Chronology of Beethoven’s Life and the Historical Events of His Times
The family of Beethoven originated from a Flemish town in Belgium, Campenhout, near Mechelen (Malines), and about twenty kilometers from the Belgian capital. The name indicates that the ancestors lived near, or upon, a farm where beets were cultivated. The name van Beethoven indeed means “from the beet garden.”
The most remote information speaks of a Johannes van Beethoven, who lived in the second half of the fifteenth century. His descendants dwelt in the neighboring towns. The progenitor of the branch that gave birth to the Master was Kornelius van Beethoven (1641–1716), a carpenter, who at the beginning of the eighteenth century settled in Malines. In Malines were born his son, Michael (1684–1749), great-grandfather, and his grandson Ludwig (1712–1773), grandfather of the Master.
The grandfather Ludwig early displayed good musical gifts, and in 1731, at the age of nineteen, was appointed vice-director of the orchestra of the church in nearby Louvain. But in 1733 he moved to Bonn, where he was appointed Kapellmeister to the Prince Elector. In Bonn was born his son Johann (c.1740–1792), likewise engaged as a court musician.
Johann van Beethoven, in 1767, married the young Magdalena Keverich, a widow of twenty-one years, daughter of the director of the kitchens of the Prince of Trier. From their marriage were born seven children, of whom only three survived: Ludwig (1770–1827), Caspar Carl (1774–1815), and Nikolaus Johann (1776–1848), commonly called Johann.
1770 – Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, probably on December 16. He was baptized on December 17 in the Church of St. Remigius at Bonn.
Beethoven was born in the house at No. 515 Bonngasse (the present Beethovenhaus), and not in the Fischer house in Rheingasse, upon which the municipality of Bonn had erroneously placed a commemorative plaque. Until 1790 Beethoven believed himself to be one year younger, later even two years younger than he truly was, and he was never persuaded of the truth, not even by the documents. It is not known whether this was a mistake or a falsification by his father, who wished to present his son as a child prodigy.
Composition, first performance or edition of literary or musical works by various authors: – Klopstock, Odes.
1773 – Death of the grandfather Ludwig.
1774 – Birth of the brother Caspar Carl. – Gluck, Iphigénie en Aulide in Paris; in Vienna in 1808. – Goethe, The Sorrows of Young Werther.
1774 – Birth of Gaspare Spontini at Majolati (Ancona), November 14.
1775 – Ludwig receives his first lessons in violin and piano from his father. – François Adrien Boieldieu is born in Rouen, December 16.
1776 – Birth of the brother Nikolaus Johann. – Declaration of Independence of the American Colonies.
1777 – Beethoven begins schooling, which he will abandon in 1781. His culture will thereafter be entrusted to reading, and perhaps to some occasional lessons followed at the university.
1778 – First public concert, March 26 in Cologne, together with Miss Averdonc, likewise a pupil of his father Johann. – Herder, Volkslieder (Popular Songs). – Salieri, L’Europa riconosciuta, Teatro alla Scala, Milan. – François Marie Arouet [Voltaire] dies in Paris.
1779 – Lessons in piano and organ from the organist Gilles van der Eeden and from Tobias Pfeiffer, colleague—also in convivial excesses—of his father. – In October Christian Gottlob Neefe arrives in Bonn, who in 1781 will be appointed court organist. – Gluck, Iphigénie en Tauride, Paris. – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Sonatas für Kenner und Liebhaber. – Salieri, Falstaff.
1780 – Lessons in viola and violin from Franz Georg Rovantini, and from the friar Willibald Koch for the organ. – Neefe, Adelheit von Veltheim.
1781 – Beethoven takes lessons in composition from C. G. Neefe and occasionally replaces him as court organist. – Reforms of Emperor Joseph II: abolition of ecclesiastical censorship and of serfdom; freedom of worship for Jews and Protestants. – Mozart settles in Vienna (March 16). – Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. – Johann Heinrich Voss, German translation of the Odyssey. – Haydn, Six String Quartets Op. 33 (on December 3 Haydn offered subscription copies).
1782 – Beethoven enters into relations with Franz Wegeler and the von Breuning family. – Publications: for the first time, a work of Beethoven is printed, the Dressler Variations WoO 63, at Mannheim. – Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), Vienna (performed in Bonn in 1783). – Paisiello, Il barbiere di Siviglia. – John Field is born in Dublin, July 27. – Daniel François Auber is born in Caen, January 29. – Nicolò Paganini is born in Genoa, October 27.
1783 – Journey of Beethoven with his mother by boat along the Rhine, as far as Rotterdam. It is said he met Karl Stamitz. Neefe publishes an article on Beethoven in the March 2 issue of Cramer’s Magazin der Musik, in which he predicts that Ludwig “will surely become a second Mozart if he continues as he has begun.” – Compositions: Fugue for organ WoO 31. – Publications: Three Piano Sonatas WoO 47 (Kurfürsten Sonaten), written in 1782–1783; Lied Schilderung eines Mädchens WoO 107; Rondo in C major WoO 48. – Piccinni, Didone.
1784 – On April 15 the Elector of Cologne-Bonn, Max Friedrich, dies; he is succeeded by Maximilian Franz, youngest son of Maria Theresa and brother of Emperor Joseph II. Beethoven is appointed deputy to Neefe as court organist, with a salary of 150 florins. – Compositions: Piano Concerto in E-flat major WoO 4. – Publications: Rondo WoO 49; Lied An einem Saugling WoO 108. – Grétry, Richard Coeur-de-Lion, Paris (Vienna in 1802 and 1810). – Jacques-Louis David, Le Serment des Horaces (The Oath of the Horatii).
1785 – Beethoven is received as a son in the von Breuning household, where the cultivated society of Bonn gathers. Here he meets Count Waldstein, the painters Gerhard and Karl Kügeln, and the cellist Joseph Reicha. The latter’s son, Anton—destined to become a celebrated composer—forms with the young Beethoven a lasting friendship. Thus begins Beethoven’s friendship with the von Breuning family and with Franz Wegeler. – Compositions: Piano Quartets WoO 36.
1786 – November 20: inauguration of the University of Bonn, in which Beethoven enrolled [though he did not attend] in 1789. – Compositions: Trio for piano and winds WoO 37. – Bürger, Gottfried August, Adventures of Baron von Münchausen. – Sacchini, Œdipe à Colone, Versailles (Vienna in 1802). – Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro, Vienna. – Frederick the Great of Prussia dies at Potsdam, August 17. – Carl Maria von Weber is born at Eutin (Lübeck).
