 Introduction of the Life of Ludwig von Beethoven, Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Zane Solinski in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Life of Ludwig von Beethoven, Volume 1. By Alexander Wieloch Thayer. Translated by Henry Edward Crabiel, 1854 to 1923. Introduction. If for no other reasons than because of the long time and monumental patience expended upon its preparation, the vicissitudes through which it has passed and the varied and arduous labours bestowed upon it by the author and its editors, the history of Alexander Wieloch Thayer's Life of Beethoven deserves to be set forth as an introduction to his work. His work it is, and his monument, though others have laboured long and painstakingly upon it. There has been no considerable time since the middle of the last century when it has not occupied the minds of the author and those who have been associated with him in its creation. Between the conception of its plan and its execution there lies a period of more than two generations. Four men have laboured zealously and affectionately upon its pages, and the fruits of more than four score men, stimulated to investigation by the first revelations made by the author, have been conveyed in the ultimate form of the biography. It was seventeen years after Mr. Thayer entered upon what proved to be his life task before he gave the first volume to the world, and then in a foreign tongue. It was thirteen more before the third volume came from the press. This volume moreover left the work unfinished, and thirty-two years more had to elapse before it was completed. When this was done the patient and self-sacrificing investigator was dead. He did not live to finish it himself, nor to see it finished by his faithful collaborator of many years, Dr. Dieters. Neither did he live to look upon a single printed page in the language in which he had written that portion of the work published in his lifetime. It was left for another hand to prepare the English edition of an American writer's history of Germany's greatest Toan poet, and to write its concluding chapters, as he believes, in the spirit of the original author. Under these circumstances there can be no vain glory in asserting that the appearance of this edition of Thayer's Life of Beethoven deserves to be set down as a significant occurrence in musical history. In it is told for the first time in the language of the great biographer, the true story of the man Beethoven, his history stripped of the silly sentimental romance with which early writers and their later imitators and copyists invested it so thickly that the real humanity, the humanliness of the composer, has never been presented to the world. In this biography there appears the veritable Beethoven, set down in his true environment of men and things, the man as he actually was, the man as he himself, like Cromwell, asked to be shown for the information of posterity. It is doubtful if any other great man's history has been so encrusted with fiction as Beethoven's. Except Thayer's, no biography of him has been written which presents him in his true light. The majority of the books which have been written of late years repeat many of the errors and falsehoods made current in the first books which were written about him. A great many of these errors and falsehoods are in the account of the composer's last sickness and death, and were either inventions or exaggerations designed by their utterers to add pathos to a narrative, which in unadorned truth is a hundredfold more pathetic than any tale of fiction could possibly be. Other errors have concealed the truth in the story of Beethoven's guardianship of his nephew, his relations with his brothers, the origin and nature of his fatal illness, his dealings with his publishers and patrons, the generous attempt of the Philharmonic Society of London to extend help to him when upon his deathbed. In many details the story of Beethoven's life as told here will be new to English and American readers. In a few cases the details will be new to the world, for the English edition of Thayer's biography is not a translation of the German work, but a presentation of the original manuscript so far as the discoveries made after the writing did not mar its integrity, supplemented by the knowledge acquired since the publication of the first German edition, and placed at the service of the present editor by the German revisors of the second edition. The editor of this English edition was not only in communication with Mr. Thayer during the last ten years of his life, but was also associated to some extent with his continuator and translator, Dr. Dieters. Not only the fruits of the labours of the German editors, but the original manuscript of Thayer and the mass of material which he accumulated came into the hands of this writer, and they formed the foundation on which the English, Thayer's Beethoven, rests. The work is a vastly different one from that which Thayer dreamed of when he first conceived the idea of bringing order and consistency into the fragmentary and highly coloured accounts of the composer's life upon which he fed his mind and fancy as a student at college. But it is, even in the part of the story which he did not write, true to the conception of what Beethoven's biography should be. Knowledge of the composer's life has greatly increased since the time when Thayer set out upon his task. The first publication of some of the results of his investigation, in his Chronologisches Wezeichnis in 1865, the first volume of the biography which appeared a year later, stirred the critical historians into activity throughout Europe. For them he had opened up a hundred avenues of research, pointed out a hundred subjects for specialist study. At once, collectors of autographs brought forth their treasures. Old men opened up the books of their memories, librarians gave eager searchers access to their shelves, produced their archives, and hieroglyphic sketches which had been scattered all over Europe were deciphered by scholars and yielded up chronological information of inestimable value. To all these activities Thayer had pointed the way, and thus a great mass of facts was added to the already great mass which Thayer had accumulated. Nor did Thayer's labours in the field end with the first publication of his volumes. So long as he lived he gathered, ordered, and sifted the new material which came under his observation and prepared it for incorporation into later editions and later volumes. After he was dead, his editors continued the work. Alexander Wheelock Thayer was born in south-nated Massachusetts on October 22, 1817 and received a liberal education at Harvard College once he was graduated in 1843. He probably felt that he was cut out for a literary career, for his first work after graduation was done in the library of his alma mater. There, interest in the life of Beethoven took hold of him. With the plan in his mind of writing an account of that life on the basis of Schindler's biography, as paraphrased by Muskelies, and bringing its statements of those contained in the biographisches Notzitzin of Weigeler and Ries, and a few English accounts into harmony, he went to Europe in 1849 and spent two years in making researches in Bonn, Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. He then returned to America and in 1852 became attached to the editorial staff of the New York Tribune. It was, in a double sense, an attachment. Illness compelled him to abandon journalism and sever his connection with the newspaper within two years, but he never gave up his interest in it. He read it until the day of his death, and his acquaintance with the member of the Tribune staff who was destined to have a part in the completion of his life work began when, a little more than a generation after he had gone to Europe for the second time, he opened a correspondence with him on a topic suggested by one of the writer's criticisms. In 1854 he went to Europe again, still fired with the ambition to rid the life history of Beethoven of the defects which martyred, as told in the current books. The writer had sold the memorabilia which he had received from Beethoven and Beethoven's friend Stefan von Pruning to the Prussian government, and the precious documents were safely housed in the Royal Library at Berlin. It was probably in studying them that they are realized fully that it was necessary to do more than rectify and harmonize current accounts of Beethoven's life if it were correctly to be told. He had already unearthed much precious ore at Bonn, but he lacked the money which alone would enable him to do the long and large work which now loomed before him. In 1856 he again came back to America and sought employment, finding at this time in South Orange, New Jersey, where Lowell Mason employed him to catalog his musical library. Meanwhile, Dr. Mason had become interested in his great project, and Mrs. Mejedavel Adams of Cambridge, Massachusetts also. Together they provided the funds which enabled him again to go to Europe, where he now took up a permanent residence. At first he spent his time in research travels, visiting Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, where he found material of great value in the archives of the old electoral courts of Bonn and Cologne, Frankfurt, Paris, Linz, Ratz, Salzburg, London, and Vienna. To support himself he took a small post in the Legation of the United States at Vienna, but exchanged this after a space for the U.S. consulship at Trieste, to which office he was appointed by President Lincoln on the recommendation of Senator Sumner. In Trieste he remained till his death, although out of office after October 1st, 1882. To Sir George Grove he wrote under date June 1st, 1895, I was compelled to resign my office because of utter inability longer to continue Beethoven work and official labor together. From Trieste, when his duties permitted, he went out on occasional exploring tours, and there he weighed his accumulations of evidence and wrote his volumes. In his travels they are visited every person of importance then living who had been in any way associated with Beethoven or had personal recollection of him. Schindler, the composer's factotum and biographer, Anzalm Hüttenbrenner in whose arms he died, Caroline van Beethoven, widow of Nephew Carl, Charles Neet and Cipriani Poiter, the English musicians who had been his pupils, Sir George Smart, who had visited him to learn the proper interpretation of the 9th Symphony, Moskiles, who had been a professional association in Vienna, Otto Jan, who had undertaken a like task with his own but abandoned it and turned over his gathered material to him, Mahler, an artist who had painted Beethoven's portrait, Gerhard von Bröning, son of Beethoven's most intimate friend, who as a lad of 14 had been a cheery companion of the great man when he lay upon his faithful bed of sickness. With all these and many others he talked, carefully recording their testimony in his notebooks and piling up information with which to test the correctness of traditions and printed accounts and to amplify the voracious story of Beethoven's life. His industry zeal, keen power of analysis, candor and far-mindedness, won the confidence and help of all with whom he came in contact, except the literary charlatans whose romances he was bent on destroying and the interest of the verities of history. The Royal Library of Berlin sent the books in which many of Beethoven's visitors had written down their parts of the conversations which the composer could not hear, to him at Trieste so that he might transcribe and study them at his leisure. In 1865, Thayer was ready with the manuscript for volume one of the work, which contained a sketch of the courts of the electors of Cologne and Cologne and Bauen for over a century, told of the music cultivated at them and recorded the