Beethoven made a single appearance as conductor in this year. It was on January 17 at a concert given for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the Juridical Faculty of the University. The orchestra was largely composed of amateurs and the programme began with the overture to "Prometheus" and ended with the Seventh Symphony. Among the listeners was P. D. A. Atterbom, the Swedish poet, who wrote a sympathetic account of it.

In the midst of the worries occasioned by the guardianship, Beethoven was elected Honorary Member of the Philharmonic Society of Laibach, an institution which had been founded in 1702 and revived, after repeated interruptions, in 1816. The project of giving him the distinction had been broached in the councils of the society in 1808, but Anton Schmith, a physician in Vienna, whose opinion had been asked, had advised against it, saying: "Beethoven is as freakish as he is unserviceable." Eleven years later the men of Laibach had more knowledge or better counsel, and they sent him a diploma on March 15 through von Tuscher. Acknowledging the honor on May 4, Beethoven stated that as a mark of appreciation he was sending, also through the magistrate, an "unpublished" composition and would hold himself in readiness to serve the society should it ever need him. There is no direct evidence as to what composition he had in mind; but in the archives of the Laibach society there is a manuscript copy of the Sixth Symphony. It is not an autograph except as to its title, Beethoven having written "Sinfonia pastorale" on the cover in red crayon, and corrections in lead pencil in the music.1

The time for Beethoven's annual summer flitting had come. Mödling was chosen again for the country sojourn and Beethoven arrived there on May 12, taking lodgings as before in the Hafner house in the Hauptstrasse. He had, evidently, brought a housekeeper with him and now engaged a housemaid. The former endured two months. Karl was placed under the tuition of Blöchlinger on June 22. Beethoven, as letters to the Archduke

'Dr. F. Keesbacher, who published a history of the Laibach Philharmonic Society in 1862, thought that this was the composition sent by Beethoven; but the "Pastoral" Symphony had been published nearly ten years before-by Breitkopf and Härtel in May, 1809.

2On the blank leaves of an Almanac for 1819, such as used to be bound in those useful household publications for the reception of memoranda, Beethoven notes: "Came to Mödling, May 12.!!! Miser sum pauper.... "On May 14 the housemaid in Mr. came, to receive 6 florins a month.... On 29th May Dr. Hasenöhrl made his 3rd visit to K. Tuesday on the 22nd of June my nephew entered the institute of Mr. Blöchlinger at monthly payments in advance of 75 florins W. W. Began to take the baths here regularly (?) on 28th Monday, for the first (?) time daily." Schindler adds: "On July 20 gave notice to the housekeeper."

IN A FRENZY OF COMPOSITION

15

dated July 15 and August 311 show, was not in the best of health, but was hard at work on the mass, with an excursion now and then into the symphony (Ninth). Schindler presents us with a pathetic, impressive, almost terrifying picture of the state to which his labors lifted him (Ed. of 1860, I, 270):

Towards the end of August, accompanied by the musician Johann Horsalka still living in Vienna, I arrived at the master's home in Mödling. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as we entered we learned that

in the morning both servants had gone away, and that there had been a quarrel after midnight which had disturbed all the neighbors, because as a consequence of a long vigil both had gone to sleep and the food which had been prepared had become unpalatable. In the living-room, behind a locked door, we heard the master singing parts of the fugue in the Credo-singing, howling, stamping. After we had been listening a long time to this almost awful scene, and were about to go away, the door opened and Beethoven stood before us with distorted features, calculated to excite fear. He looked as if he had been in mortal combat with the whole host of contrapuntists, his everlasting enemies. His first utterances were confused, as if he had been disagreeably surprised at our having overheard him. Then he reached the day's happenings and with obvious restraint he remarked: "Pretty doings, these! (Saubere Wirthschaft.) Everybody has run away and I haven't had anything to eat since yesternoon!" I tried to calm him and helped him to make his toilet. My companion hurried on in advance to the restaurant of the bathing establishment to have something made ready for the famished master. Then he complained about the wretched state of his domestic affairs, but here, for reasons already stated, there was nothing to be done. Never, it may be said, did so great an artwork as is the Missa Solemnis see its creation under more adverse circumstances.2

The fact that Beethoven received an advance payment on a commission for an oratorio which he undertook to write for the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde has been mentioned. The sum was 400 florins. It was on August 18. Four days later there was a meeting of the society at which Landgrave von Fürstenberg reported that on the written application of Prince von Odescalchi, representing the President, Beethoven had replied that he had long been desirous to compose a work which would reflect honor on the society and that he would do his best to expedite it. That seems to have been the end of the matter for the time being.

