [per Solomon.] (According to Man of His Word, pg 228, more likely Antonie, or others in the Brentano introduced Beethoven to Bettina.) | |
| May | Flirtation w/ Bettina Brentano for few wks. | |
| May | Betine sent Goethe a letter describing B & suggesting they meet. | |
| May | Letter to Zmeskall: "Don't be vexed with me for sending you this little shet of paper -- Are you not aware of the kind of situation in which I am placed, just as Hercules was formerly with Queen Omphale??? [Anderson pg274, per Man of His Word pg78] (Note: Legend - Hercules placed in bondage to Omphale, Queen of Lydia -- who treated Hercules poorly, forcing him to dress in women's clothing, take on menial chores, and basically degraded him.] | |
| Summer | Moved to Baden: Johanneshof where worked on St.Quartet op95 | |
| June 6 | Goethe wrote to Bettine Brentano suggesting that he and B. might meet in Karlsbad where Goethe spends summers. (B. agreed and met him in Teplitz near Karlsbad in 1812.) | |
| June 15 | ?June 18 - First performance of Egmont music (was not ready for the May 24th performance) | |
| July 4-11 | Review of the 5th Symphony (Hoffman) published in Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung. | |
| July 17 | Beethoven sent first 53 folksong arrangements to Thomson in Edinburgh. | |
| July-Aug | Letter from Breuning to Wegeler: "Beethoven tells me at least once a week that he intends to write to you; but personally I believe his marriage project has fallen through and for this reason he no longer feels the lively desire to thank you for your trouble in getting him the baptismal certificate." [Wegeler-Ries pg152 per Man of His Word p70] | |
| Aug 25 | WoO 18 and 19 Marches performed at the tournament at Laxenburg held in honor or the Empress' birthday. | |
| Aug 31 | Clementi's edition of op75#1-5 songs, op77 Piano Fantasia, Piano Sonatas op78 and op79 entered at Stationers Hall. | |
| Sept 1 | Clementi's edition of Quartet op74 entered at Stationers Hall | |
| Oct | Breitkopf's edition of op75 songs and op76 Piano Variations published. | |
| Oct-Dec | Gleichenstein gradually ceased acting as secretary (Franz Oliva soon filled that roll) | |
| Oct | Quartet op95 completed | |
| Oct | Breitkopf & Hartel editions of Songs op75 and Piano Variations op76 published | |
| Oct 31 | Clementi's edition of Songs op75 #6 and Choral Fantasia op80 entered at Stationers Hall | |
| Oct-Dec | Three Goethe Songs op83 composed and Archduke Trio begun | |
| Nov 1 | Clementi's edition of 5th Piano Concerto entered at Stationers Hall | |
| Nov | Breitkopf & Hartel's edition of op74 Quartet, op77 Piano Fantasia, op78, 79 Piano Sonatas published | |
| Dec | Definite evidence that B. teaching Archduke Rudolph in letter of apology to him in missing a lesson because of headache [Nwsltr v7#3 p66] | |
| Dec | Egmont Overture op84 published |