ancestry of Beethoven so far as it had been discovered. It also carried the history of the composer down to the year 1796. In Bauen, Thayer had made the acquaintance of Dr. Hermann Dyters, court counselor and enthusiastic musical literateur, and to him he confided the task of editing and revising his manuscript and translating it into German. The reason which Thayer gave for not at once publishing his work in English was that he was unable to oversee the printing in his native land, where, moreover, it was not the custom to publish such works serially. He urged upon his collaborator that he practice literalness of translation in respect of his own utterances, but gave him full liberty to proceed according to his judgment in the presentation of documentary evidence. All of the material in the volume except the drafts from Weigler, Ries and Schindler, with which he was frequently in conflict, was original discovery. The result of the labors begun in Bauen in 1849. As principles he set forth in these words, I fight for no theories and cherish no prejudices. My sole point of view is the truth. I have resisted the temptation to discuss the character of his Beethoven's works and to make such a discussion the foundation of historical speculation, referring to leave such matters to those who have a greater predilection for them. It appears to me that Beethoven the composer is amply known through his works, and in this assumption the long and weary some labors of so many years were devoted to Beethoven the man. The plan to publish his work in German enabled Thayer to turn over all his documentary evidence to deeders in its original shape, a circumstance which saved him great labor, but left it for his American editor and continuator. The first German volume appeared in 1866. Its stimulative effect upon musical Europe has been indicated. Volume 2 came from the press in 1872. Volume 3 in 1879, both translated and annotated by Dieter. They brought the story of Beethoven's life down to the year of 1816, leaving a little more than a decade still to be discussed. The health of Thayer had never been robust, and the long and unintended application to the work of gathering and weighing evidence had greatly taxed his brain. He became subject to severe headaches, and after the appearance of the third volume, he found it impossible to apply himself for even a short time to work upon the biography. In July 1890, he wrote a letter to Sir George Grove, which the latter forwarded to this writer. In it, he tells in words of pathetic gratitude of the unexpected honor showered upon him at Bonn, when at the invitation of the Beethoven Hausverein, he attended the exhibition and festival given in Beethoven's birthplace a short time before. Then he proceeds, Of course, the great question was on the lips of all. When will the fourth volume appear? I could only say, when the condition of my head allows it. No one could see or have from my general appearance the least suspicion that I was not in mental equal to my physical vigor. In fact, the extreme excitement of these three weeks took off for the time 20 years of my age and made me young again. But afterwards in Hamburg and in Berlin, the reaction came. Despite of the delightful musical parties at Joachim's, Hausmann's, Mendelssohn's, my head broke down more and more, and since my return hither, July 3rd, has as yet shown small signs of recuperation. The extreme importance of working out my fourth volume is more than ever impressed upon my mind and weighs upon me like an incubus. But as yet, it is still utterly impossible for me to really work. Of course, I only live for that great purpose and do not despair. My general health is such that I think the brain must in time recover something of its vigor and power of labour. What astonishes me and almost creates envy is to see this wonderful power of labour as exemplified by you and my neighbour, Burton. But from boyhood I have had head troubles and what I went through with for 30 years in supporting myself and working on Beethoven is not to be described and excites my wonder that I did not succumb. Well, I will not yet despair. Thayer's mind, active enough in some things, refused to occupy itself with the Beethoven material. It needed distraction, and to give it that he turned to the literary work of another character. He wrote a book against the Baconian authorship of Shakespeare's works, another one on the Hebrews in Egypt and their exodus, which Mr. E. S. Wilcox, a friend of many years, published at his request in Peoria, Illinois, he also wrote essays and children's tales, such writing he could do and also attend to his counsellor duties. But an hour or two of thought devoted to Beethoven, as he said in a letter to the present writer, brought on a racking headache and unfitted him for labour of any kind. Meanwhile, year after year passed and the final volume of the biography was no nearer its completion than in 1880. In fact, beyond the selection and ordination of its material, it was scarcely begun. His friends and the lovers of Beethoven the world over grew seriously concerned. The editor of the present edition developed a plan, which he thought would enable Thayer to complete the work, notwithstanding the disabilities under which he was labouring. He asked the cooperation of Novello, Ewer and Company of London and got them to promise to send a capable person to Trieste. He acted as a sort of literary secretary to Thayer. It was thought that having all the material for the concluding volume on hand chronologically arranged, he might talk it over with the secretary, but without giving care to the manner of literary presentation. The secretary was then to give the material a proper setting and submit it to Thayer for leisurely revision. Very hopefully, and with feelings of deep gratitude to his friends, the English publishers, the American editor submitted his plan. But Thayer would have none of it, though unable to work upon the biography for an hour continuously, he yet clung to the notion that some day he would not only finish it, but also rewrite the whole for English and American readers. From one of the letters placed at my disposal by Sir George Grove, it appears that subsequently, in 1892, there were some correspondence between an English publisher and Mr. Thayer touching on an English edition. The letter was written to Sir George on June 1st, 1895. In it, he says, quote, I then hoped to be able to revise and prepare it, the Beethoven manuscript, for publication myself, and was able to begin the labour in a range with a typewriting woman to make the clean copy. How sadly I failed, I wrote you. Since that time, the subject has not been renewed between us. I am now compelled to relinquish all hope of ever being able to do the work. There are two great difficulties to be overcome. The one is that all letters and citations are in the original German as they were sent to Dr. Dieters. The other, there is much to be condensed, as I always intended, should be for this reason. From the very first chapter to the end of Volume 3, I am continually in conflict with all previous writers and was compelled therefore to show in my text that I was right by so using my materials that the reader should be taken along step by step and compelled to see the truth for himself. Had all my arguments been given in notes, nine readers out of ten would hardly have read them, and I should have been involved in numberless and endless controversies. Now the case has changed. Alexander Wielach-Thayer's novelties are now, with few if any exceptions, accepted as facts and can in the English edition be used as such. Besides this, there is much new matter to be inserted and some corrections to be made from the appendices of the three German volumes. The prospect now is that I may be able to do some of this work, read all events, go through my manuscript page by page, and do much to facilitate its preparation for publication in English. I have no expectation for ever receiving any pecuniary recompense for my 40 years of labour, for my many years of poverty arising from the costs of my extensive work, for my... but enough of this also. In explanation of the final sentence in this letter, it may be added that Thayer told the present writer that he had never received a penny from his publisher of the three German volumes, nothing more, in fact, than a few books which he had ordered and for which the publisher made no charge. Thus matters rested when Thayer died on July 15, 1897. The thought that the fruits of his labour and great sacrifices should be lost to the world even in part was intolerable. Dr. Dieters, with undiminished zeal and enthusiasm, announced his willingness to revise the three published volumes for a second edition and write the concluding volume. Meanwhile, all of Thayer's papers have been sent to Mrs. J. Baz Fox of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the author's niece and one of his heirs. There was a large mass of material, and it became necessary to sifted in order that all that was needful for the work of revision and completion might be placed in the hands of Dr. Dieters. This work was done at Mrs. Fox's request by the present writer who also, at Mrs. Fox's request, undertook the task of preparing this English edition. Dr. Dieters accomplished the work of revising volume one, which was published by Weber, the original publisher of the German volumes in 1891. He then decided that before taking up the revision of volumes two and three, he would bring the biography to a conclusion. He wrote not one volume which Thayer had hoped would suffice him, but two volumes, the mass of material bearing on the last decade of Beethoven's life having grown so large that it could not conveniently be comprehended in a single tone, especially since Dr. Dieters had determined to incorporate critical discussions of the composer's principal works in the new edition. The advanced sheets of volume four were in Dr. Dieters' hands when, full of years and honors, he died on May 1, 1907. Wright-Kopf and Hartl had meanwhile purchased the German copyright from Weber, and they chose Dr. Hugo Riemann to complete the work of revision. Under Dr. Riemann's supervision, volumes four and five were brought out in 1908, in volumes two and three in 1910, 1911. Not until this had been accomplished could the American collaborator go systematically to work on his difficult and voluminous task, for he had determined to use as much as possible of Thayer's original manuscript and adhere to Thayer's original purpose and that expressed in his letter to Sir George Grove. He also thought it wise to condense the work so as to bring it within three volumes and to seek to enhance its readableness in other ways. To this end he abolished the many appendices which swell the German volumes and put their significant portions into the body of the narrative. He omitted many of the hundreds of footnotes, especially the references to the works of the earlier biographers, believing that the special student would easily find the sources if he wished to do so and the general reader would not care to verify the statements of one who had been accepted as the court of last resort in all matters of fact pertaining to Beethoven, the man. He also omitted many letters and presented the substance of others in his own words for the reason that they can all be consulted in the special volumes which contain the composer's correspondence. Of the letters and other documents used in the pages which follow, he made translations for the sake of accuracy as well as to avoid conflict with the copyright privileges of the publishers of English versions. Being as free as the German editors in respect of the portion of the biography which did not come directly from the pen of Thayer, the editor of this English edition chose his own method of presentation touching the story of the last decade