'Kalischer-Shedlock, Vol. II, pp. 138 and 139.

"In his draft for this chapter Thayer wrote: "In the hope of obtaining further particulars Horsalka's attention was directed to this passage in the copy now before the writer. The result is written on the margin in Herr Luib's hand: 'Horsalka knows nothing of this'. This incident is doubtless true, but that Horsalka should not have' remembered it if he was present, is incredible. Schindler's queer memory has again proved treacherous in regard to his companion."

'So Pohl, who wrote a history of the "Gesellschaft," informed Thayer in a note.

There was also during the Mödling sojourn a continuation of the negotiations with Thomson. A Mr. Smith visited Beethoven bearing a letter from the Scotch publisher which called out a playful rejoinder in which Beethoven sought to turn an easy play upon German words into French. Thomson suggested that the introductions and accompaniments to the Scotch songs be made easier ("lighter," in the German idiom); they would be so, Beethoven replied, if the compensation were made more difficult ("heavier" would have been his word had he been permitted to use the German equivalent). As it is, Beethoven's humor becomes rather ponderous, as see the letter which was written in French by Beethoven apparently without assistance:

Mon cher Ami!

Vienne le 25me Maj, 1819.

Vous ecrivés toujours facile très-je m'accomode tout mon possible, mais-mais-mais-l'honorare pourroit pourtant être plus difficile, ou plus-tôt pesante!!!!! Votre ami Mosieur Smith m'a fait grand plaisir a cause de sa visite chez moi-en Hâte, je vous assure, que je serais toujours avec plaisir a votres services-comme j'ai a present votre Addresse par Mr. Smith, je serai bientôt en Etat de vous écrire plus amplel'honorare pour un Théme avec variations j'ai fixé, dans ma derniere letter à vous par Messieurs le Friess, a moien dix ducats en or, C'est, je vous jure malgre cela seulement par complaisance pour vous, puisque je n'ais pas besoin, de me méler avec de telles petites choses, mais il faut toujours pourtant perdre du temps avec de telles bagatelles, et l'honneur ne permit pas, de dire a quelqu'un, ce qu'on en gagne,—je vous souhaite toujours le bon gout pour la vrai Musique et si vous cries facile―je crierai difficile pour facile !!!!

Thomson indorsed on this letter: "25 May, 1819. Beethoven. Some pleasantry on my repeated requests to make his Symphs and accompgnts. to our National Airs Easy. sent by Mr. John Smith of Glasg." Another British commission was offered him about the same time. There are two entries in a Conversation Book, apparently in the handwriting of Schindler:

The Englishman brought me your letter yesterday and evening before last I received another one for you through Fries. Another commission was brought by the other Englishman, the friend of Smith. A Mr. Donaldson in Edinburgh wants to know if you will not write a Trio for 3 pianofortes and in the style of your Quintet in E-flat. He wants to announce it as his property-The remuneration which you demand is to be paid to you in any way you may select-All the parts of the Trio must be obbligato. If you do not, write to Donaldson in Edinburgh direct. These Englishmen speak of nothing else than their wish to have you come to England-they give assurance that if you come for a single winter to England, Scotland and Ireland, you will earn so much. that you can live the rest of your life on the interest.

MEETING BETWEEN BEETHOVEN AND ZELTER 17

And again:

The gentleman is going to write to Donaldson-Edinburgh-to-day -the answer can be here in 4 weeks and the gentleman can be here that long. Tell him how much you want, when it might be finished and how you want the payment made. He is very desirous to have a composition from you and there is no possibility of its being left on your handsMoreover it is a great work. If you get 40 ducats for the Sonata he can doubtless pay 100. By that time the answer may be here from Edinburgh.