1787 – In spring, journey to Vienna to study with Mozart. It is said he played for him, improvising on a theme, and that Mozart exclaimed: “Here is one who will make the world speak of him.” He must return quickly to Bonn owing to the worsening condition of his mother, who dies of consumption on July 17. Beethoven will call her “my best friend.” – Compositions: Second Piano Concerto Op. 19, first version. – Goethe, Die Leiden des jungen Werther (second version). – Mozart, Don Giovanni, Prague. – Salieri, Tarare, Paris (Vienna in 1797). – Goethe, Faust – Ein Fragment [Beethoven cherished until his last days the dream of an opera on Faust]. – Christoph Willibald Gluck dies in Vienna, November 15.
1788 – Arrival in Bonn of Count von Waldstein, who immediately becomes a great admirer of Beethoven. – Goethe, Egmont. – Kant, Critique of Practical Reason. – Arthur Schopenhauer is born in Danzig.
1789 – In Bonn the Court Theatre is inaugurated. There are performed Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Le nozze di Figaro, and Don Giovanni. Owing to alcoholism, Beethoven’s father is dismissed from his employment. The young Ludwig becomes “head of the family,” plays the viola in the Court Chapel, and receives half of his father’s salary to support his brothers. – July 14: storming of the Bastille. It is said that, together with his friends Karl Kügeln and Anton Reicha, Beethoven attended courses in logic and literature at the University of Bonn and the lectures of the revolutionary Eulogius Schneider (though this is a very doubtful report). – Paisiello, Nina pazza per amore, Caserta.
1790 – February 20: death of Emperor Joseph II. Beethoven is commissioned to compose a cantata for soloists, chorus, and orchestra on his death, which however was never performed. He is also commissioned to compose one for the coronation of Leopold II, which took place on October 9. In the new operatic season Beethoven has occasion to play in works by Paisiello, Umlauf, and Dalayrac. – December 26: probably, at a dinner with the musicians of Bonn, he meets Haydn, returning from London. – Compositions: Kantate auf den Tod Kaiser Joseph II WoO 87; Kantate auf die Erhebung Leopold II zur Kaiserwürde WoO 88. – Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Comprehensive Guide to Composition [Albrechtsberger in 1794–1795 will become Beethoven’s teacher of counterpoint]. – Kant, Critique of Judgment. – Mozart, Così fan tutte, Vienna.
1791 – The court orchestra, of which Beethoven is a member, travels to Mergentheim. At Aschaffenburg Beethoven hears the famous pianist Sterkel and plays before him his Variations on a Theme of Righini WoO 65, improvising in imitation, arousing the admiration of all. Performance, though without Beethoven’s name, of the Ritterballett WoO 1. – Compositions: Ritterballett WoO 1; Aria Processo al bacio WoO 89; Aria Intendersela con le ragazze WoO 90; Aria Primo amor piacer del ciel WoO 92; Variations for harp on a Swiss air WoO 64; Violin Concerto in C major WoO 5 [incomplete]; Piano Trio WoO 38. – Publications: Piano Variations on the theme Venni amore by Righini WoO 65. – Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Vienna. – Mozart, Requiem (published in 1800). – Mozart, La clemenza di Tito, Prague. – Cherubini, Lodoïska, Paris (Vienna in 1802). – Haydn, London Symphonies Nos. 93–104 (1791–1795). – Mozart dies in Vienna, December 5. – Giacomo Meyerbeer is born in Berlin, September 5.
1792 – Haydn, returning from London, stops at Bonn; he meets Beethoven and, having seen one of his scores (a cantata?), agrees to take him as a pupil in Vienna. France becomes a republic. In September, about 3,000 monarchists are executed by the revolutionaries. At the beginning of October, French troops invade Mainz and the Rhineland. After the death of Leopold II, Francis II becomes Holy Roman Emperor. On November 2 Beethoven leaves Bonn; he arrives in Vienna on November 10. On December 12 his father dies. – Compositions: Octet for winds Op. 103; Variations for piano trio Op. 44; Variations for violin and piano on the theme “Se vuoi ballare” by Mozart WoO 40; Variations for piano on a theme of Dittersdorf WoO 66; Variations for piano four hands on a theme of Count Waldstein WoO 67. – Gioachino Rossini is born in Pesaro, February 29.
1793 – Lessons with Haydn. Beethoven realizes that Haydn does not scrupulously correct his errors and begins also to study with Johann Schenk. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are guillotined. Through Haydn he becomes acquainted with the Princes Lichnowsky and Esterházy, and with Baron von Swieten. In summer Haydn takes him to Eisenstadt, the Esterházy summer residence. – Compositions: Reworking of the Second Piano Concerto Op. 19. – Publications: Variations on a theme of Dittersdorf WoO 66; Variations for violin and piano WoO 40.
1794 – Fall of Robespierre, by members of the Convention who, on July 27–28, carried out a coup d’état (in the month of Thermidor of the Republican Calendar, July 19–August 17). Studies with Albrechtsberger and Salieri. French troops overthrow the Electorate of Cologne-Bonn. Elector Maximilian Franz takes refuge in Vienna. Beethoven’s employment at his court, with the related salary, is suppressed. Arrival in Vienna of Wegeler, with whom friendship is renewed. His brother Carl also moves to Vienna. – Compositions: Begins work on the String Trios Op. 1 and the Piano Sonatas Op. 2. – Publications: Waldstein Variations WoO 67. – Salieri, Falstaff, Vienna.
1795 – Beethoven performs for the first time before the Viennese public in three concerts during the last days of March. In the first, on March 29 at the Burgtheater, he plays either the First Piano Concerto Op. 15 or the Second Op. 19. In the third, he performs Mozart’s Concerto in D minor, adding two of his own cadenzas. Haydn returns from his second journey to England. Beethoven dedicates to him the Three Piano Sonatas Op. 2, performing them in his presence at the house of Prince Lichnowsky. From Bonn, Johann joins his brother in Vienna. On December 18, at an “Academy” directed by Haydn, three of the latest London Symphonies are performed; Beethoven plays either his First or his Second Piano Concerto. He makes his first declaration of love to the singer Magdalena Willmann, who rejects him as “ugly and half mad.” – Compositions: Piano Trio Op. 3; String Quintet Op. 4; String Sextet with horns Op. 81b; Wind Trio Op. 87; Dances WoO 7 and WoO 8; Variations for winds on the theme “Là ci darem la mano” by Mozart WoO 28; Variations for piano on a theme of Grétry WoO 72, and other minor works. – Publications: Piano Trios Op. 1. – Schiller, Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man and On Naïve and Sentimental Poetry. – Haydn begins the publication of the London Symphonies, completed in 1805, at André in Offenbach. – Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. – Heinrich August Marschner is born in Zittau, Saxony.