of Beethoven's life, keeping in view the greater clearness and rapidity of narrative which, he believed, would result from the grouping of material different from that followed by the German editors in their adherence to the strict chronological method established by Thayer. A large number of variation from the text of the original German edition are explained in the body of this work or in footnotes. In cases where the German editors were found to be in disagreement with the English manuscript in matters of opinion merely, the editor has chosen to let Mr. Thayer's argument stand, though as a rule he has noted the adverse opinion of the German revisors also. A prominent instance of this kind is presented by the mysterious love letter found secreted in Beethoven's desk after his death. Though a considerable literature has grown up around the mortal beloved, since Thayer advanced the hypothesis that the lady was Countess Therese Plunzwick, the question touching her identity and the dates of the letters is still as much an open one as it was when Thayer, in his characteristic manner, subjected it to examination. This editor has therefore permitted Thayer not only to present his case in his own words, but helped him by bringing his scattered pleadings and briefs into sequence. He has also outlined in part the discussion which follows the continuation of Thayer's theory and advanced a few fugitive reflections of his own. The related incident of Beethoven's vain matrimonial project has been put into a different category by new evidence which came to light when Dr. Riemann was engaged in his revisory work. It became necessary therefore that the date of the incident be changed from 1807, where Thayer had put it, to 1810. By this important change, Beethoven's relations with Thayer's malphati were made to take on a more serious attitude than Thayer was willing to accord them. In this edition, finally, more importance is attached to the so-called Fisher manuscript than Thayer was inclined to give it, though he somewhat grudgingly, we fear, consented that Dr. Dieter's should print it with critical comments in the appendix of his Volume I. The manuscript, though known to Thayer, had come to the attention of Dr. Dieter's too late for use in the narrative portion of the volume, though it was thus used in the second edition. The story of the manuscript, which is now preserved in the museum of the Beethoven Hausverein in Bonn, is a curious one. Its author was Gottfried Fisher, whose ancestors for four generations had lived in the house in Reingasse, where only a few years ago was still, though mendaciously, pointed out to strangers as the house in which Beethoven was born. Fisher, who lived till 1864, was born in the house which formally stood on the site of the present building known as Number 934, ten years after Beethoven's eyes opened to the light in the Bonn Gasse. At the time of Fisher's birth, the Beethoven family occupied a portion of the house, and Fisher's father and the composer's father were friends and companions. There, too, had lived the composer's grandfather. Gottfried Fisher had a sister, Cecilia Fisher, who was born eight years before Beethoven. She remained unmarried and lived to be 85 years old, dying on May 23, 1845. The festivities attending to the unveiling of the Beethoven Monument in 1838 brought many visitors to Bonn and natural curiosity concerning the relics of the composer. Inquirers were referred to the house in the Reingasse, then supposed to be the birthplace of the composers where the Fisher's father and sister still lived. They told their story and were urged by eager listeners to put it into writing. This Gottfried did the same year, but keeping the manuscript in hand he added to it at intervals down to the year 1857 at least. He came to attach great value to his revelations, and as time went on, embellished his recital with a mass of notes, many of no value, many consisting of iterations and also with excerpts from books to which, in his simplicity, he thought that nobody but himself had access. He was an uneducated man, ignorant even of the correct use of the German language. It is therefore not surprising that much of his record is utterly worthless, but mixed with the dross there is much precious metal, especially in the Spencer's recollection of the composer's father and grandfather, for while Gottfried grew senile and mentally vigorous to the end. They are examined the document and offered to buy it, but was dissuaded by the seemingly exorbitant price which the old man set upon it. It was finally purchased for the city's archives by the Oberbürgmeister and thus came to the notice of Dr. Dieters. His use of it has been followed by the present editor. Henry Edward Crabill Blue Hill Main, USA July 1914 Postscript The breaking out in August 1914 of the war between Austria and Serbia, which eventually involved nearly all the civilized nations of the world, led the publishers who had originally undertaken to print this work as brought to a conclusion by the American editor indefinitely to postpone its publication. In the spring of 1920 the Beethoven Association composed of musicians of high rank who had given a remarkably successful series of concerts of Beethoven's chamber music in New York in the season 1919-1920 at the suggestion of OG Sonic and Harold Bauer resolved to devote the proceeds of the concerts to promoting the publication of Thayer's biography. To this act of artistic philanthropy the appearance of the work is due. H.E.K. Blue Hill Main, USA September 1920 End of introduction Recording by Zane Solinski Section 1 of the Life of Ludwig von Beethoven Volume 1 by Alexander Wheelock Thayer translated by Henry Edward Crabill 1854 to 1923 This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 1 Part 1 Introductory the electors of Cologne in the 18th century Joseph Clemens Clemens August Anne Max Friedrich the electoral courts and their music musical culture in Bonn at the time of Beethoven's birth appearance of the city in 1770 One of the compensations for the horrors of the French Revolution was the sweeping away of many of the petty sovereignty into which Germany was divided thereby rendering in our day a union of the German people and the rise of a German nation possible. The first two fall were the numerous ecclesiastical civil members of the old loose confederation some of which had played no ignoble nor an important part in the advance of civilization but their day was past. The people of these states had in diverse respects enjoyed a better lot than those who were subjects of hereditary rulers and the old German saying it is good to dwell under the crook had a basis of fact. At the least they were not sold as mercenary troops their blood was not shed on foreign fields to support their princes ostentatious spender to enable mistresses and ill-begotten children to live in luxury and riot but the antiquated ideas to which the ecclesiastical rulers held with bigoted tenacity had become a barrier to progress the exceptions being too few to render their further existence desirable. These members of the empire greatly differing in extent, population wealth and political influence were ruled with few or no exceptions by men who owed their positions to election by chapters or other church corporations whose numbers were so limited as to give full play to every sorted intrigue but they could not assume their functions until their titles were confirmed by the pope as head of the church and the confederation. Thus the subject had no voice in the matter and it hardly need be said that his welfare and prosperity were never included among the motives and considerations on which the elections turned. The seas by their charters and statues we think without exception were bestowed upon men of noble birth. They were benefices and sinecures for younger sons of princely houses. Estates set apart and consecrated to the use emolument and enjoyment of German John Lacklands. In the long list of their incumbents a name here and there appears that calls up historic associations a man of letters who aided in the increase or diffusion of the cumbers learning of his time a warrior who exchanged his robes for a coat of mail a politician who played a part more or less honorable or the reverse in the affairs and intrigues of the empire and very rarely one whose daily walk and conversation reflected in some measure the life and principles of the founder of Christianity in general as they owed their places wholly to political and family influences so they assumed the vows and garb of churchmen to the enjoyment of lives of affluence and pleasure so late as far into the 18th century traveling was slow, laborious and expensive and save for the few more wealthy and powerful journeys and long intervals to a council and imperial coronation or a diet of the empire were the rare interruptions to the monotony of their daily existence not having the power to transmit their seas to their children these ecclesiastics had the last inducement to rule with an eye to the welfare of their subjects on the other hand the temptation was very strong to augment their revenues for the benefit of relatives and dependence and especially for the gratification of their own tastes and inclinations among which the love of splendor and ostentatious display was a fruitful source of waste and extravagance confined so largely to their own small capitals with little intercourse except with their immediate neighbors they were far more dependent upon their own resources for amusement than the hereditary princes and what so obvious, so easily obtained and so satisfactory as music, the theater and the dance thus every little court became a conservatory of these arts and for generations most of the great names in them may be found recorded in the court calendars one is therefore not surprised to learn how many of the more distinguished musical composers began life as singing boys in cathedral choirs of England and Germany the secular princes especially those of high rank had besides their civil administration the stirring events of war, questions of public policy schemes and intrigues for the advancement of family interests and the like to engage their attention but the ecclesiastic leaving the civil administration as a rule in the hands of ministers had little to occupy him officially but a tedious routine of religious forms and ceremonies to him therefore the theater and music for the mass the opera, the ballroom were matters of great moment they filled a wide void and were cherished accordingly the three German ecclesiastical princes who possessed the greatest power and influence were the archbishops of Mayans, Trevis and Cologne, electors of the empire and rulers of the fairest regions of the Rhine peace appears hardly to have been known between the city of Cologne and its earlier archbishops and in the 13th century along continued and even bloody quarrel resulted in the victory of the city it remained a free imperial town the archbishops retained no civil or political power within its walls not even the right to remain there more than three days at any one time thus it happened that in the year 1257 Archbishop Engelbert selected bond for his residence and formally made it the capital of the electorate as it remained until Elector and court were swept away in 1794 of the last four electors of Cologne the first was Joseph Clemens of Bavarian Prince nephew of his predecessor Max million Heinrich the choice of the chapter by a vote of 13 to 9 had been cardinal Thurston Burke but his known or supposed devotion to the interests of the French king had the ratification of the election by either the emperor or the pope a new one being ordered resulted in favor of the Bavarian then a youth of 18 years the pope had ratified his election and appointed a bishop to perform his ecclesiastical functions odd interim and