AGE 46 THROUGH AGE 47 - [1817]
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"As a young man Beethoven was indeed
both proud and self-sufficient, and
it was only the experience of his
deafness that broke this pride,
slowly and painfully turning the
heaven-storming, largely extrovert
composer of the early and middle
period works into the self-
communicating and contemplative
visionary of the last ten years."
[L. Dec p115]
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WORKS CREATED
| op 104: Quintet arr. of Piano Trio op1#3 | Completed Aug 14th (this was based on earlier attempt by Herr Kaufmann) |
| op 105: 6 Piano vars w/ flute or Viola ad lib | |
| op 106: Hammerklavier |
(begun Aut. - completed 15 mo later) Sketchbooks between now and Spring 1818 - working on the first 2 movements of op94 and all four movements of op106 in the order they now appear. During the composition of 1'st movement of op106 the 2nd and 3rd movements were also sketched. During the composition of 2nd and 3rd the 4th was first sketched. In letter to Ries: "...the sonata was composed in distressful conditions, for it is hard to write almost for the sake of bread alone, and to this pass I have come." [L. Decade pg157] |
| op 125: 9th symphony in d sketches | (1st sketches Sept.10th) (The London Philharmonic had invited the comp.) |
| op 137: Fugue in D for string quintet | (completed Nov 28th) |
| WoO 104: Song "Gasang der Monche" | Composed May 3rd in memory of his friend Krumpholz who died the previous day. (For 3 male voices based on Schiller's Wilhelm Tell) |
| WoO 148: Song "So odoer so" | (early) |
| WoO 149: Song "Resignation" |
(early sketches 1814, written Autumn 1817) (B. delighted w/ Count Haugwitz's poem; asked the editor of the Wiener Moden-Zeitung, where the song appeared, to pass his thanks for such a "happy inspiration" [L. Dec p37] Diary entry #78 1817: "Endurance. Resignation. Resignation. Thus we profit and make ourselves worthy, so that god our mistakes --" Also, entry #88: "Live only in your art, for you are so limited by your senses. This is nevertheless the only existence for you." [B. Newsletter V12#1 pg34-35 1997]. The text ends with: "you must now detach yourself, go out, my light..." |
| WoO 155: 26 Welsh songs | |
| WoO 171: "Gluck fehl 'dir vor allem" | (for Anna Giannatasio del Rio) |
| WoO 205c: Musical quip "O Adjutant" | (to Haslinger in letter #742) |
| WoO 205d: Musical quip "Wo? Wo?" | (to Nanette Streicher in letter 789 or 792) |
| Hess 40: Prelude & Fugue in d | (fugue part not completed) |
| Hess 168: No title or text | (pub.early) |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
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DATE
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LIFE NOTES
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OTHER NOTES
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By this time Karl Joseph Brentano, age 4 had obvious progressive CNS disease w/ violent behaviors and seizures. Several letters passed between B. & Brentanos in Frankfurt in this & earlier years. [Tagebook #123, 133, 139, 141] ------------- "A thousand lovely moments are lost when children are placed in wooden institutions, when good parents could give them soulful impressions that last until old age."[Hamburger p155] ------------- "Calm and liberty are the most precious of all possessions." [Hamburger p155] |
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| Jan | Giannatasio daughters noted ring on B's finger - Fanny wrote that B's reply about this made her, "bitter, sad feeling that bordered on jealosy" | |
| Jan | Beethoven made statements that the word pianoforte should be replaced by the german term hammerklavier | |
| Jan 2 | First issue of the Allgemeine Musik Zeitung | |
| Feb 23 | Beethoven sent Baroness Ertmann a dedicatory copy of newly published Piano Sonata op101 | |
| Early | Persistent ill health and nearly complete deafness combined w/ domestic problems impeded creativity | |
| Early | B. grew closer to Johanna; allowed her to visit Karl at his house & took Karl to her's. She was persuaded to assign ½ of widow's pension to Karl for care & schooling. | |
| March | Cello Sonatas op102 published | |
| April | 8th Symphony published | |
| April | Wrote to Neate: "...I swear that you have done nothing for me, are doing nothing and will do nothing - summa summarum nothing! nothing! nothing!" | |
| Apr-Oct | Moved:LandstraBe HauptstraBe 268, (now 26) Zum Grunen Kranz (3rd fl) near Karl at Giannatasio's boarding school. [L.Dec p35] Also near the Streichers w/ their daughters Anne & Fanny. B. often visited them - sad & quiet (often spitting into his handerchief, looking at it as though he expected blood). (Freq. contact thru late Spr.-early Sum.'18. (Johanna ~ this time desguised herself as a man; went to playground fence to watch Karl (this was known to the Streichers through freq. contact with Nanette-B. also asked for help w/ domestic order from her) | |
| ???? | Lawsuit filed against Malzel for pirating the Battle Symphony settled in B.'s favor. | |