Great Britain's monetary reward, had Beethoven accepted all its invitations, would no doubt have been all that the friend of "Mr. Donaldson of Edinburgh" stated and in proportion would have been the appreciation which Beethoven would have fouud at the hands of the English professional musicians, amateurs and musical laity.

Pathetic and diverting are the incidents which Karl Friedrich Zelter relates in letters to Goethe of his attempts to form a closer acquaintance with Beethoven. Zelter came to Vienna in July. He says that he wanted to call upon Beethoven, but he was in the country-nobody knew where. This in his first letter which mentions the subject. On August 16 he writes:

It is said that he is intolerably maussade. Some say that he is a lunatic. It is easy to talk. God forgive us all our sins! The poor man is reported as being totally deaf. Now I know what it means to see all this digital manipulation around me while my fingers are becoming useless one after the other. Lately Beethoven went into an eating-house; he sat himself down to a table and lost himself in thought. After an hour he calls the waiter. "What do I owe?" "The gentleman has not eaten anything yet" "What shall I bring?" "Bring anything you please, but let me alone!"

Zelter stays in Vienna from July to September, but sees nothing of Beethoven. Then, on September 12, he sets out with Steiner to visit the master at Mödling. On the road they meet Beethoven, who is on his way to the city. Leaving their carriages they embrace each other, but conversation with a deaf man not being practicable on the highway they separate after agreeing to meet at Steiner's at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Zelter was moved almost to tears. After a hurried meal he and Steiner hastened back to Vienna. Let him relate the rest:

After eating we drove back to Vienna at once. Full as a badger and tired as a dog I lie down and sleep away the time, sleep so soundly that not a thing enters my mind. Then I go to the theatre and when I see Beethoven there I feel as if I had been struck by lightning. The same thing happens to him at sight of me, and this is not the place for

explanations with a deaf man. Now comes the point: In spite of the things of which Beethoven is accused justly or unjustly, he enjoys a popular respect such as is bestowed only upon the most excellent. Steiner had given it out that Beethoven would appear in his little office, which will hold only six or eight persons, for the first time in person at 4 o'clock, and invited guests so generously that in a room crowded to the street, half a hundred brilliant people waited in vain. I did not get an explanation till next day, when I received a letter from Beethoven in which he begged my pardon, for he. like me, had passed the time set for the meeting in blissful sleep.

Zelter's letter calls for a slight rectification. It was not the next day but four days later that Beethoven wrote him the letter of explanation, and Zelter's statement that Beethoven had overslept himself as he had done was pure assumption-unless he learned it from another source. Beethoven wrote:

Highly respected Sir:

It is my fault that you were lately besmeared (angeschmiert, that is, deceived, cheated) as we say here, by me. Unforeseen circumstances robbed me of the pleasure of passing a few lovely and enjoyable hours, which would have been profitable to art, with you. I hear that you are already leaving Vienna day after to-morrow. My country life, to which I am forced by my poor health, is, however, not as beneficial as usual to me this year. It may be that I shall come in again day after to-morrow and if you are not already gone in the afternoon I hope to tell you by word of mouth with true cordiality how much I esteem you and desire your friendship (to be near to you).

The autograph of this letter contains what appears to be either a transcript or a draft of a letter which Zelter either sent or planned to send to Beethoven. In view of the fact that it shows a different feeling towards the great composer than that formerly entertained by the teacher of Mendelssohn, it is given here:

To see once more, face to face, in this life the man who brings joy and edification to so many good people, among whom I of course am glad to count myself this was the purpose, worthy friend, for which I wished to visit you at Mödlingen. You met me, and my aim was at least not wholly frustrated, for I saw your face. I know of the infirmity which burdens you and you have my sympathy, for I am similarly afflicted. On the day after to-morrow I go from here to resume my labors, but I shall never cease to hold you in high respect and to love

you.

Friedrich Schneider, of Dessau, visited Vienna in the fall of the year and caused a sensation by his organ-playing. He reported that Beethoven had received him graciously and that he, in turn, had heard the master play the pianoforte, his improvisation being the most marvellous thing he had ever listened to.