1796 – On January 8 Beethoven plays one of his Piano Concertos at an Academy in the Redoutensaal. He undertakes a concert tour to Berlin, passing through Prague, Dresden, and Leipzig. He gives a concert in Prague on May 11; plays before the Elector of Saxony in Dresden on April 29; and in Berlin, with the cellist Jean-Louis Duport, performs the newly composed Cello Sonatas Op. 5 (May–June). After returning to Vienna, he departs again for Pressburg (Bratislava), where on November 23 he gives a concert, and then proceeds to Pest. – Compositions: Aria Ah! Perfido Op. 65, for Countess Clary in Prague; Piano Sonata Op. 49 No. 2; Cello Sonatas Op. 5; Wind Sextet Op. 71; Lied Adelaide Op. 46; Variations for cello and piano Op. 66. Begins the Quintet Op. 16 and the Third Piano Concerto; Variations for cello and piano on a theme from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus WoO 45. – Publications: Piano Sonatas Op. 2; String Trio Op. 3; String Quintet Op. 4. – Schenk, Il barbiere del villaggio, Vienna. – von Winter, La sagra interrotta, Vienna. – Johann Carl Gottfried Loewe is born at Löbejün (Saxony), November 30.
1797 – Treaty of Campoformio between France and Austria, concluding the Napoleonic campaign in Italy. It marked the end of the Venetian Republic. The territories on the left bank of the Rhine (Austrian Flanders) are ceded to France. In January Beethoven takes part in a concert of his cousins Andreas and Bernhard Romberg, one a violin virtuoso, the other a cellist, then in Vienna. On April 6 the first performance of the Quintet for piano and winds Op. 16. The Dances WoO 7 and WoO 8 are again publicly performed. In summer, serious illness (typhus?). On December 23 performance of the Variations for oboe and English horn on “Là ci darem la mano” WoO 28. – Compositions: Piano Sonatas Op. 49 No. 1 and Op. 7; Piano Sonata for four hands Op. 6; Serenade Op. 8; Quintet for piano and winds Op. 16 [begun in 1796]. – Publications: Cello Sonatas Op. 5; Adelaide Op. 46; Piano Sonata Op. 7; Serenade Op. 8; Piano Sonata for four hands Op. 6. – Cherubini, Médée, Paris (Vienna in 1802). – Haydn, Six String Quartets Op. 76. – Gaetano Donizetti is born in Bergamo, November 29.
1798 – Beethoven begins to use sketchbooks, whereas previously he had used loose sheets. He meets General Bernadotte, French ambassador who arrived in Vienna on February 5. First symptoms of deafness. Performs with Schuppanzigh a Violin Sonata (one of Op. 12?). Takes part in a contest at a villa in Schönbrunn with the Salzburg virtuoso pianist Wölffl. In September–October revises the Second Piano Concerto Op. 19. In October visits Prague, where he performs the first two Piano Concertos. On October 27 he plays in a concert in Vienna. At the publishers Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig appears, by Friedrich Rochlitz, the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung, which will henceforth follow European musical life. – Compositions: Piano Sonata Op. 10 [begun earlier]; String Trios Op. 9; Clarinet Trio Op. 11; Violin Sonatas Op. 12; Piano Sonatas Op. 14 No. 1 and Op. 13 (Pathétique). Begins work on the String Quartets Op. 18 and the Septet Op. 20. – Publications: String Trios Op. 9; Violin Sonatas Op. 12; Variations for piano and cello on a theme from The Magic Flute Op. 66; Piano Sonatas Op. 10; Piano and wind Trio Op. 11.
1799 – Napoleon becomes First Consul. Dragonetti visits Vienna and perhaps meets Beethoven. Beethoven begins studies with Salieri. J. B. Cramer visits Vienna and meets Beethoven, with whom he will remain bound by great esteem. Begins to compose the First Symphony. Countess Brunsvick with her daughters Therese and Josephine visit Beethoven, who gives them piano lessons. – Compositions: String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1, first version, and intense work on the whole Op. 18; Piano Variations on the theme “La stessa, la stessissima” from Salieri’s Falstaff WoO 73; begins the First Symphony. – Publications: Piano Variations on the theme “La stessa, la stessissima” from Salieri’s Falstaff WoO 73; Piano Sonata Op. 13; Piano Sonatas Op. 14. – Haydn, Die Schöpfung (The Creation). – Méhul, Ariodant, Paris (Vienna in 1804).
1800 – Beethoven begins sketches for the Third Piano Concerto. First benefit concert for Beethoven, in Vienna, at the Burgtheater, April 2. At this concert are presented, in first performance, the Septet Op. 20 and the First Symphony, together with a Piano Concerto by Beethoven (the First?) and works of Mozart and Haydn. Beethoven also improvises. On April 18, first performance of the Sonata for Horn and Piano Op. 17, newly composed for the horn player Johann Stich (Giovanni Punto). On May 7 Beethoven and Stich play again together in a concert at Budapest. He is invited to the residence of the Brunsvik family at Martonvásár in Hungary. Prince Lichnowsky grants him a stipend of 600 florins annually. – Compositions: Sonata for Horn and Piano Op. 17; Septet Op. 20; First Symphony Op. 21; Violin Sonata Op. 23; begins work on the Second Symphony. – Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg), Hymnen an die Nacht. – Cherubini, Les deux journées ou Le porteur d’eau, Paris (Vienna in 1802).