the emperor invested him with the electoral dignity December the first 1689 thus as says of him like two of his predecessors he was the incumbent of five seas he was Archbishop of Cologne Bishop of Hildesheim Liege Radizvan and Freisingen his love for pomp and splendor was a passion which he gratified in the magnificence of his court he delighted to draw the other beautiful and intellectual women Adam that raise back and count his Fugler wife of his chief were his declared favorites for 17 years that is until the disastrous year 1706 when then along consecrated him he delayed assuming his vows he held the opinion universal in the courts of those days that he might with a clear conscience enjoy life after the manner of secular princes in pleasing the ladies he was utterly regardless of expense and for their amusement gave magnificent balls, splendid masquerades, musical and dramatic entertainments and hunting parties Saint-Saint-Mont relates that several years of his exile were passed at Valenciennes where though a fugitive he followed the same round of costly pleasures and amusements he also records one of the electors jests which in effrontery surpasses anything related of his contemporary some time after his consecration he caused public notice to be given that on the approaching 1st of April he would preach at the appointed time he mounted the pulpit, bowed gravely made the sign of the cross, shouted Zoom, April Fool and retired amid a flourish of trumpets and the rolling of drums Dr. Enon labors energetically to prove that Joseph Clemens' fondness and later years for joining all grand church ceremonies rested upon higher motives than the mere pleasure of displaying himself in his magnificent robes and affirms that after assuming his priestly vows he led a life devoted to the church and worthy of his order thenceforth never seeing Madame de Reisbeck mother of his illegitimate children except in the presence of a third person it seems proper to save as much concerning a prince whose electorship is the point of departure for notices of music and musicians in bond during the 18th century a prince whose fondness for the art led him at home and in exile to support both vocal and instrumental bands on a scale generous for that age and who moreover made some pretensions to the title of composer himself as we learn from a letter which under date of July the 20th 1720 he wrote to court counselor Rausch to accompany 11 of his motets it is an amusingly frank letter beginning with the confession that he was an ignorant who knew nothing about notes and had absolutely no knowledge of music wherefore he admits that his manner of composing is very odd being compelled to sing anything that came into his head to a composer whose duty it was to bring the ideas to paper. Nevertheless he is quite satisfied with himself at all events I must have a good ear and gusto for the public that has heard has always approved that the method which I have adopted is that of the bees that draw and collect the honey from the sweetest flowers so also I have taken all that I have composed from good masters whose music callian please me thus I freely confess my pilfering which others deny and try to appropriate what they have taken from others. Let no one therefore get angry if he hears old arias in it for as they are beautiful the old is not deprived of its praise I ascribe everything to the grace of God who enlightened me the unknowing to do these things not all composers, royal or mean are as honest as the old elector it is fortunate for the present purpose that the portion of the Electoral Fives discovered after a lapse of nearly 70 years and now preserved at Dusseldorf consists so largely of documents relating to the musical establishment of the court at Bon during the last century of its existence. They rarely afford information upon the character of the music performed but are sufficiently complete when supplemented by the annual court calendars to determine with reasonable correctness the number, character position and condition of its members. The few petitions and decrees hereafter to be given in full because of the connection with the Beethoven's suffice for specimens of the long series of similar documents uniform in character and generally of too little interest to be worth transcription. In 1695 a decree issued at Liège by Joseph Clemens then in that city as titular bishop though not consecrated adds three new names to the Hoff musical one of which Van Den Eden constantly reappears in the documents and calendars down to the year 1782. From a list of payments at Liège in the second quarter of 1696 we find that Henry Van Denenden, Henry Van Den Eden was a bass singer and that the aggregate vocalist instrumentus with the organ blower Kalkant was 18 persons. Returned to Van Joseph Clemens resumed his plan of improving his music and for those days of small orchestras and niggardly salaries he set it upon a rather generous foundation. A decree of April the first 1698 put in force the next month names 22 persons with salaries aggregating 8,890 florins. After the death of Maximilian Heinrich the government passed into the hands of Cardinal Firstenberg his co-agitor who owed the position to the intrigues of Louis the 14 and now used it by all possible means to promote French interests. The King's troops under French commanders he admitted into the principal towns of the electorate and for his own protection a French garrison war was the consequence an imperial army successfully invaded the province and advancing to the capital subjected its unfortunate inhabitants to all the horrors of a relentless siege that ended October the 15th 1689 in the expulsion of the garrison now reduced to some 3,900 men of whom 1,500 were in the lids. Yet in the war of the Spanish succession which opened in 1701 notwithstanding the terrible lesson taught only 11 years before the infatuated Joseph Clemens embraced the party of Louis Emperor Leopold treated him with singular mildness in vain the elector persisted in 1702 he was therefore excluded from the civil government and fled from Bonn the ecclesiastical authority in Cologne being empowered by the emperor to rule the country. The next year the great success of the French armies against the allies was celebrated by Joseph Clemens with all pomp in Namur where he then was but his triumph was short. John Churchill then Earl of Marlborough took the field as commander-in-chief of the armies of the allies his foresight, energy and astonishing skill in action justified Addison similarly whether sublime or only pompous writing in the whirlwind and directing the storm. He was soon at Cologne when C. Dispatch caught Jorm to besiege Bonn. That great general executed his task with such skill and impetuosity that on May the 15th 1703 always ready for storming the city when the legra the French commander offered to capitulate and on the 19th was allowed to retire now was Bonn for the third time, rested from the hands of the French and restored to the arch-bishopric but alas in a condition that aroused indignation, grief and compassion on all sides says Mueller. Leopold was still kindly disclosed toward Joseph Clemens but he died May the 5th 1705 and his successor Joseph I immediately declared him under the ban empire. This deprived him of the means and opportunities as elector for indulging his passion for pomp and display while his neglect hitherto under dispensations from the pope to take the vows necessary to the performance of ecclesiastical functions was likewise fatal to that indulgence as arch-bishop. But this could be remedied then along the famous arch-bishop of Cambray ordained him sub-deacon August 15th 1706 the bishop of Tornay made him deacon December the 8th and priest on the 25th on January the 1st 1707 he read his first mass at Leo and indulged his passion for parade to the full as a pamphlet describing the incident and silver and copper medals commemorating it still events. Two years later May the 1st 1709 Joseph Clemens received from Thine law and Leo Episcopal Consecration and the Pallium Mueller. Upon the victory of Udenard by Marlborough and the fall of Leo he took refuge in Mons the treaty Rostot March 1714 restored him to his electoral dignities and he returned to the Rhine but Dutch troops continued to hold on until December the 11th 1715 on the morning of that day they evacuated the city and in the afternoon the elector entered in a grand solemn procession commemorated by an issue of silver medals during all these vicissitudes Joseph Clemens from whatever source he derived the means did not suffer his music to deteriorate and returned to Bond no sooner was the public business regulated and restored to his former routine then he again turned his attention to its improvement. Joseph Clemens died November the 12th 1723 having previously secured the succession to his nephew Clemens August last of the five electors of Cologne of the Bavarian line the new incumbent third son of Maximilien Immanuel Elector Bavaria and his second wife a daughter of the celebrated John Sobieski of Poland was born August the 17th 1700 at Brussels where his father resided at the time as governor general from his fourth to his 15th year he had been held in captivity by the Austrians at Klagenfurt and Gratz then having been destined for the church he spent several years at study in Rome as a child in 1715 he had been appointed co-adjunctor to the Bishop of Regensburg in 1719 he was elected to the two seas of Powderborn and Moonstar made bacon by the death of his brother Moritz was chosen co-adjunctor to his uncle of Cologne in 1722 made his solemn entry into Bonn as Elector made the 15th 1724 was the same year also elected Bishop of Hill de Schein in 1725 provost of the cathedral at Liège 1728 bishop of Osnebruck and finally in 1732 reached the dignity of grand master of the Teutonic Order his rule is distinguished in the annals of the electorate for little else than the building renewing and embellishing of palaces hunting seats, churches, convents and other edifices at Bonn he erected the huge pile the foundation of which had been laid by his uncle now the seat of the university the handsome city hall was also his work the villa at Papelsdorf was enlarged by him into a small palace Clemens Rue now the university museum of natural history in Breaux the Augustus Burg now our Prussian royal palace dates from his reign and Moonstre, Murgentheim, Arnsburg and other places show similar monuments of his prodigality in the indulgence of his taste for splendor monstrous were the sums as Dr. Enon squandered by him in the purchase of splendid ornaments magnificent equipages furniture costly for its variety and of curious works of art upon festivities painting parties, masquerades operas, dramas and ballets upon charlatans, swindlers, female vocalists doctors and dancers his theater and opera alone cost him $50,000 annually and the magnificence of his mass balls twice a week in winter is proof sufficient but no small sums were lavished upon them the aggregate of the revenues derived from the several states of which Clemens August was the head nowhere appears but the civil income of the electorate alone had in his later years risen from the million of Florence of his predecessor to about the same number of dollars an increase of some 40% added to this were large sums derived from the church and subsidies from Austria-France and the Seaco states amounting to at least 14 million francs indeed during the elector's last 10 years the French subsidies alone made an aggregate of at least 7,300,000 francs in 1728 Holland paid on account of the Clemens canal $76,000 at the centennial opening of the strong box of the Teutonic Order he obtained the fat accumulations of a hundred years and 25 years later he opened it again yet though during his rule peace was hardly interrupted in his part of Europe he plunged ever