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AGE 38 - 39 [1809]

Compiled by Gary D. Evans

Last Updated: March 25, 2019 7:06 PM





Middle Period

VIENNA 1809 (Age 38)

POLITICAL CLIMATE: A police state existed at this time and Love for the Kaiserwas mixed with dread of the secret police. There was a sense of fear and uncertainly following the Habsburg submission to Napoleon (following the defeats of 1797-1809) along with a sense of national impotence since the death of Joseph II; with his death there was a diminished hope for the enlightened despotism he had espoused. In this era of failed political nerve and a decrease in outward concern for the human condition, music became an expression of these uncensorable statements. The High Classic style was not trivial but expressed a utopian ideal. Womanhood was Idealized and a commercialized view of sex and marriage obtained. The greater works of Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven contradicted Viennese life where gaiety disguised a sense of loss, courtly grace was penetrated by brusque and dissonant elements. Fantasy was mixed with profound expression. Boneparte's image actually replaced Christ's in many homes in Europe. Beethoven rejected hierarchial orthodoxy in liturgical and in secular life and so had conflicts with Bonaparte in terms of his image as a hero and the reality of his brutality and repression.

1809 was a traumatic time in Vienna during which time Napoleon's forces bombarded and occupied Vienna.

His friend, Ferdinand Ries, recalled that during a loud bombing attack in May 1809, Beethoven tried to protect himself and what remained of his hearing by evacuating to the basement of his brother's house, there covering his ears with pillows.


image from 1809-10

 

CREATIVE / FINANCIAL: Despite his suffering, Beethoven's compositions continued to advance his fame and standing. He continued to teach a few students, including Ferdinand Ries, and Carl Czerny (who later offered the premier performance of Beethoven's 5th piano concerto "the Emperor" on February 11, 1812).

The annuity payments promised to Beethoven became irregular, and then with Kinsky's sudden accidental death, Lobkowitz's bankruptcy, and the French invasion of Vienna causing marked monetary inflation, Beethoven's financial position became insecure. He reacted by redoubling his focus on selling his compositions.

MEDICAL: Beethoven continued to seek medical advise and treatment for his severe ailments including his now marked hearing loss associated with tinnitus. He was thereby not able to keep up with conversations, especially in noisy environments, causing him to withdraw from those settings. In addition, he found that he could not adequately perform, which led him increasingly toward composition as a means of income rather than performance.

MUSIC: Beethoven's music was influenced by French heroic style during these years. A four note motto was often used, e.g.: Harp quartet, 4th piano conc., Appassionata, 5th symph. Key of c was now used to express the heroic rather than pathos (eg 5th sym). The 4 notes are never twice used in the same way however.

ROMANTIC:Beethoven fell deeply in love with the Brunsvik's youngest daughter Josephine. She, in turn returned his affection, but - in the end she later married Count Josef Deym, a happy marriage but one that laste only a short time with his sudden death in 1804. Many love letters were written to her over the years 1804-1805 and beyond (see Anderson's Letter from those years), but by 1807 - under pressure from her family and with the knowledge that her ongoing relationship with Beethoven could result in the loss of her children, she withdrew from him and three years later, in 1810, she married Baron von Stackelberg.


WORKS CREATED

op 73: Piano Concerto #5 (Emperor) Begun Jan, completed April - (??? May - Sept)Ded. to Archduke Rudolph)
op 74: String Quartet [Harp] (May-Sept)
op 75: 6 Songs (Text from Goethe & Reissig works) #1 "Mignon" #2 "Neue Liebe, neues Leben" #3 "Aus Goethes Faust" #4 "Gretels Warnung" #5 "An die fernen geliebten" #6 "Der Zufriedene"  
op 76: 6 Piano vars (May-Sept)
op 77: Piano Fantasia in g (completed by Oct) (B's favorite until op106 Hammerklavier)("Piano Fantasia")
op 78: Piano Sonata #24 "Fur Theresa" (completed by Oct) (2 movements. B. thought highly of it)
op 79: Piano Sonata #25 (Sonatina in G) (May-Sept)
op 80: Choral Fantasy for piano, chorus & orchestra (Intro. comp. Apr after improvisation of it @ perf. 12/08.)
op 81a: Piano Sonata #26 "Les Adieux" (1st movement: "Lebewohl" (Farewell) was composed in May (see below). Subsequent movements: "Abwesenheit" (Absence) "Wiederschen" (Return ) (ded. to Archduke Rudolph written on sketch dated May 4. Composed for Archduke Rudolph leaving Vienna May 4 under French invasion) (Compl. in late yr. before Rudolph's return Jan 30, 1810) (These were 1st Piano Sonatas in 4 yrs)
op 82: 4 Songs #1 "Dimmi ben mio" (Hoffnung)" #2 "T'intendo si, mio cer" (Liebes-Klage) #3 "Che faa il mio bene" (Arietta buffa. L'amante ipazin) #4 "Che fa il mio bene"
Op 84: Egmont
WoO 18: 2 Marches in F for military band (revised 1810)
WoO 58: 2 Cadenzas on Mozart's piano concerto K466 Movements 1 & 2
WoO 137: Song "Lied aus der Ferne"
WoO 138: Song "Der Jungling in der Fremde"
WoO 139: Song "Der Liebende"  
Hess 99: Piano arr.mil march in F-WoO18  