1801 – The Franco-Austrian war ends, after Napoleon’s victories at Marengo and Hohenlinden, with the Peace of Lunéville. France extends its dominion to the Rhine. Concordat between France and the Pope. Beethoven and Stich, on January 30, again perform the Horn Sonata Op. 17 at a benefit concert. In January Beethoven is requested to compose the music for the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus, by Viganò, first performed on March 28 (and repeated thirteen times in 1801 and nine in 1802). On June 29 and July 1 he writes the famous letters to Wegeler [A.51 and 54] and to Amenda [A.23], announcing his deafness. In June Stephan von Breuning settles in Vienna: the old friendship is renewed. In October Ferdinand Ries arrives in Vienna, immediately enters into contact with Beethoven, and becomes his pupil. Carl Czerny becomes Beethoven’s piano pupil. Love for Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom he gives piano lessons and dedicates the Sonata Op. 27 No. 2, Moonlight. – Compositions: The Creatures of Prometheus Op. 43; Piano Sonatas Op. 26, Op. 27 Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 28; Quintet Op. 29; Serenade Op. 25; Violin Romance Op. 40; Gellert Lieder Op. 48. – Publications: Piano Concertos Op. 15 and Op. 19; Horn Sonata Op. 17; Quintet Op. 16; String Quartets Op. 18; Violin Sonatas Op. 23 and 24; First Symphony Op. 21. – Haydn, The Seasons. – Vincenzo Bellini is born in Catania, November 1.
1802 – Anton Reicha arrives in Vienna and renews his old friendship with Beethoven. Around February he completes the Second Symphony. On October 6 and 10, at Heiligenstadt, where he has spent the summer in the hope of improving his hearing, he writes the “Testament.” In November erupts the polemic between Artaria and Beethoven over the publication of the Quintet Op. 29, which Beethoven had ceded to Breitkopf & Härtel. – Compositions: Vocal Trio Tremate, empi, tremate Op. 116; Violin Sonatas Op. 30; Piano Sonatas Op. 31; Bagatelles Op. 33; Piano Variations Op. 34 and Op. 35 (Eroica Variations). – Publications: Piano Sonatas Op. 22, 26, 27 Nos. 1 and 2, and 28; Serenade Op. 25; Septet Op. 20; Quintet Op. 29. – Cherubini’s Lodoïska and Les deux journées ou Le porteur d’eau are performed for the first time in Vienna, with great success.
1803 – Resolution of the Deputation of the States of the Empire: secularization of almost all German ecclesiastical principalities and loss of independence for more than a thousand secular principalities. In January Beethoven is appointed composer at the Theater an der Wien, where he takes lodging. On April 5, benefit concert at the Theater an der Wien, with the first performance of the Second Symphony, the Third Piano Concerto, and Christ on the Mount of Olives; the First Symphony is also repeated. Beethoven’s gain is about 1,800 florins. On May 24, concert of the violinist George Bridgetower, in which Beethoven performs with him the Kreutzer Sonata Op. 47, just finished. The concert had been postponed from May 22 to May 24 precisely because the Sonata was not yet completed. In August, the piano maker Sébastien Erard sends Beethoven a new piano as a gift, with extension up to the fourth C. The instrument still exists. First contacts with the Scottish publisher George Thomson. – Compositions: Completes the Third Piano Concerto Op. 37 and the Kreutzer Sonata Op. 47; Oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives Op. 85; Third Symphony Eroica Op. 55; Three Marches for piano four hands Op. 45; Piano Sonata Op. 53 (Waldstein or Aurora); Andante favori WoO 57. Begins work on the opera Vestas Feuer, on a libretto by Schikaneder, later abandoned. – Publications: Piano Sonatas Op. 31 Nos. 1 and 2; Violin Sonatas Op. 30; Bagatelles Op. 33; Eroica Variations Op. 35; Gellert Lieder Op. 48. – Kotzebue, Die deutschen Provinzialen. – Hector Berlioz is born in Grenoble, December 11.
1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French, with a great ceremony in Notre Dame, Paris, in the presence of the Pope. Beethoven begins work on the Fifth Symphony, the Fourth Piano Concerto, and Fidelio. Discord with Stephan von Breuning, with whom he had shared lodging; reconciliation a few months later. In April his contract with the Theater an der Wien ends, but is renewed a few months later. New performance of the Oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives. On July 19 Beethoven directs a concert in which Ries plays the Third Piano Concerto. In October he strengthens his friendship with the Brunsvik sisters; piano lessons to Josephine. Clementi arrives in Vienna, among other reasons to meet Beethoven, but the encounter is not immediate, apparently owing to his brother Karl. – Compositions: Triple Concerto for piano, violin, and cello Op. 56; Piano Sonata Op. 54; Lied An die Hoffnung Op. 32. Begins work on Fidelio. – Publications: Second Symphony; Marches Op. 45; Piano Sonata Op. 31 No. 3. – Jean Paul [Johann Paul Friedrich Richter], Flegeljahre. – Ferdinando Paer, Leonora, ossia l’amore coniugale, Dresden (Vienna in 1809). – Johann Strauss the Elder is born in Vienna, March 14. – Death of Immanuel Kant.
1805 – Victory of Admiral Nelson over the French at the Battle of Trafalgar. Yet Napoleon defeats Austrians and Russians at Austerlitz. Peace of Pressburg (Bratislava): Veneto passes from Austria to the Kingdom of Italy. On November 13 the French armies occupy Vienna and Napoleon establishes his headquarters in the palace of Schönbrunn. On February 13 the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung reviews the Eroica after its first private performance, organized by the banker Würth. After several further rehearsals at the palace of Lobkowitz, the first public performance of the Third Symphony takes place at a benefit concert for Franz Clement, under the direction of the composer, on April 7. In a series of chamber concerts given by Schuppanzigh, some Quartets of Beethoven and the Sextet Op. 71 are performed. In spring he composes the Piano Sonata Op. 57 (Appassionata, begun perhaps the previous year). Towards September he completes the first version of Leonore (Fidelio). In July Beethoven meets, at the house of Sonnleithner, librettist of Fidelio, Cherubini and Vogler. After some prohibitions by the censor, on November 20 the première of Leonore (Fidelio), repeated on the 22nd and 23rd with little success. – Compositions: Piano Sonata Op. 57; completes Leonore. – Publications: Kreutzer Sonata Op. 47; An die Hoffnung Op. 32; Eight Songs Op. 52; Aria Ah! perfido Op. 65; Violin Romance Op. 50; Piano Sonata Op. 53 (Waldstein).