deeper and more inextricably into debt leaving one of large proportions as his legacy to his successor he was a bad ruler but a kindly amiable and popular man how should he know or feel the value of money or the necessity of prudence his childhood had been spent in captivity his student years in Rome were precisely of that period poetry and music were cultivated if not in very noble and manly forms at least with a medician splendor the society the Arcadians and their activity through both Clemens August and his brother were under the age which enabled them to be enrolled as shepherds and consequently their names appear neither in Cressembini nor in Quadria but it is not to be supposed that two young princes already bishops by election and certain of still higher dignities in the future were excluded from the palaces of Vespoli and Ottoboni from those brilliant literary artistic and luxurious circles in which before their young countrymen the musician Handel had found so cordial a welcome those were very expensive tastes as the citation from NN shows which the future elector brought with him from Rome Italian palaces, Italian villas churches, gardens, music songstresses, mistresses and Italian holy staircase on the Crootsburg leading to nothing Italian pictures, mosaics and what not all these things cost money not have them. This elector is perhaps the only archbishop on record to whose epitaph may truthfully be added he danced out of this world into some other which happened in this wise having in the winter of 1760 to 61 by some unexpected stroke of good fortune succeeded in obtaining from the usually prudent and careful bankers of Holland a loan of $80,000 he embraced the opportunity of making a long-desired visit to his family in Munich owing to his sudden attack of illness he was once on the point of turning back soon after leaving Bonn he persevered however reached coal blends and crossed over to the palace of the elector of Trevis at Aaron Wrightstein where he arrived at 4 p.m. February the 5th 1761 at dinner an hour later he was unable to eat but at the ball which followed he could not resist the fascination upon Walden Dorf sister of his transparency of Trevis and danced with her eight or nine turns of course he could not refuse a similar compliment to several other ladies the physical exertion of dancing joined to the excitement of the occasion and following a dreary winter day's journey was too much for the enfeebled constitution of a man of 60 years he fainted in the ballroom was carried to his chamber and died next day it seems to have been the etiquette that when an elector breathed his last the musical chapel expired with him at all events no other explanation appears of the fact that so many of the petitions for membership which are still preserved should be signed by men who had already been named in the court calendars it is also to be remarked that some of the petitioners received appointments without salary these seem to have been appointments of the kind which in lady years were distinguished in the records and in the calendars by the term accessist in which according to the best lights afforded by the archives may be considered as having been provisional until the incumbent had proved his skill and capacity or until a vacancy occurred through the death or resignation of some old member there are indications that the accessists though without fixed salary received some small remuneration for their services but this is by no means certain it would seem that both vocalists and instrumentists who received salaries out of the state revenues were limited to a fixed number that the amount of funds devoted to this object was also strictly limited and the costs incurred by the engagement of superior artists with extra salaries or by an increase of the number were defrayed from the electors privy purse that the position of accessist was sought by young musicians as a stepping stone turned to some future vacancy which when acquired ensured a gradually increasing income during the years of service and a small pension when superannuated that the etiquette of the court demanded even in cases when the elector expressly calls some distinguished artist to bond that the appointment should be apparently only in gracious answer to and humble petition and that with few exceptions both singers and members of the orchestra were employed in the church, the theater and the concert room Clemens August made his formal entry into bond May the 15th, 1724 a number of petitions are passed over but one granted without salary on February the 18th, 1727 from Van Den Eden must be given in its entirety Siplique Trésumé a SCSC de Colonia pour Gilles Bande Nique on the 18th, February 17, 1727 Prince Sarah Nesime Monseigneur Van Den Nique viole avec le respect qui lui est possible se mettre au pied de lui représenter Corian ou l'honneur d'avoir estre second organiste S-A-S-E d'heureuse mémoire elle dénie lui vouloir faire la même grâce ne demandant aucun gage si longtemps qu'il pleurera avec S-E pour m'entendre la servir avec soin et diligence profaisant etc. On the same date Van Den Eden received his appointment as second court organist. During the 8th, 1728, a decree is issued granting him a salary of 100 florins. To a third petition, the next year signed Van Den Enden the answer is an increase of a salary to 200 dollars and thus a future instructor of Ludwig von Beethoven becomes established in Bonn. The records need not concern us now until we reach the following of the history of the grandfather of the subject of this biography. March 1733 Decretum for Ludwig von Beethoven as electoral court musician. C-L-A, whereas his Serene Highness Elector Cologne Duke Clemens August in upper and lower Bavaria etc. are gracious Lord having on the humble petition of Ludwig von Beethoven he declared and received him as court musician and assigned him an annual salary of 400 florins Renish, the present decree under the gracious hand of his Serene Electoral Highness and the seal of the privy Chancellor is granted to him Electoral Counselor and Paymaster Rizak is herewith commanded to pay the Ced Beethoven the 400 florin Quart Alite from the beginning of this year and to make a proper accounting thereof. March 1733 13 years later we find this allowance of an additional $100 annually to the chamber musician von Beethoven in as much as his Serene Highness Elector of Cologne Duke Clemens August of upper and lower Bavaria our most gracious Lord has increased the salary of his chamber musician von Beethoven by the addition of $100 annually which became due through the death instrument maker the court chamber counselor and Paymaster Rizak is hereby informed and gracious they commanded to pay to him the Ced Beethoven the 100 florins a year in quarterly installments against voucher from the proper time and to make the proper accounting witness a set of papa's door August the 22nd 1746 on May the 2nd 1747 Johann Rhys became court trumpeter with a salary of $192 this is the first representative we have met of a name which afterwards rose to great distinction not only in the orchestra of the Elector but also in the world at large on March the 5th 1754 he was formally appointed court musician violinist having set forth in his petition that instead of confining himself to the trumpet he had made himself serviceable in the chapel by singing and playing other instruments later he took ill and was sent to Cologne we shall presently meet his two daughters and his son Franz Rhys the last of whom will figure prominently in the life history of Beethoven under date March the 27th 1756 occurs several papers which have a double interest they relate to the Beethoven family and are so complete as to exhibit the entire process of appointment to membership in the Electoral Chapel the original documents are not calculated to give the reader a very exalted idea of the orthographical knowledge of the petitioner or the chamber music director Gott Vault but that vault gives us the clue to the correct pronunciation of the name Beethoven the English Beat Garden to his Electoral Serenity of Cologne etc my most gracious lord the humble petition and prayer of Joan von Beethoven most revered most serene Elector most gracious lord lord etc may it please your Electoral serenity graciously to hear the humble representations how in the absence of voices in your Highness's court chapel my insignificant self took part in the music for at least four years without the good fortune of having allotted by your serene Electoral Highness a small Solaria I therefore pray your serene Electoral Highness most humbly that it graciously please you in consideration of my father's faithful service for 23 years to rejoice me with a decree as court musician which high grace will infuse me with zeal to serve your serene Highness with the greatest fidelity and zealousness your serene Electoral Highness's most humble obedient faithful servant, Johann von Beethoven to the music director Gott Vault for a report of his humble judgment attestation by the most gracious signed manual and seal of the privy chancellery March 19, 1756 signed Clemens August L.S. most reverend most serene Elector most gracious Lord, Lord etc your serene Electoral Highness has referred to my humble judgment the petition of Johann von P.Tofen, the supplicant praise your Electoral Highness for a gracious decree as accessist in the court music he has indeed served for two years with his voice Alma, Duke, Sol Dachsel hopes in time to deserve the goodwill of your serene Highness by his industry and his father who enjoys the grace of serving your Highness as bass singer praises appointment I pray most humbly and obediently for instruction concerning your Highness's goodwill in the matter submit myself humbly and obediently to your serene Highness's grace and remain in greatest humility your serene and Electoral Highness's most humble and obedient servant Gott Vault director of the chamber music a further report was made to the Elector as follows von, March the 27th 1756 Carl Lone Enses Gratiosa chamber music director Gott Vault of Johann von P.Tofen has served two years Alma Dachsel and hopes through his industry to serve further through the satisfaction of your Electoral Highness to which and his father who through your Highness's grace serves as bass singer will seek completely to qualify him which may at-pleasure serene Highness to allow item Gott Vault Saplacum Ernest Havekis accesses in the court music reports that sepulon though not fully capable as yet hopes by special diligence to make himself worthy of your Highness's service and would be encouraged and rejoiced in his efforts if your serene Highness would graciously deign to grant him a decreter humbly praying to be informed as to your Highness's wishes in the matter decreten court musicians decree for Johann von P.Tofen C.L.M.A. whereas his serene Electoral Highness of Cologne, Duke Clement, August and Upper and Lower Bavaria, etc our gracious Lord on the humble petition of Johann von P.Tofen and in consideration of your skill in the art of singing also the experience in the same already gained having graciously declared and accepted him as court musician appoint and accept him by this writing therefore the C.B.Tofen receives this decree with the gracious signed manual and seal of the privy chancellery and those who are concerned to recognize him hereafter as an Electoral Court musician and to pay him such respect as the position deserves, von March the 25th 1756 Johann von P.Tofen was 16 years old at this time why he should appear in the court calendar as an accesses four years after the publication of this decree appointing him court musician does not appear. That slender success has rewarded the search for means of determining the character and quality of that opera music upon which according to C.L.M.A. August lavished such large sums the