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

DATE
Jan 7
B. accepted Kassel offer. prompting B's friends (C. Gleichenstein & C. Erodody) to speak to nobility re: financial package to keep B. in Vienna. (Rudolph called upon nobility w/ success by Feb) [Nwsltr v7#3p164]
Jan
Work on the 5th Piano Concerto begun
Feb 19
Beethoven's physician, Schmidt, died. Malfatti began providingmedical services.
Feb ?
Introduced to Malfatti family by B's friend, Gleichenstein.Sometime soon after separation from Countess Erdody (~Feb), after havingbegun seeing Dr. Malfatti.
Feb ?
Staying w/ Countess Erdody @ KrugerstraBe10. B. learned thashe was paying large amounts to B's man servant causing B. to believe iindicated intimate relationship with the servant behind B's back. B. thereformoved to Walfishgasse 1087 (3rd fl) until July. (He knew housed a brothel(Today, ? the site of buildings at Walfischgasse 11 & academiestraBe 22aCountess later "convinced" him that the money was a ligitimate payment.
Feb 26
Prince Kinsky, Prince Lobkowitz, Archduke Rudolguaranteed yearly income of 4000 Gulden/year if B. agreed to remain in Vienn(Lobkowitz 700, Archduke 1500, Kinsky 1800) w/o other stipulations.
Mar 1
February 26th monitary offer ratified. Beethoven therefrefused the Kassal offer.
Mar 5
First public performance of Cello Sonata op69 - played by Nikolaus Kraft and Baroness Ertmann
Mar 14
B. took on elated tone - marriage and travel considered in letter to Gleichenstein, who was then in Freiburg, asking him to help find Beethoven a wife.
Mar 21
Julie von Breuning died (19). B. still close.
March 28
Beethoven sent Breitkopf & Hartel a list of alterationsof the 5th and 6th Symphonies.
Apr 9
Austria declared war on France
April
Cello Sonata op69 (dedicated to Gleichenstein) and 5th Symphony (wthout the changes Beethoven had asked for, the 5th was republished soon thereafter with the intended alterations)
April
Introduction to Choral Fantasy composed
April
5th Piano Concerto completed.
?
Began providing pianoforte compostion lessons to Archduke Rudolph [Pollini CD]
May 4
Entire nobility (incl. Archduke) fled to city of Ofen (Buda), Hungary. [Nwsltr v7#3p64] Stephan v. Breuning was the only close friend who remained behind. The first movement of op81a - Das Lebewohl was composed at this time for the Archduke. The second 2 movements were composed later in the year during his absence and in anticipation of his return respectively.
May
6th Symphony published
May 10
French army surrounded Vienna
May 11-12
The French bombarded Vienna.Beethoven took refuge at brother, Kasper Carl's home w/ Johanna & then 2year old Karl. (Stayed in the celler w/ pillowsover his head during the severe bombardment.)
May 12
Vienna surrendered to French in afternoon
May 13
French reoccupied Viennfor the third time (thru Nov 20).
May-Sept
Quartet op74, Piano Variations op76, Piano Sonata op79 composed
May
6th Symphony 'Pastoral' published
May 31
Beethvoven traveled to Hungary then to Baden, "Alter Sauerhof".
Haydn died.
June
Piano Trio 'Ghost' op70#1 published
June - July
With communication restricted & friends out of city, B. spent time preparing for upcoming theoretical lessons to Archduke Rudolph, upon his return, by copying out extracts from theoretical works of CPE Bach, Turk, Albrechtsberger and others, and composed cadenzas for Piano Conertos 1-4.
Aug
Moved to Klepperstall 82 (3rd fl). (Now the site of buildings at Schreyvogelgasse 1). Remained there until Early 1810.
Aug
Piano Trio op70#2 published
Sept 8
B. conducted 3rd sym. at a charity concert
Oct 14
Peace treaty signed with France
Oct
Commission to compose music for Goethe's Egmont (compl. by June1810) B. ill most of month.
Oct
Piano Fantasia and Sonata op77, op78 completed
Oct
Antonie Brentano returned to Vienna to be with her dying father, Johann Birkenstock. After he died October 30, she extended this visit to 3 yrs during which time the estate was liquidated. [Her history: Born 1780, sent to a convent for religious training and secular education by 1792 - returned to her father's home in Vienna 1795. Married Franz Brentano, a Frankfurt businessman. She moved with him to Frankfurt 1798,,, then back to Vienna 1809 with the dying of her father. He died Oct 30th. B. met her at approx. this time. [Man of His Word pg229]
Nov 23
Beethoven wrote to Thomson in Edinburgh agreeing to set 43folksongs and stating that he had already begun composing them.
Dec
B. ill most of month.
Late
Schiller's Wilhelm Tell and Goethe's Egmont set to be produced at the theater - music for them was commissioned from Gyrowetz (Wilhelm Tell) and Beethoven (Egmont)
?
Franz Oliva, close friend freq. acts as sec.