1806 – Francis II renounces the crown of Holy Roman Emperor and becomes Francis I of Austria. Revision of Leonore and performance of this second version on March 29 and April 10. His brother Caspar Carl marries; on September 4 is born his nephew Karl. In September, performance of the Second Symphony during a visit to the castle of Count Oppersdorf, near Ober-Glogau. On December 23, first performance of the Violin Concerto Op. 61, at a benefit concert for Clement. – Compositions: Fourth Piano Concerto Op. 58 (begun the previous year); String Quartets Op. 59 (Rasumovsky); Violin Concerto Op. 61; Fourth Symphony; Piano Variations WoO 80. – Publications: Piano Sonata Op. 54; Eroica Symphony; Trio Op. 87. – Cherubini, Faniska, first performance in Vienna. – Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn).
1807 – In many concerts Beethoven’s works are performed: Coriolan Overture Op. 62, at Prince Lichnowsky’s; in March, at Lichnowsky’s (or Lobkowitz’s?) the first four Symphonies, arias from Leonore, Fourth Piano Concerto, Coriolan; Mass in C major Op. 86, at Eisenstadt in the Esterházy castle, in September; in autumn begins a series of winter concerts “Of the Lovers of Music,” organized by Häring and later by Clementi, in which are performed Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 4 and the Overtures Prometheus and Coriolan. In April he establishes business relations with Muzio Clementi for the publication of his works in England. In December Beethoven writes to the direction of the Court Opera requesting to be engaged, pledging to compose “at least one opera per year,” with a salary of 2,400 florins, and the receipt of the profits from every third performance of each of such operas. He never received a reply.
Compositions (c. 1807–1808) – Overture for the tragedy Coriolan by H. J. Collins, Op. 62; Mass in C major Op. 86; Leonore Overture No. 1 Op. 138; part of the Fifth Symphony. Publications – Piano Sonata Op. 57; Triple Concerto Op. 56. – Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit. – Méhul, Joseph, Paris (Vienna in 1809). – Spontini, La Vestale, Paris (Vienna in 1810).
1808 – Severe infection in a finger: Beethoven risks losing it. Several concerts with the Master’s music. On April 13 Beethoven directs a charity concert in which are performed the Third Piano Concerto Op. 37, soloist Friedrich Stein, and Coriolan. In May, first public performance of the Triple Concerto Op. 56, at the Augarten Hall. On December 22, benefit concert for Beethoven at the Theater an der Wien, lasting from 6:30 to 10:30 on a freezing evening; program: Sixth Symphony; Aria Ah! perfido Op. 65; Gloria from the Mass in C major Op. 86; Fourth Piano Concerto; piano improvisation by Beethoven (with ideas later incorporated into Op. 77?); Choral Fantasy Op. 80. On December 23, in a concert repeating Haydn’s oratorio The Return of Tobias, a Piano Concerto of Beethoven is also performed (but which one?). In October Beethoven is invited to move to Kassel as Kapellmeister to Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia. – Compositions: Lied Sehnsucht (from Goethe) WoO 134; Sixth Symphony (Pastoral); Trios Op. 70 Nos. 1 and 2; Choral Fantasy for piano, chorus, and orchestra Op. 80 (completed in 1809). – Publications: Quartets Op. 59; Coriolan Overture; Fourth Piano Concerto Op. 58; Violin Concerto Op. 61; Fourth Symphony. – Goethe, Faust – Part One. – Francisco Goya, El Gigante. – Caspar David Friedrich, Monk by the Sea.
1809 – War between Austria and France. May 10–12 Vienna is besieged, bombarded, and conquered by the French. On February 26 Archduke Rudolph and Princes Kinsky and Lobkowitz sign an agreement assuring Beethoven an annual pension of 4,000 florins, provided he remain in Vienna, free of obligations and free to compose only what he wishes. Beethoven renounces moving to Kassel. In May the imperial family leaves Vienna; Beethoven begins to compose the Sonata Les adieux Op. 81a. On March 5, first public performance of the Cello Sonata Op. 69, played by Nikolaus Kraft and Baroness Ertmann. – Compositions: Fifth Piano Concerto Op. 73; Piano Sonata Op. 81a; String Quartet Op. 74; Piano Variations Op. 76; Piano Fantasy Op. 77; Piano Sonatas Op. 78 and 79; Lieder Op. 75, Op. 82, WoO 136–139. – Publications: Cello Sonata Op. 69; Fifth Symphony; Sixth Symphony (Pastoral); Piano Trios Op. 70 Nos. 1 and 2. – Goethe, Elective Affinities. – Joseph Weigl, Die Schweizerfamilie, Vienna. – Spontini, Fernando Cortez, Paris (Vienna in 1812). – Franz Joseph Haydn dies May 31. – Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy is born in Hamburg, February 3.
1810 – In January, after the withdrawal of French troops, the royal family returns to Vienna. Beethoven entertains matrimonial projects with Therese Malfatti. He forms friendship with the Brentano family. In June, first performance of the incidental music for Egmont. In August, performance of the Marches WoO 18 and 19 at the festivities for the Empress’s birthday. – Compositions: Incidental music for Egmont Op. 84; March WoO 19; String Quartet Op. 95; Three Lieder on texts of Goethe Op. 83; Für Elise WoO 59; arrangements of folk songs for Thomson. – Publications: Sextet Op. 71; Piano Variations Op. 76; Lieder Op. 75; Piano Fantasy Op. 77; Piano Sonatas Op. 78 and 79; String Quartet Op. 74; Choral Fantasy Op. 80; Fifth Piano Concerto Op. 73; Egmont Overture Op. 84. – Germaine de Staël, De l’Allemagne. – Zacharias Werner, Wanda, Queen of the Sarmatians. – Robert Schumann is born in Zwickau, June 8. – Carl Otto Nicolai is born in Königsberg, June 9.
1811 – Bankruptcy of the Austrian state decimates Beethoven’s life pension: the 4,000 florins are worth about 1,600. Moreover, Lobkowitz suspended payment for years and Kinsky died in 1812; time and legal battles with the heirs were required to obtain it. But Archduke Rudolph increased his share to compensate for the devaluation. Towards the end of the year begins Beethoven’s affectionate bond with Antonie Brentano. – Compositions: Archduke Trio Op. 97 (begun earlier and then reworked); King Stephen Op. 117; The Ruins of Athens Op. 113; Lied An die Geliebte WoO 140. – Publications: Piano Sonata Op. 81a (Les Adieux); Arias Op. 82; Three Lieder on texts of Goethe Op. 83; Oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives Op. 85. – Friedrich de La Motte-Fouqué, Undine. – Ambroise C. L. Thomas is born in Metz, August 5. – Franz Liszt is born in Raiding, October 22.