period embraced in that electors rule 1724 to 1761 was precisely that in which the old Italian opera, the oratorio and the sacred cantata reached their extreme limits of development through the genius of Handel and J.S. Bach. It closes at the moment when Gluck, C.P.E. Bach and Joseph Haydn were laying the immovable foundations of a new operatic, orchestral and piano forte music and before they perfected its amount of form that found universal adoption in all compositions of the better class not vocal. Little music comparatively was issued from the press in those days and certainly new forms and new styles made their way slowly into vote. Another consequence was that the offices of composer for the chamber at the church, the comedy or however they were named were by no means semi-curious, neither at the Imperial Court of Maria de Racia nor at the court of any petty prince or noble whose servants formed his orchestra. Composers had to furnish music on demand and as often as was necessary as the hunter delivered game or the fisherman fished. Music was produced in this manner can be seen in the case of Joseph Haydn at Esther Hutz whose fruitfulness did not in all probability exceed that of many another of his contemporaries. The older Telemann furnished compositions through the Courts of Beirut and Eisenach as well as the Grey Friars that Frank Fort on the main and also performed his duties as musical director and composer at Hamburg. He wrote music with such ease that as Handel said he could write for him rapidly as an ordinary man could write a letter. Under such conditions did the men write who are mentioned as official composers in our narrative it is probable that not a note of theirs remains in existence and equally probable that the loss is not at all deplorable except as it leaves the curiosity of an antiquary unsatisfied. A few textbooks to vocal pieces performed on various occasions during this reign have been preserved their titles being compo, pp, musica, music by Giuseppe Dalabaco, director of the Chamber of Music 1740, La Mort d'Abel, no date is given, but il signore via toven sang the part of Adama. Esther from the Italian of S. F. A. Albert, the text partly in German, partly in Italian, Anna Gilder, drama, pp, musica. End of section one section two of the life of Ludwig von Beethoven volume one by Alexander Wheelock-Fayer translated by Henry Edward Crabbiel. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter one part two after the unlucky ball at Aaron Breitstein the crook and scepter of Cologne passed from the Bavarian family which had so long held them into the hands of Maximilian Friedrich of the Swabian line Königssegg or Königsegg Rothenfels. For a century or more this house had enjoyed fat livings in the church at Cologne in which city the new electorate was born on May 13, 1708. He was the fourth of his race that held the important office of dean of the cathedral from which post he was elevated to the electorship on April 6, 1761 and to the ecclesiastical principality of Munster the next year with which to seize he was feigned to be content. He was by nature an easy, good-tempered, indolent, friendly man of no great force of character qualities which in the incumbent of a rich sinecure just completing his 53rd year would be too fully confirmed and developed by habit to change within a change of circumstances and which says Stromberg made him unusually popular throughout the land despite the familiar little verse by Clemens Trugmann Blau und Weiß the lebt Mann V. M. Paradies by Max Friedrich Trugmann Siegschfarts und Roth der Litmanhunger V. D. Sverenath the condition of the finances had become such through the extravagant expenditures of Clemens August that very energetic measures were necessary and to the effects of these during the first few years of Max Friedrich's rule in throwing many persons out of employment these dog-wrought lines doubtless owe their origin. It was fortunate for the electors subjects that his indolence was made good by the activity and energy of a prime minister who found his bow ideal of a statesman in Friedrich the second of Prussia whom in his domestic policy he imitated as far as the character of the two governments allowed this was equally if not more true in the principality of Münster to the respect which one must feel for the memory of Belder Busch the all-powerful minister Bonn is added in the case of Fürstenberg the equally powerful minister at Münster admiration and regard for the man the former was respected feared but not loved in the electorate the latter was respected and very popular in the principality to Casper Anton the new elector owed his elevation to his care he entrusted the state to his skill and strength of character he was indebted for release from the pecuniary difficulties which beset him and for the satisfaction of the actors rolled by of seeing his states numbered among the most prosperous and flourishing in Germany Belder Busch's first care was to reduce the expenditure he put a stop to building says Annan dismissed a number of the actors restricted the number of concerts and court balls dispensed with the costly hunts reduced the salaries of court officials in the kitchen cellar and table of the prince turned the property left by Clemens August into money and comforted the latter's creditors with the hope of better times but though economy was the rule still where the elector considered it due to his position he could be lavish whatever opinions may be entertained as to the wisdom and expediency of clothing ecclesiastics with civil power it was not to give the bright as well as the dark side of the picture this is well put by Kasper Riesbeck in relation to the renish states whose princes were churchmen and his remarks are in place here since they relate in part to that in which the childhood and youth of Beethoven were spent the whole stretch of the country from here to Mainz is one of the richest and most populous in Germany even as territory of 18 German miles there are 20 cities lying hard by the shore of the Rhine and dating for the greater part from the period of the Romans it is still plainly to be seen that this portion of Germany was the first to be built up neither morasses nor heaths interrupt the evidences of cultivation which stretch with equal industry far from the shores of the river over the contiguous country while many cities and castles built under Charlemagne and his successors, especially Henry I and other parts of Germany have fallen into decay all in this section have not only been preserved but many have been added to them the natural wealth of the soil in comparison with that of other lands and the easy disposition of its products by means of the Rhine have no doubt contributed most to these results as great as the prejudice in Germany against the ecclesiastical governments they have beyond doubt aided in the blooming development of these regions in the three ecclesiastical electorates which make up the greater part of this tract of land nothing is known of those tax burdens under which the subjects of so many secular princes of Germany grown these princes have exceeded the old assessments slightly little is known in their countries of serfdom the apanage of many princes and princesses do not force them to extortion they have no inordinate military institution and do not sell the sons of their farmers and they have never taken so active a part in the domestic and foreign wars of Germany as the secular princes though they are not adept in encouraging their subjects in art culture buried agriculture has been developed to a high degree of perfection throughout the region nature does of its own accord what laws and regulations seek to compel as soon as the rocks of offense are removed from the path Henry Swinburne whose letters to his brother were published long after his death under the title of the courts of Europe writes under date of November 29 1780 Bonn is a pretty town neatly built and its streets tolerably well paid all in black lava it is situated in a flat near the river the Elector of Cologne's palace faces the south entry it has no beauty of architecture and is all plain white without any pretensions we went to court and were invited to dine with the Elector Koenigsegg he is 73 years old black man very merry and affable his table is none of the best no dessert wines handed about nor any foreign wines at all he is easy and agreeable having lived all his life in ladies company which he is said to have liked better than his Breviary the captains of his guard and a few other people of the court form the company amongst whom were his two great nieces Madame de Hatzfeld and Madame de Toxes the palace is of immense size the ballroom particularly large and low the Elector goes about to all the assemblies and plays at Tric Trek he asked me to be of his party but I was not acquainted with their way of playing there is every evening an assembly or play at court the Elector seems very strong and healthy and will I think hold the Archduke a good tug yet this Archduke was Max Franz the youngest son of Maria Teracea whose acquaintance Swinburne had made in Vienna and who had just been chosen co-adjector to Max Friedrich a curious proof of the liberality not to say laxity of the Elector's sentiments in one direction is given by Stromberg in his rhinesture antiquarius to wit the possession of a mistress in common by him and his minister Belder Busch and this mistress was the countess Caroline von Satz and Hoppen Abbas of Village the reduction which was made by Belder Busch upon the accession of Max Friedrich in the expenses of the theater and other amusements does not appear except in the case of the chapel master to have extended to the court music proper nor to have been long continued in respect to the operetta and comedy the first in order of the documents and notices discovered relating to the musical establishment of this Elector are of no common interest being the petition of a candidate for the vacant office of chapel master and the decree appointing him to that position they are as follows very reverent Archbishop and Elector most gracious Lord may it please your Electoral grace to permit a representation of my faithfully and dutifully performed services for a considerable space as vocalist as well as since the death of the chapel master for more than a year his duties in duplo that is to say by singing and wielding the baton concerning which my demand still remains odd referendum much less have I been assured of the position in as much as because of particular recommendation deuce moulin was preferred over me and indeed unjustly I've been forced hitherto to submit to fate but now gracious Elector and Lord that because of the reduction in salaries chapel master deuce moulin has already asked his demission or will soon do so and I at the command of Baron Belderbush am to begin the no vote to fill his office and the same must surely be replaced therefore there reaches your electoral grace my humble petition that you may graciously be pleased in as much as the toxel must be sufficiently supplied with music and I must at all events take the lead in the occurring church ceremonies in puncto the corrals to grant me the justice of which I was deprived on the death of your highnesses and to accessory of blessed memory and appoint me chapel master with some augmentation of my lesson salary because of my services performed in duplo for which highest grace I shall pour out my prayers to God for the long continuing health and government of your electoral grace while in deepest submission I throw myself at your feet your electoral grace is most humble servant Ludwig von Beethoven possessed in as whereas we next million Friedrich Elector Cologne on the demission of our former chapel master Tush Malin and the humble petition of our bass singer Ludwig von Beethoven have appointed the letter