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AGE 28 - 29 [1799]

Compiled by Gary D. Evans

Last Updated: March 25, 2019 7:00 PM


THE EARLY PERIOD

VIENNA 1799 (Age 28-29)


Increasing concern about progressive hearing loss; Transition to a new musical style.

He continued to be supported by several patrons, principally Prince Joseph Franz Lobkowitz, Prince Karl Lichnowsky and Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Beethoven's fame grew exponentially, and increasing numbers of his compositions were regularly published.

Now at the age of 28 years, Beethoven continued performances. He arranged a benefit concert for himself, performing his Symphony #1 and other works this year. Beethoven was seen to have mastered the formal and tonal procedures of the classical era. He was widely known as a master pianist and major composer.

During the summer of the preceding year, Beethoven experienced a significant illness - possibly the beginning of his lifelong ailments, including his associated hearing loss and that loss became increasingly troublesome for him as the months and years progressed.


image from 1801


WORKS CREATED

op14#2: Piano Sonata #10 in G (less dramatic)
op18: 6 st.quartets: F, G, D, c, A, Bb Extensive work. #1: Apr w/ rev summer 1800, #2: May w/ rev summer 1800, #3: 1798, completed Jan 1799, #4: Sum 1799, #5: Aug 1799, #6: April 1800 w/ revision summer 1800 (the #6 in Bb was more expansive and expressive]
op 21: Work on 1st symphony begun (completed 1800)
WoO 11: 7 Landler - all in D
WoO 12: Spurious - 12 minuets SPURIOUS - by brother Carl
WoO 33: 5 pieces for Count Deym's mechanical clock (incl. adagio in F #1)
WoO 73: 10 variations in B on "La stessa" by Salieri
WoO 74: 6 vars for piano duet. Theme to opening stanza, Goethe's poem "Ich denke dein" begun 1799 - comp.1804) [For Countesses Therese & Josephine]
WoO 75: 7 variations in F
WoO 76: 6 variations in F
WoO 125: Song, "La tiranna"
WoO 127: Song, "Neue Liebe, neues Leben"
WoO 128: Song, "Plaisir d'aimer
Hess 76: Reconstructed Cadenzas for Piano Concerto op 15
Hess 98: Scherzo from the Piano Trio op 1 #2 for Piano (fragment/completed)
Hess 143: Song, "An die Freude" (lost) Was early setting of Schiller's "To Joy" referred to by Ries 1803. 2 sketches 1798 survive.
Hess 331: Minuet in Bb
Hess 332: Pastorella in D
Hess 333: Minuet-Scherzo in A for String Quartet
Hess 334: Draft of a Presto in A (for string quartet ?)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

DATE
Jan
Antonio Salieri 1750-1825 began teaching dramatic comp. & vocal music for sev. yrs. (Became critic by 1809.)
Feb
WoO 73 Salieri Variations published
Mar 24
Wrote to Zmeskall (Anderson#31) chastising him for a misunderstanding about a ticket and complaining that "...my complaint to heaven is that it is difficult for a friendship to thrive under such conditions.
Mar 25
Wrote to Zmeskall again (Anderson#34)) reversing what Beethoven wrote to him the day before, now stating that Zmeskall was right and inviting him over: "You will find Schuppanzigh here too and we shall both blow you up, cudgel you and shake you so that you will have a thoroughly good time..."
May
Moved to Petersplaz 11(3rd fl) formerly St.-Peter Platz 650.There 8mo.until 1/1800 ? 4th floor ?
?
Public announcement of Magdalana Willmann's impending marriage. [Man of His Word p16]. (She later died in 1801).
?
Series of contests with Wolffl at villa of Wolffl's patron, Baron Raymond von Wetzler.
?
Karl Amenda, Beethoven's close friend moved.
May
24 yo Countess Therese & 20 yo Josephine came to Vienna from Hungary on a short visit w/ widowed mother. Mother asked that B. give the 2 girls piano lessons. Thru them, Beethoven met and became friends with their brother Franz and their youngest sister Charlotte. (Giuletta Guicciardi was their younger cousin who came to Vienna from Trieste with her parents in 1800). [Kerman p26] While in Vienna, family met 49yo Count Joseph Deym (Herr Muller - he had been exiled after a duel and returned under this pseudonym). He was the proprietor of a famous museum of wax works. Josephine's mother pressed for marriage & Josephine reluctantly agreed (probably partly for the sake of rebuilding the family fortune - in fact Deym was deeply in debt).
June 25
op 18#1 Quartet - (first version) - copy given to Beethoven's friend Amenda who left Vienna soon thereafter.
Summer
Wrote to Karl Amenda (Anderson#32: "Today I received an invitation to Modling in the country. I have accepted it." ... "This invitation was all the more welcome to me, as my heart which was already bruised would have been suffering even more. ..."
?
Wrote to Karl Amenda (Anderson#36) answering a letter from him that apparently expressed Amenda's being in a difficult financial situation just as he was about to travel. Beethoven related that he was unable to loan him money at that time.
Sept
J.B. Cramer visited Vienna, became close to B. until he left in the next Spring (1800)
?
Lighthearted letter to Nikolaus Zmeskall (Anderson#37).
?
Wrote to Zmeskall (Anderson#35) asking him to purchase copies of music from Artaria for Beethoven - that loan to be shortly thereafter.
?
Wrote to friend Stephan von Breuning (Anderson#38)
?
Wrote to unknown group of friends (Anderson#39): "I have taken trouble with this solely in order to be able to figure correctly and later on to instruct others to do so. As for [the avoidance of] mistakes, so far as I am concerned I have really never had to learn that. Even as a child I had such delicacy of feeling that I exercised it without knowing that it had to be thus or could be anything else --"
Oct
op 13 Piano Sonata (Pathetique) published
Winter
Ill w/ attacks of abdominal cramping and diarrhea through May 1800. Hearing problems ongoing [6/29/1800 letter.Wegeler p28]
Late
Josephine Brunswick (age 20) married Count Deym. Soon after began piano lessons from B. who also provided lessons to her older sister Therese (age 24). [Husband died 1804 by which time 2 sons and 2 daughters]
Dec 21
Publication announcement of Piano Sonatas op14, & Variations WoO 75
?
to (possibly) Johann Nepomuk Hummel: "Don't come to me any more! You are a false dog, and may the hangman do away with all false dogs.