1812 – Napoleon’s Russian campaign. In February, first performances of King Stephen Op. 117 and The Ruins of Athens Op. 113, at Pest. First Viennese performance of the Fifth Piano Concerto Op. 73, with Carl Czerny as soloist. In May, performances of Prometheus and the Fifth Symphony, directed by Schuppanzigh, at the Augarten. On August 6 Beethoven and Polledro give a concert at Karlsbad in aid of the town of Baden, destroyed by fire. In December, at the Lobkowitz palace, performance of the Violin Sonata Op. 96, written for the violinist Rode, with the Archduke at the piano. In July–August Beethoven is in Prague, Teplitz, Karlsbad, Franzensbad. Letter and love story with the “Immortal Beloved.” Meeting with Goethe. In October Beethoven is in Linz to oppose the relationship of his brother Johann with Therese Obermeyer (whom he later marries). In November, after the definitive departure of the Brentano family from Vienna, Beethoven begins his Tagebuch (Diary). – Compositions: Piano Trio WoO 39; Three Equali for trombones WoO 30; Violin Sonata Op. 96; Seventh Symphony Op. 92 (begun in 1811); Eighth Symphony Op. 93. – Publications: Incidental music for Egmont Op. 84; Mass in C major Op. 86. – Schubert, Klagenlied. – Friedrich von Flotow is born at Teutendorf, April 22.
1813 – Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Leipzig. Several works of Beethoven are performed. On March 26, a March for Küffner’s tragedy Tarpeja, repeated together with the Fifth Symphony in May, in a concert directed by Schuppanzigh at the Augarten. The oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives is revived by Varena at Graz. On December 8, at a charity concert, the première of Wellington’s Victory, or the Battle of Vittoria Op. 91, with great success, repeated on December 12. Friendship with Mälzel. Foundation in London of the Philharmonic Society. – Compositions: Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op. 112; Wellington’s Victory, or the Battle of Vittoria Op. 91. – Rossini, Tancredi and L’Italiana in Algeri, Venice (Vienna in 1816 and 1817). – Richard Wagner is born in Leipzig, May 22. – Giuseppe Verdi is born at Roncole di Busseto (Parma), October 10.
1814 – The Congress of Vienna begins (November 1, 1814 – June 9, 1815), which, after the collapse of Napoleon, will give a new political order to Europe. Still many concerts with Beethoven’s music. On January 2 revival of Wellington’s Victory and part of The Ruins of Athens. On February 27, benefit concert for Beethoven with the Seventh Symphony, Wellington’s Victory, the first performance of the vocal trio Tremate, empi, tremate Op. 116, and the Eighth Symphony. On March 25 Beethoven conducts at a charity concert the Egmont Overture and Wellington’s Victory. On April 11 Beethoven plays, in the first performance of the Archduke Trio Op. 97, with Schuppanzigh. On the same day Treitschke’s Singspiel Die gute Nachricht, written to celebrate Napoleon’s defeat, is performed: Beethoven had contributed the finale Germania WoO 94. On May 23 Fidelio is revived after its latest revisions. And, also in May, Beethoven again plays the Archduke Trio at one of Schuppanzigh’s morning concerts: it will be Beethoven’s last public performance. On June 24 the cantata Un lieto brindisi WoO 103, written in honor of Dr. G. Malfatti, is performed. On November 29 Beethoven gives a concert attended by many heads of state, repeated on December 2 and 25, with the Seventh Symphony, Wellington’s Victory, and the first performance of the cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick (The Glorious Moment) Op. 136. In a police report one reads: “Yesterday’s event did not contribute to increasing enthusiasm for the talent of this composer, who has his supporters and his opponents. Against the party of his supporters, led by Rasumovsky, Apponyi, Kraft and others, an enormous majority of connoisseurs absolutely refused to continue listening to his works.” Apogee of Beethoven’s celebrity.
– Compositions: Revision of Fidelio; Cantata Un lieto brindisi WoO 113; Elegischer Gesang Op. 118; Piano Sonata Op. 90; Cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick Op. 136; Polonaise for piano Op. 89. – Publications: Thomson publishes the first volume of Beethoven’s arrangements of Scottish folk songs.
– Walter Scott, Waverley. – Schubert, Gretchen am Spinnrade, October 19.
1815 – Napoleon, having escaped from Elba, regains power, but is defeated at Waterloo. Russia, Austria, and Prussia form the Holy Alliance, to give mutual aid and maintain the order established by the Congress of Vienna. Lombardy-Venetia is restored to Austria. Still many concerts with Beethoven’s music. On January 25, in a concert in honor of the Empress of Russia, Beethoven accompanies F. Wild in Adelaide. Wellington’s Victory is performed in London on February 10 and 13. On July 15, first performance of Treitschke’s Singspiel Die Ehrenpforten, to which Beethoven contributed the finale Es ist vollbracht WoO 97, with two repetitions on July 16 and 23. On December 25 Beethoven takes part in a charity concert in the Redoutensaal, which includes the first performance of Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op. 112 and the Namensfeier Overture Op. 115, together with a revival of Christ on the Mount of Olives. On December 3 had taken place the first concert of the Vienna Society of Friends of Music, which from 1816 would include Beethoven’s Symphonies in its repertory. In June meeting with Charles Neate. Beethoven receives honorary citizenship of Vienna. On November 14, his brother Carl, almost moribund, retracts a will expressed on April 12, 1813, and entrusts the guardianship of his son Karl jointly to his wife Johanna and to Beethoven. Beethoven succeeds in having Johanna’s name removed. But in a codicil, added in the Master’s absence under his wife’s pressure, Carl renames her co-guardian and reassigns the boy to her. From this arises the long legal battle in which Beethoven will be victorious only in 1820. On November 15 Caspar Carl dies. – Compositions: Namensfeier Overture Op. 115; Incidental music for Leonore Prohaska WoO 96; Finale Es ist vollbracht WoO 97; Cello Sonatas Op. 102 Nos. 1 and 2. – Publications: Piano Sonata Op. 90. – Amadeus Wendt, Reflections on Recent Music and on Beethoven’s Music, especially Fidelio, in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung. – Schubert, Erlkönig, October–November.
