Beethoven 1800

AGE 29 - 30 [1800]

Compiled by Gary D. Evans

Last Updated: March 25, 2019 7:05 PM

THE EARLY PERIOD - VIENNA 1800 (Age 29 years)

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 29 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. His first sketches of the Piano Concerto #3 were begun early in this year.

During 1799 Beethoven taught piano to Countess Anna Brunsvik's daughters. And, through the family he met a young countess, Julie "Giulietta" Guicciardi to whom Beethoven was attracted, and who he would later write (Anderson Letters, Nov. 1801) about his love for her and about the difference in their classes. (He later dedicated his Sonata No. 14, the "Moonlight" to her.)

During the summer two years earlier, Beethoven had 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

op 15: Piano Concerto #1 in C	Ded to student: Countess Babette Kelevics Odeskalky on her marriage
op 17: Sonata for Fr.horn or cello & Piano	(Written out in 1 day, the day before the concert Apr.18.) Ries [Wegeler/Ries p71] (Written for "Giovanni Punto" whose actual name was Johann Wenzel Stich. He was born in Bohemia and was a serf of Count von Thun. He created a sensation in Paris playing a silver horn. He fled Thun along w/ other muscians and Thun had his men seek him out with instructions to smash his front teeth so that he could no longer play if he refused to return. [Wegeler/Ries p181]. Became friends when he came to Vienna under the assumed name.)
op 18: 6 String quartets compl.	(see 1799) (#5 in A class. style after Mozart K464)
op 20: Septet	(begun 1798)
op 21: 1st symphony completed	(5 years since Haydn's last,12 years since Mozart's last w/others, lesser works. B. used a traditional approach)
op 22: Grand Piano Sonata #11 in Eb	[written 2nd half of year] (Closes out high classic phase on a note of absolute confidence...) Beethoven wrote to his publisher: "This sonata is really something". Adagio - humerous [Lecture - Julian White -Berkeley]
op 23: Violin Sonata completed	(late in yr; was writing op 24 same time)
Op 24: Violin Sonata #5 in F (Spring Sonata)
op 26: Piano sonata #12 in Ab	(Funeral march) Starts with variation. This was begun after op22 after Beethoven had tried, and given up, on rural life.
op 36: 2nd symphony in D	(begun late yr)
op 37: Piano Concerto #3 in c - 1st sketches	(Marked advance. Written as dramatic oratory w/ new meaning of c minor key: now heroic rather than pathetique) (Ries stated:"The piano part was never completely written out in the score. Beethoven wrote it down on separate sheets of paper expressly for me." [Wegeler/Ries p103]
Op 50: Romance for violin & orch in F	?? begun - completed??
WoO 14: 12 contradances in C, A, D, bB, bE, C, bE, C, A, C, G, Eb	(1791-1801) #7 was used again along with the theme of the funeral music of Promethius in the Eroica variations op 38.
WoO 77: 6 vars in G on an orig. theme.
Hess 58: Piano Exercise in Bb major and minor
Hess 59: Piano Exercise in Bb major and minor
Hess 73: Bagatelle in C major
H ess 74: Bagatelle in Eb major
Hess 321: Little Instrumental Melody in Bb