to be chapel master with the retention of his position as bass singer and have added 97 Reich's Foller species 40 of to his former salary of 292 Reich's Foller species 40 of per item divided in quartalion which appointment is hereby made in payment ordered by our grace checker and all whom it may concern are called on to observe the fact and do what is required under the circumstances attest etc. Bonn July 16 1761 next in order at an interval of rather more than a year is the following short paper and replied to a petition not preserved of the new chapel master's son supple canton is hereby graciously assured that in the event of a tour of a court musician's salary he shall have special consideration attest our gracious sign manual and the impress of the seal of the privy chancellery Max Fried Elector V. Felder Busch Bonn November 27 1762 about December 1763 a singer Madame Lentner after some four and a half years of service threw up her appointment giving occasion through the vacancy thus cause for the following petition report and decrees most reverend Elector most gracious Lord Lord will your Electoral Grace Dane to receive the representation that by the acceptance of service elsewhere of court musician dauber there has fallen to the disposition of your Reverend Electoral Grace a salary of one thousand fifty right Fowler wherefore I Johannes von Beethoven having graciously been permitted for a considerable time to serve as court musician and have been graciously assured by decree of appointment to the first vacancy and have always faithfully and diligently perform my duties and graciously been permitted to be in good voice therefore my prayer is made to your Reverend and Electoral Grace for a grant of your fore said Fowler or a gracious portion thereof which act of highest grace I shall try to merit by fidelity and zeal in the performance of my duties your Reverend Electoral Grace's most obedient servant Johannes von Beethoven vocalist this petition was seconded by the father in the following manner most reverend Archbishop and Elector most gracious Lord Lord your Electoral Grace having graciously been pleased to submit for my humble report the humble petition of your Highness's court musician Johann Rees that his daughter be appointed to the place in the court music of your Highness made vacant by the discharge soprano, nutner, sublet a humbly obeying your gracious command I submit an impartial report that for about a year the daughter of the court musician Rees has frequented the Duke Saul doxel and sung the soprano part and that to my satisfaction but now that my son Johannes von Beethoven has already for 13 years sung soprano, contralto and tenor in every emergency that has arisen on the Duke Saul is also capable on the violin wherefore your Reverend Electoral Grace 27 November 1762 granted the accompanying decree graciously bearing your own high sign manual sublet be my humble and obedient but not anticipatory my opinion is that the court singer Lentner's vacated salary odd 300 florins who went away without the gracious permission of your Highness over a quarter of a year ago and reported to me in specie she was going without permission and would not return be graciously divided so that my son be decreed to receive 200 florins and the daughter of court musician Rees 100 florins you are sure first good morning hold on muck lost semester your Reverend Electoral Grace is most humble and obedient Ludwig von Beethoven chapel master increase of salary of 100 Reichsthaler for court musician Beethoven MF whereas we Maximilian Frederick on the humble petition of our court musician Johann von Beethoven have shown him the grace to allow him 100 Reichsthaler out of the salary vacated by the departure of the singer Lentner to be paid annually in quaritalian we hereby confirm the allowance for which this decree is graciously promulgated to be observed by our Electoral Exchequer which is to govern itself accordingly a test P. von April 24 1764 under the same data decree was issued appointing Anna Maria Rees daughter of Johann Rees court singer with a salary of 100th also out of that of the Lentner a few days later the following action was taken MFE to the Electoral Exchequer touching the appointment of court musician Beethoven and the singer Rees you are hereby graciously informed that our court musician Beethoven junior and the singer Rees will soon be ready for you to decrease of appointment now in as much as with this the salary of the former singer Lentner is disposed of but since she received in advance of 37 and a half Reichsthaler from our master revenues and 18 Reichsthaler Spess was paid to her creditors we graciously command you here with so to arrange the payment of the two salaries that the advance from the revenues and then the payment to the creditors Lentner salary and that until this is done the salaries of the before mentioned Rees and Beethoven do not begin we etc Bonn, April 27, 1764 on April 3, 1778 Anna Maria Rees received an additional 100 florins a few more documents lead us to the family of Johann Peter Solomon Ad Sapilakam Philip Solomon to inform our chapel master Beethoven appointed on his humble petition that we are not minded to grant the letter prayed for to the Prince versus Selkowski but in case his son is not returned by the beginning of the coming month 8 Brits we are graciously determined to make disposition of his place in salary a test minister August 8, 1764 sent the 22 Ditto in spite of this order on July 1765 the elector gave a document to the son Johann Peter Solomon certifying that he had served him faithfully and diligently and had so conducted himself as to deserve to be recommended to every one according to his station on petition of Philip Solomon the father he and his daughter were appointed court musicians by decree dated August 11, 1764 several papers dated April 26, 1768 although upon matters of very small importance have a certain interest as being in part official communications from the pen of chapel master Van Beethoven and illustrating in some measure his position and duties they show too that his path was not always one bordered with roses being self-explanatory they require no comment one most reverend Archbishop and elector most gracious lord lord will your electoral grace Dane to listen to the complaint that when court singer Schwarz Hoffer was commanded in obedience to an order of his Excellency Baron van Belderbush to alternate with Cobina Solomon in the singing of the solos in the church music as is the custom that said Schwarz Hoffer in the presence of the entire chapel impertinently and literally answered me as follows I will not accept your order and you have no right to command me your electoral grace will doubtlors recall various disorder on the part of the court chapel indicating that all respect and ordinance is withheld from me each member behaving as he sees fit which is very painful to my sensibilities wherefore my humble prayer reaches your electoral highness that the public affront of the Schwarz Hoffer be punished to my deserve satisfaction issue from your highness to the entire chapel that at the cost of your gracious displeasure or punishment according to the offense my order shall not be evaded your electoral grace as humble and most obedient servant Ludovicus van Beethoven to to chapel master van Beethoven concerning the court musicians MFE receive the accompanying command to the end that its contents be conveyed to all of our court musicians or be posted on the toxel we remain etc bond April 26 1768 3 command respecting the court musicians having learned with displeasure that several of our court musicians have tried to evade the order issued by our chapel master or refused to receive them from him and conduct themselves and properly amongst themselves all of our court musicians are hereby commanded without contradiction to obey all the commands given by our chapel master in our name and bear peaceful relations with each other since we are determined to proceed with rigor against the guilty to the extent of dismissal in certain cases sick bond April 26 1768 on November 17 1769 Johann van Beethoven submits a petition in which he exhibits anew his genius for devising methods of varying the spelling of his own name that he could no longer live on one hundredth dollar salary is evident when it is remembered that he has now been married two years but as there were several applicants for the salary which had fallen to the disposal of the elector it was divided among the four most needy Beethoven's memorial contains a factor two in regard to his duties as court musician which are new to his electoral grace of cologne etc etc the humble supplication and prayer of Johann Beethoven, court musician most reverend archbishop and elector most gracious lord lord may your most reverend electoral grace graciously permit the presentation of this humble supplicando how for many years I have served your heinous faithfully and industriously on the Duke Saul and the theater and also have given instruction in various subjecta concerning the aforesaid service to the entire satisfaction of your electoral grace and I am engaged now in study to perfect myself to this end. My father also joins in this supplic in his humble capacity of the theater and will participate in the gladness should your electoral grace graciously grant the favor as it is impossible for me to live on the salary of one hundredth dollar graciously allowed me I pray your electoral grace to bestow upon me the hundredth dollar left at your gracious disposed by the death of your court musician Philip Havoc to merit this high grace by faithful and diligent service shall be my greatest striving your electoral grace is most humble Johannus Battoff court musician in answer to this there came the following decree whereas we max free on the death of court musician Philip Havoc and the submissive petition of our court musician Philip Solomon bestowed upon him the grace of adding fifty Florence for his two daughters to the salary which you already enjoys out of the salary of the above mentioned Havoc per year we confirm to act hereby wherefore we have graciously issued this decree which our electoral court extractor will humbly observe and make all necessary provisions at SP Moonstor 179 Briss 1769 on the margin gracious addition of fifty Florence for the court musician Philip Solomon and besides Brandt and Murus also in Simila for court musician Johann Battoff twenty five Florence there need be no apologies for filling a few more pages with extracts from documents bound in the Düsseldorf archives for now a period has been reached in which the child von Beethoven is growing up into youth and early manhood and thrown into constant contact with those whose names will appear some of these names will come up many years later in Vienna others will have their parts to play in the narrative of that child's life omitting for the present a petition of Johann von Beethoven we begin them with that of Joseph Demmer of date January 23 1773 which first secured him his appointment after a year's service and three months instruction from the young Mr. von Beethoven most reverend archbishop and elector most gracious lord et cetera et cetera I've been accepted as chorister in the cathedral of this city at a salary of eighty dollar per year and have so practiced myself in music that I humbly flutter myself of my ability to perform my task with the highest satisfaction it being graciously known that the bass singer von Beethoven is incapacitated and can no longer serve as such and the contra-basist Noyston cannot adapt his voice therefore this submissive to your reverend electoral grace that you graciously be pleased to accept me as your bass singer with such gracious salary as may seem fit I offer should it be demanded to attend the operettas also and qualify myself in a short time it