1816 – Schuppanzigh and Linke, leaving Vienna after the dissolution of the Rasumovsky Quartet, give, on February 11 and 18, two farewell concerts with Beethoven’s music: Rasumovsky Quartet Op. 59 No. 3, Quintet Op. 16, and Septet Op. 20 in Schuppanzigh’s concert; the Cello Sonata Op. 69 and a “new piano sonata” (either the Piano Sonata Op. 90 or one of the Cello Sonatas Op. 102?) were performed in Linke’s concert. On December 15 Prince Lobkowitz dies. – Compositions: Farewell Canons for Neate, who departs for London, WoO 168; An die ferne Geliebte Op. 98; arrangement of 18 folk songs; Piano Sonata Op. 101. – Publications: Wellington’s Victory Op. 91; Lied An die Hoffnung Op. 94; Violin Sonata Op. 96; String Quartet Op. 95; Archduke Trio Op. 97; Lieder An die ferne Geliebte Op. 98; Seventh Symphony. – Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rome (Vienna 1819). – Rossini, Otello, Naples (Vienna 1819). – Cherubini, Requiem in C minor. – E. T. A. Hoffmann, Undine (Berlin). – Louis Spohr, Faust, Prague (Vienna 1818). Spohr was conductor at the Theater an der Wien from 1812 to 1818. – Schubert, Der Wanderer, October. – Schubert, Symphony No. 4 in C minor, “Tragic,” April.
1817 – A year not very favorable for Beethoven, who, owing to devaluation, sees the value of his pension greatly reduced. Pulmonary troubles begun in 1816 persist. Yet it is also the year in which he receives the offer from the Philharmonic Society of London to write two new symphonies, with an honorarium of 300 guineas. To September are dated some sketches for the Ninth Symphony. The Broadwood firm of London donates to Beethoven the famous piano, with six octaves of extension, which was in his house at his death and is still preserved today. He begins the composition of the Piano Sonata Op. 106: a year had passed without his having written any important work. On December 25 Beethoven conducts the Eighth Symphony at a charity concert.
– Grillparzer, Die Ahnfrau (The Ancestress). – Clementi, Gradus ad Parnassum. – Schubert, Lied Der Tod und das Mädchen, February.
– Compositions: Lied Gesang der Mönche WoO 104; String Quintet Op. 104; Fugue in D major for string quintet Op. 137. – Publications: Cello Sonatas Op. 102; Eighth Symphony.
1818 – In February Beethoven begins to keep the Conversation Books: they reached about four hundred, but two-thirds were destroyed by Schindler. During the year he ceases to keep the Tagebuch. Invention of the metronome by Mälzel, according to which the tempi of the Symphonies from the First to the Eighth were fixed, greeted with enthusiasm by Beethoven. Yet he distinguishes between indications of tempo, which he would replace with metronome numbers, and indications of character, which he would preserve. He wrote: “We gladly set aside the measures of time; another matter are the terms that indicate the character of the piece, for we cannot renounce them, since tempo is rather the body, whereas they refer to the spirit of the piece.” The legal battle for the guardianship of his nephew Karl is rekindled by appeals of the mother; meanwhile Karl has moved to live with his uncle. But the cohabitation is anything but easy. Karl flees to return to his mother. Beethoven, before the court of justice of the nobles, cannot prove noble birth, and the case is transferred to another tribunal. Sketches for the first movement of the Ninth Symphony. – Compositions: Theme O Hoffnung WoO 200, for a series of variations by Archduke Rudolph; Piano Sonata Hammerklavier Op. 106; Piano Variations for flute or violin Op. 105 and 107. – Publications: 25 Scottish Songs Op. 108. – Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation. – Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa. – Loewe, Erlkönig (ballad for voice and piano on Goethe’s text). – Charles Gounod is born in Paris, June 17.
1819 – Kotzebue, suspected of being a Russian spy, is assassinated. Intensification of censorship and surveillance of public life by the police. Beethoven, who tended to make drastic statements against the Emperor in public, is tolerated as an eccentric. The guardianship of his nephew is taken from Beethoven and returned to the mother. Beethoven appeals, but in vain. He begins work on the Missa Solemnis in D major Op. 123, completed in 1823, published in 1827. It was destined for the installation ceremony of Archduke Rudolph as Archbishop of Olmütz, to whom he writes: “All these misfortunes have again worsened my physical condition to the point that I can devote only a few hours a day to my art, which is for me the most precious of heaven’s gifts.” Beginning of the composition of the Diabelli Variations Op. 120. In January Beethoven conducts at a charity concert the Prometheus Overture and the Seventh Symphony. – Compositions: Hochzeitslied WoO 105. – Publications: String Quintet Op. 104; Variations for flute or violin and piano Op. 105 and 107; Piano Sonata Hammerklavier Op. 106. – Goethe, West-östlicher Divan. – E. T. A. Hoffmann, Die Serapionbrüder (containing a reprint of the review of the Fifth Symphony). – Schubert, Quintet in A major, The Trout, autumn. – Clara Wieck Schumann is born in Leipzig.
1820 – On April 8 Beethoven regains guardianship of his nephew: definitive sentence; a petition of Johanna to the Emperor later had negative outcome. He continues work on the Missa Solemnis and begins other works. Deliberations in Vienna contrary to the promise of 1815 of a Constitution. Foundation in Vienna of the Concerts Spirituels by Franz Xaver Gebauer, who often included Beethoven’s works in his programs. – Compositions: Abendlied WoO 150; Piano Sonata Op. 109. – Marschner, Heinrich IV und d’Aubigné. – Meyerbeer, Emma von Leicester, Vienna, Theater an der Wien, February 1. – Schubert, Die Zauberharfe, Vienna, Theater an der Wien, August 19. – Schubert, Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished.”
1821 – Beginning of the Greek War of Independence against the Turks, lasting until 1829. Beethoven’s health is poor, with rheumatic fevers and jaundice. He begins the composition of the Piano Sonata Op. 111. – Compositions: Bagatelles Op. 119 [Nos. 7–11]; Canon O Tobias! WoO 182; Piano Sonata Op. 110; Missa Solemnis Op. 123. – Publications: Piano Sonata Op. 109. – Weber, Der Freischütz, Berlin and Vienna.