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

DATE	LIFE NOTES
Jan	Moved to Tiefer Graben 241 (now 10) (3rd fl), Greinersches Haus until Spr'01 (15mo) ? 4th floor ?
Early	3rd Piano Concerto sketches - possibly for upcoming April benefit concert.
Apr 2	1st benefit concert for Beethoven - 1st performance of of Symphony #1 in C op 21, Septet op 20 along with a piano concerto (?) and works fo Haydn and Mozart at old Burgtheater
Apr 18	2nd performance @ Burgtheater; again a benefit concert - First performance of op17 Horn Sonata which had been composed for Johann Stich ("Punto") who had arrived in Vienna.
May 7	Concert in Budapest where Beethvoven appeared with Johann Stich. B. returned in July (May have spent time w/ Brunsvik family, having first met them, while there. A close friendship subsequently developed including Josephine.) ? The reference to meeting the Brunsviks may be in error. See late 1799 in Vienna.
?	Haydn conflicts re: publishing with comment "Student of Haydn" refused.
?	Shortly after Countess Babette Kaglevic's marriage, while B. her teacher, he ded. to her op.15.(see op.7 "Amorous Sonata")
?	Musical new path statement.
May	Adv. by Dr. Vering to bathe in lukewarm water from Danube into which a medicinal mixture added; rx for GI sxs 6/25 w/ relief.
Summer	Lichnowsky began pension: 600Guldens/yr
June-mid	Stephen von Bruening moved to Vienna friendship rekindled (last=Amenda who had moved in 1799) - close thru 1808-9.
June/July	Moved to Pasqualatihaus (mentioned in 6/29 letter to Wegeler)
Summer	Moved to Unterdobling (?address) w/ next known location Spring 1801.
?	First met Johann Dolezalek (played pianoforte, violoncello, was a composer of Bohemian songs, and was a music teacher). This friendship lasted a lifetime. [Man of His Word ppg 12-13]
Aug 4	Wrote to poet Matthisson (Anderson#40), author of the text of Adelaide, thanking him for the work. A copy of Adelaide, op46 was enclosed.
?	Maximilian Franz returned to Vienna after dep. Bonn 1794 because of Fr. military campaign. Settled in Hetzendorf, B. had planned to ded. 1st sym. to him but he died 1801; it was instead ded. to Baron von Swienton.
?	Piano dual w/ Daniel Steibelt.... Steibelt, a prominent piano virtuoso by 1785, born in Berlin 1755 came from Paris to Vienna[Wegeler/Ries p180]. He had not visited or met B. prior to a musical evening at Count Fries house. B. introduced his Clarinet, Cello & Piano Trio op11, playing the piano part which did not offer virtuosity to be exhibited. Steibelt listened with a "certain condescension" per Ries, then performed a quintet of his own composition; the piano part was complex offering him a chance to show his skill; he also then improvised with great effect. B. declined requests to play later that same evening. One week later, there was another musical evening held at the Fries home. Steibelt again played another quintet successfully. He also played an improvisation on the same theme as B.'s op11, performed 1 wk. earlier. This insulted & angered B. and his admirers. It was B.'s turn at the piano to improvise;- he went up in his usual, ungainly manner, as if half pushed, taking the violoncello part of Steibelt's quintet in passing, & placed it upside down on the piano then, with one finger, he drummed a theme out of the first few measures. B. then improvised on Steibelt's theme in such a manner that Steibelt left the room before he had finished & would never meet him again. [Wegeler/Ries p70-1]
?	Seemed to recognize Mozart had fulfilled style: hearing Mozart's c piano concerto k491, B. said to another musician, "Cramer! Cramer! We shall never be able to do anything like that!"
?	Received commission to write music for Die Geschopfe des Promethius (op 43) designed by the celebrated ballet master Salvadore Vigano [1st perf. at Bergtheater 3/28/1801 where repeated 20 times. The closing them used subsequently in op 35 variations and in Eroica symphony finale. [Kerman p28]
	Wrote two short notes to friend, Zmeskall (Anderson#42) suggesting they meet socially and (Anderson#43) requesting spare quills from him.
Late	Austrian defeat to French followed by Treaty of Luneville 2/9/1801
Late	Violin Sonata op 23 composed
Late	composition of the Second Symphony begun
Dec 15	Wrote to Franz Anton Hoffmeister (Anderson#41), composer and publisher, offering him Opus 19, 20, 21, 22. (Hoffmeister had just moved from Vienna to Leipzig to create new publishing firm - Hoffmeister and Kuhnel). In referring to the Piano Concerto #2 - Opus 19 - Beethoven wrote, "...I do not make out to be one of my best."