| May 3 | Gesang der Monche WoO104 written in memory of Beethoven's friend Krupholz who died the day before. | |
| May 10 | Johanna signed contract agreeing to make substantial payments toward her son's care | |
| May | [Tagebuch#122]"Sensual gratification without a spiritual union [vereinigung der seelen] is and remains bestial, afterwards one has no trace of noble feeling but rather remorse." | |
| Sum-Spt | Stackelberg in Vienna - tried to get Josephine to leave w/ him - she became ill. Therese wrote in her diary: "... Whether or not Josephine suffers punishment on account of Luidgi's pain!" | |
| June | Heiligenstadt, "Pfarrplaz 66 (now #2), Schloglsches Haus (a farmhouse) for approximately one month, then to Nussdorf (walking distance from Heiligenstadt proper). | |
| June 15 | Statement to Fanny Giannatassio, as recorded in her diary [Riddle of the Immortal Beloved pg 5 - Sonneck] that, "A friend advised him he should marry w/o considering love; he himself was quite happy" | |
| June | Letter to Marie Erdody: "I changed doctors, because my own doctor, a wily Italian [Johann Malfatti] had powerful secondary motives where I was concerned and lacked both honesty and intelligence." [NEEDS REF] | |
| June 9 | Ries, now acting as Beethoven's London agent, wrote to him about a commission for two symphonies for the Philharmonic Society for 300 Guineas w/ proviso that B. visit London in the Winter [L. Dec p35] | Possible error in date |
| Jul 7-Aug | Moved to Nussdorf, within walking distance from Heiligenstadt (now Kahlenberger Strasse 26), Greinersches Haus where he had lived in 1824 | |
| July 7 | Beethoven asked Streicher to prepare a piano as loud as possible for him given his poor hearing. | |
| July 9 | B. wrote back to Ries, accepting fee of 300 guineas but stipulating that another 100 guineas be provided to cover travel expenses [L.Dec p35];this was later rejected. | |
| July 15 | Decrease in value of paper money : B's annuity suddenly fell from 3400 fl to a fixed 1360 fl CM thereafter.[2½ fl WW = 1 fl CM] | |
| Aug | Johanna angered B. by repeating confidential criticisms he had made of Karl's school- master confided to her. B felt betrayed & embarrassed-turned against her: "This time I wanted to see whether she could perhaps be reformed by a tolerant and more gentle attitude .... but it came to nothing." B. subseq. barred Johanna from contact w/ Karl (though for brief time 1818, relented) | |
| Aug | August - October address ????? | |
| Aug 14 | Quintet arrangement op104 of Piano /Trio op1#3 completed after attempt by Herr Kaufmann's attempt was judged to be inadequate | |
| Aug 21 | B. wrote most despairing letters of his life to Nikolaus Zmeskall: "I often despair and would like to die" [Anderson #805, 877]. "As for me, I often despair and should like to die. For I can see no end to my infirmatiews: God have mercy on me, I consider myself as good as lost... If the present state of affairs does not cease, next year I shall not be in London but in my grave." [L. Decade pg157] | |
| Sept | Note to Zmeskall: "Today I must pay another visit to the doctor, of whose stupidity I am now getting thoroughly tired." [Anderson ppg 709-710] | |
| Sept 10 | Beethoven received a reply from the London Philharmonic Society rejecting Beethoven's additional requests and restating the original offer - which he subsequently accepted. | |
| Sept-mid | Early sketches for 9th symphony | |
| Oct | Returned to Vienna: Entweder, Landstrasse suburb, Hauptstrasse 26, Zum Grunen Kranz (3rd fl) thru Apr 1818 (or Haus zum Grunen Baum at todays: Gartnergasse 5) near Karl's school and also near Frau Streicher's home [L.Dec p36] | |
| Oct | Hirsh recalled B's appearance at this time: "his face a healthy red, his eyebrows very thick and his brow low. His nose was very big and broad, especially the nostrils, which were finely shaped. His thick, bushy hair was already partly grey and stood up from his face. His hands were coarse and thick, his fingers short, and the veins on the back of his hands swollen and his nails cut short." [L.Dec p36] | |
| ???? | Accepted offer made earlier in yr. from the Philharmonic Society of London to write two grand symphonies and to appear in London the upcoming winter but did neither, explaining later his health precluded his plans. | |
| Autumn | Hammerklavier op106 sketches 1st begun; & Resignation WoO149 written | |
| Autumn | Maelzel returned to Vienna and settled the ill will between he and Beethoven | |
| Nov 28 | Fugue in D major for String Quartet op137 completed | |
| Dec | After a 1yr absence of comp., began comp. for fugal pieces & began 1st sketches of 9th symphony w/ ongoing work on op106. [L.Dec p36] | |
| Dec 17 | Allegemeine Musikalische Zeitung in Leipzig published Beethoven's metronome markings for the 1st 8 symphonies. | |
| Dec 25 | Beethoven conducted the 8th Symphony at a charity concert. | |
| Dec 27 | Broadwood & Sons (London) sent B. new 6 octave grand piano (now in the National Museum in Budapest) |