1822 – Poor health. Nevertheless he works on the Ninth Symphony and resumes the Diabelli Variations. Alongside other compositions he begins work on the String Quartet Op. 127 (Prince Galitzin of St. Petersburg had commissioned “one, two, or three new quartets”). Performances of The Consecration of the House Op. 124; Gratulation Menuett WoO 3; Opferlied Op. 122. On November 3 Fidelio is revived at the Kärntnertortheater. Visit of Schubert [doubtful!] and of Rossini. – Compositions: Piano Sonata Op. 111; Chorus Wo sich die Pulse WoO 98 and Overture Op. 124 for The Consecration of the House; Gratulation Menuett WoO 3; Bagatelles Op. 119 [Nos. 1–6]; Lieder Opferlied Op. 121b, Der Kuss Op. 128, Bundeslied Op. 122. – Publications: Fidelio Overture; Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op. 112; Piano Sonata Op. 110; Gratulation Menuett WoO 3; Piano version of the Chorus Op. 114, for The Consecration of the House. – Grillparzer, The Golden Fleece. – Schubert, Variations for two pianos Op. 10, dedicated to Beethoven. – César Franck is born in Liège, December 10.
1823 – The idea arises of publishing the Missa Solemnis by subscription. Beethoven, full of debts, decides to sell one of his bank shares to avoid legal disputes with the publisher Steiner. He names his nephew Karl his universal heir. In April Weber brings Fidelio to success in Dresden. Projects for a new opera are not realized. On April 13 the eleven-year-old Liszt performs in Vienna at a concert at which Beethoven [probably not] was present. He begins the actual work on the Ninth Symphony. Schuppanzigh, returned from Russia, resumes quartet concerts with Holz, Weiss, and Linke. Visits of Weber and Liszt.
– Compositions: Cantata Lobkowitz WoO 106; Canon Falstafferl, fatti vedere WoO 184; Diabelli Variations Op. 120 [resumed and completed]. – Publications: Overture for The Ruins of Athens; Piano Sonata Op. 111; Bagatelles Op. 119 [Nos. 1–6]; Diabelli Variations Op. 120.
– Stendhal, Vie de Rossini. – Schubert, Song Cycle Die schöne Müllerin; Du bist die Ruh. – Schubert, Rosamunde, Vienna, Theater an der Wien, December 20. – Weber, Euryanthe, Vienna.
1824 – The Ninth Symphony is completed; a copy is sent to the Philharmonic Society of London in April. The Ninth is performed on May 7 in Vienna, at the Theater an der Wien, in a concert which also includes the Overture The Consecration of the House Op. 124, the Kyrie, Credo, and Agnus Dei of the Missa Solemnis, with great success. The concert is repeated on May 23, but with little audience. Discord and separation between Schindler and Beethoven. On April 7 Prince Galitzin, who had subscribed for the printing of the Missa Solemnis, has it performed, in première, at St. Petersburg. In December end the composition lessons for Archduke Rudolph. Work on the Quartets Op. 127 and 132. – Compositions: Ninth Symphony Op. 125; Bagatelles Op. 126. – Publications: Variations for Piano Trio Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu Op. 121a. – Adolf Bernard Marx, Etwas über die Symphonie und Beethovens Leistungen in diesem Fache, in the Berliner Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. – Schubert, String Quartet Der Tod und das Mädchen (1824–1826). – Loewe, Walpurgisnacht, ballad for voice and piano. – Variations on a Waltz of Diabelli (theme used by Beethoven in Op. 120) by fifty different composers. – Bedřich Smetana is born in Litomyšl (Prague).
1825 – Salieri dies in a psychiatric hospice. Beethoven writes to Bernhard Schott, January 22 [A.1345], concerning the project of an opera omnia of his works: “You should think of it once for all, for it is better if it be done now by me than after my death.” Beethoven suffers from a grave intestinal affection which greatly reduces his energies. Work on the last String Quartets, Op. 127 and 132. In October, returning from Baden, Beethoven lodges at the Schwarzspanierhaus, his last dwelling. On March 6 first performance of the Quartet Op. 127 by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. On March 21 first performance of the Ninth Symphony in London, conducted by Sir George Smart: the Choral was sung in Italian! In September first rehearsals and private performances of the Quartet Op. 132, whose first public performance will take place on November 6 in a benefit concert for Linke. – Compositions: Quartets Op. 127, 132, and 130; Canons WoO 189, WoO 191, WoO 192. – Publications: Namensfeier Overture Op. 115; Bagatelles Op. 126; Lied Der Kuss Op. 128; Cantata Opferlied Op. 121b; Bundeslied Op. 122; Consecration of the House Overture Op. 124. – Schubert, Die junge Nonne.
1826 – In August attempted suicide of his nephew Karl. Beethoven suffers from visual and intestinal disorders, which towards the end of the year worsen with ascites and jaundice. In October–November stay at Gneixendorf with his brother. On returning to Vienna his health worsens. On December 14 he receives as a gift from Stumpff the Opera Omnia of Handel. On December 20 the first paracentesis is performed to drain the abdominal effusion. On March 21 first performance of the Quartet Op. 130, with the Grosse Fuge (later Op. 133) as Finale, by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. In November Beethoven begins a new Quintet WoO 62, which remains unfinished. – Compositions: String Quartet Op. 130, with the Grosse Fuge as Finale; String Quartet Op. 135; Arrangement for piano four hands of the Grosse Fuge [from Op. 130, later published separately as Op. 133] Op. 134; New Finale for Quartet Op. 130; Canon Wir irren allesamt WoO 198 [last complete work of Beethoven]. – Publications: Vocal Trio Tremate, empi, tremate Op. 116; Quartet Op. 127; Overture König Stephan Op. 117; Elegischer Gesang Op. 118; Ninth Symphony Op. 125. – James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans. – Schubert, Sonata-Fantasia in G major. – Mendelssohn, Overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream [first performance February 20, 1827 at Stettin]. – Weber, Oberon.
1827 – The Master’s condition worsens further. More paracenteses are necessary. His suffering is alleviated by frequent visits of the young Gerhard von Breuning. In the last months he no longer has strength even to write. The Philharmonic Society of London sends Beethoven 100 pounds. On March 26, during or immediately after a violent storm with thunder and snow, at about 5:45 p.m., Beethoven dies. On March 29 Beethoven’s funeral: an extraordinary event attended by about 20,000 people. The funeral oration, written by Grillparzer, was read by the actor H. Anschütz. In November, auction of Beethoven’s possessions (scores, autographs, and writings). – Publications: Missa Solemnis Op. 123; Quartet Op. 130; Grosse Fuge Op. 133 and in the four-hand reduction Op. 134; Quartets Op. 131, Op. 132, and Op. 135. – Schubert, Winterreise, February–October.