depends upon a mere hint from your electoral grace alone that it shall not be burdensome to the Cantor's office of the cathedral to save the loss of the eighty dollar yearly widget has bestowed upon me I am in most beautiful reverence your electoral grace as most obedient Joseph Demmer pro-memoria Cantor Demmer earned at most one hundred and six dollar per year if he neglected none of the greater or little horries pays the chamber chancellor for board annually sixty-six right-tholler for Cartier lodging twelve right-tholler or over he must find himself in clothes and washing since his father the sub-Sacrestan in Cologne is still overburdened with six children Mr. Beethoven for three months in response to another petition after the death of L. Van Beethoven the following decree was issued decree as court vocal base for Joseph Demmer whereas his electoral grace of Cologne M.F. our most gracious lord on the humble petition of Joseph Demmer has graciously appointed and accepted him as his highness's vocal base in the electoral taxel with a yearly salary of two hundred forms divided in Quartalian to begin with the current time the appointment is confirmed hereby and a decree granted to the same Demmer of which for purposes of payment the electoral chancellery will take notice and all whom it may concern will respect and obey the same and otherwise do what is necessary in the premises two years later leave of absence but without salary was granted to Joseph Demmer to visit Amsterdam to complete his education and music further notes from documentary sources 1774 May 26th Andreas Lucey appointed court chapel master in place of Ludwig van Beethoven deceased with a salary of one thousand florins May 29th salary of Anna Maria Rees raised from 230 florins to 300 florins on May 13th, 1775 together with Ferdinand Truer Druer, violinist she receives leave of absence for four months to begin in June with two quarters pay in advance in the court calendar for 1775 which was printed about seven months in advance she has already described as Madame, Druers, Ne Rees she was considered the best singer in the chapel November 23, Frans Anton Rees has granted him 25th dollar payable quarterly 1775 March 23, Nicholas Simrock appointed on petition court hornest on the electoral toxel in the cabinet and the table and a salary of 300 florins was granted April 1 this is the first appearance in these records of a name which afterwards rose into prominence 1777 April 20, B.J. Mauer violinist who has served in the court chapel from the beginning of the year till now on a promise of 100th dollar praise for an appointment as court jealous at a salary of 400th dollar appointed at a salary of 200th dollar we shall have occasion to recur to him presently in connection with notices touching Beethoven under date May 22, 1778 J. Von Beethoven informs the elector that the singer Averdonk who is to be sent to Chapel Master Salas at Koblenz is to pay 15 florins per month for board and lodging but that only do sir is to be asked for her instruction and that to take her that it will cost 20th dollar they are followed upon this the following document to the humble announcement of court musician Beethoven touching the singer Averdonk electoral counselor for the VC is to pay to the proper authorities for a year beginning next month 15 florins a month and for the traveling expenses 20 right dollar once and for all as soon as the journey is begun a test be bond May 22, 1778 this pupil of Johann von Beethoven Johanna Helena Averdonk born in bond on December 11, 1760 and brought forward by her teacher at a concert in Cologne for 120th dollar as a special grace on July 2 and was appointed court singer on November 18, 1780 with a salary of 200th dollar she died nine years later, August 13, 1789 the petition sent into the elector were rarely dated and were not always immediately attended to therefore the date of a Decretum is not to be taken as conclusive in regard to the date of facts mentioned in a petition the registration is afforded by a petition of Franz Reis, he has returned from a tour to Vienna and praised for a salary of 500 florins not the half of what he can earn elsewhere the petition is dated March 2 two months passing without bringing him an answer he petitions again and obtains a Decretum made to that in addition to a salary of 28th dollar to all six he shall receive a knock so veal again as much that is 400 florins 1780 August, court organist Dan Eda praised that in consideration of his service of 54 years he be graciously enteritably given the salary vacated by the death of court musician Salomon 18 others make the same prayer the decision of the privy council is in these words to be divided between Huttoness and Esch a decree as musical vocalist must first be given to the latter 1781 February 15 the name of C.G. Nifa is now met with for the first time he petitions for appointment to the position of organist and succession to van den Eda obviously aged and infirm a decree was issued placid expeditur on the death of organist van den Eda and a salary of 400 florins granted 1782 May 16 Johann van Beethoven petitions for the three measures Walter of corn the archives of Düsseldorf furnished little more during the time of Max Friedrich save certain papers relating to the Beethoven family which are reserved for another place the search for means to form some correct idea of the character of the musical performances at the electors court during this reign has been more successful than for the preceding but much is left to be desired down to the year 1778 when the theater was placed upon a different basis and its history is sufficiently recorded such notices however in relation to the operatic entertainments as have been found scattered mostly in the newspapers of Bonn in those years are numerous enough to give an idea of their character while their marks upon the festivities of the court connected with them afford a pretty lively picture of social amusement in the highest circle we make room for some of the most significant occurrences in chronological order 1764, January 3 Gallupi's opera Il Filosofo di Campania given in the Electoral Theater with great applause January 8, a grand assembly at the palace in the afternoon a magnificent supper in the grand gallery at which many spectators were present and finally a masked ball March 23, second performance of La Bologna, Figli Uola Music by Puccini May 13, Elector's Birthday La Natsa Music by Gallupi and two ballets May 20, Il Filosofo again the notice of which is followed by the remark that the Elector is about removing to Peru for the summer but will visit Bonn twice a week on the days when operas have performed September 21, La Pastorella Al Soglio composer not named probably La Tilla and two ballets December 16, La Calamita DQ Ori by Gallupi and two ballets this was the first performance by the Mingari company under the direction of Ritzi and Romanini 1765, January 6 La Aventura di Radolfo Puccini given by the same company together with the pantomime Lala Queeno for Tonato Perla Maglia after the play there was a grand supper at which the Pope's nuncio was a guest and finally a mass ball kept up till six o'clock in the morning 1767, May 13 the Archbishop's Birthday here is the program condensed from the long description of the festivities in the Banasher Anzager one early in the morning three rounds from the cannon on the city walls two the court and public graciously permitted to kiss his transparency's hand three solemn high masks with salvos of artillery four grand dinner in public the Pope's nuncio the four ministers and the nobility being the guests and the eating being accompanied by exquisite table music five after dinner a numerously attended assembly six a serenata composed especially for this most joyful day and a comic opera in the palace theater seven supper of 130 covers eight Balmasque until 5 a.m. the two dramatic pieces were serenata festivale Diana Ed Ilrena the authors are named and Skiava, Finta, Drama Gio Coso D'Alle Celebra Don Francesco Garzia Parc Giorno Ola the music probably by Piccini Giovanni von Beethoven sang the part of Dorindo 1768 May 16 on the stage of the court theater was performed with much applause on the musical poem in German especially written for the birthday of his highness and afterward an Italian intermezzo and titled La No Bielta De Lusa 1769 the festivities in honor of the birthday of the elector took place May 17 when according to the Anziger an Italian musical drama written expressly for this occasion was performed but the title suggests the possibility of a mistake Irizzo da Palin with music barbettes had been heard in 1701 1771 a single discovery only for this year has rewarded search that of a textbook one of particular interest, Sylvain Comédie en Une Acte Millet Dari et Representé et cetera Texte by Marc Montel Music by Jean-Drie Dormand-Père Mont Louis van Beethoven Maître de Chapelle Dormand Filsenet Jean van Beethoven et cetera 1772 February 27 Le Don Sainte Prodan Music by Andreas Lucezi in March on occasion of the opening of the estates La Contamdine and Court Music by Saccini The piece is given on the birthday this year Il Natale di Giove Music by Lucezi and La Buona Bigli Uola Music by Puccini on the 17th the letter was repeated on the arrival of the French ambassador 1773 May 30 the elector's birthday Scoperto O Vero Il Cante Caramella Music by Lucezi in which Ludovico van Beethoven sang the part of Bruno Cattandino e Tamborino There are three more operatives which evidently belong to the succeeding winter when the Bonn Accompany have the aid of two singers from the Electoral Courts of Trees Their titles are La Probesata O Sia La Gallantaria Disturbata by Lucezi Liitre Amanti Riddicoli by Gallupi and La Moda by Baroni Ludovico van Beethoven did not sing and then the means are still wanting to fill up the many gaps in the panels of this period or to carry them on during the next three years perhaps however the loss is not of much importance for the materials collected are sufficient to warrant certain conclusions in regard to the general character of the court music the musicians both vocal and instrumental were employed in the church, concert room and theater. Their number remained without material change from the days of Christopher Petz to the close of Chapelmaster van Beethoven's life Places in this service were held to be a sort of heritage and a right due to the children of old incumbents when possessed of sufficient musical talent and knowledge. Few of any names of distinguished virtuosos are found in the lists of the members and in all probability the performances never rose above the respectable mediocrity of a small band used to playing together in the light and pleasing music of the day. The dramatic performances appear to have been confined to the operetta and the vocalists who sang the Latin of the Mass seem to have been required to be equally at home in German, Italian and French in the theater. Two visits of the Angelo Mingati troop are noted and one attempt at least to place the opera upon a higher basis by the engagement of Italian song Stresses was evidently made in the time of Clemens Auguste. It may be concluded that no great improvement was made, it is certain that no permanent one was, for in the other case the Bond theatrical revolution of 1778 had not been needed. This must be noticed in detail. Chronologically the following sketch belongs to the biography of Ludwig van Beethoven as it embraces a period which happens in his case to be of special interest young as he was, the period from his eighth to his fourteenth year, but the details given though of great importance for the light which they throw upon the musical life in which he moved and acted would hardly be of so much interest to most readers as to justify breaking with them the course of the future narrative. End of Chapter 1 Part 2