The Life of

Ludwig van Beethoven

By Alexander Wheelock Thayer

Edited, revised and amended from the original
English manuscript and the German editions
of Hermann Deiters and Hugo Riemann, con-
cluded, and all the documents newly translated

Contents of Volume III

CHAPTER I. The Year 1819-Guardianship of Beethoven's

Nephew Karl-Mother and Uncle in a Legal Struggle

The Lad's Education-Conversation Books-A Wed-

ding Song-In Travail with the Mass in D-The

Commission for an Oratorio from the Gesellschaft

der Musikfreunde-Visits from Zelter and Friedrich

Schneider Creative Work of the Year

CHAPTER II. End of the Litigation over the Guardianship of

the Nephew-A Costly Victory-E. T. A. Hoffmann-An

Analytical Programme-Beethoven's Financial Troub-

les-Adagios and English Hymn-Tunes-Stieler's

Portrait-Arrested as a Vagrant-Negotiations for the

Mass in D begun with Simrock-The Last Pianoforte

Sonatas Compositions of the Years 1820 and 1821

CHAPTER III. The Year 1822-The Mass in D-Beethoven

and His Publishers - Simrock-Schlesinger-C. F.

Peters-Phantom Masses-Johann van Beethoven:

His Appearance and Character-Becomes His Brother's

Agent-Meetings with Rochlitz and Rossini-Franz

Schubert-"The Consecration of the House"-Revival

of "Fidelio"- Madame Schroeder-Devrient - The

Bagatelles-A Commission from America

CHAPTER IV. The Year 1823-The Roman Ritual and

the Mass in D-Subscriptions Asked from Royal

Courts-Incidents of the Appeal-Goethe and Cheru-

bini Enlisted as Agents-A Medal from the King of

France Further Negotiations with Publishers and

Societies-Operatic Projects-Consideration of Grill-

parzer's "Melusine"-The Diabelli Variations Summer

Visitors-An Englishman's Story-Weber and Julius

Benedict-Ries and the Ninth Symphony-Franz Liszt

and Beethoven's Kiss

PAGE

1

24

51

89

CHAPTER V. The Year 1824-The Symphony in D

Minor-Its Technical History-The Choral Finale

and Schiller's "Ode to Joy"-First Performance of the

Work and Portions of the Mass-An Address to

Beethoven-Laborious and Protracted Preparations

for the Concert-A Financial Failure-Beethoven's

False Accusations against Friends and Helpers Drive

Them from the Dinner-Table

CHAPTER VI. Incidents and Labors of the Year 1824—A

Truce with the Hated Sister-in-Law-The Gesell-

schaft der Musikfreunde's Oratorio-Bernard's Li-

bretto-The Society Forgives Beethoven His Debt and

Elects Him an Honorary Member-Book of "The

Victory of the Cross"-Summer Sojourn at Penzing

Interrupted by Curious Visitors-The London Phil-

harmonic Society Receives the Symphony in D

Minor Further Negotiations for the Mass-New

Publishers-Probst-Schott and Sons-A Visitor from

London-Beethoven's Opinion of His Predecessors-The

Quartet in E-flat, Op. 127-Trip to England Deter-

mined Upon

144

170

CHAPTER VII. The Year 1825. The Invitation from the

Philharmonic Society of London-The Ninth Symphony

Performed at Aix-la-Chapelle-Mass and Symphony

Delivered to Schott and Sons-Unpleasant Results of an

Attempted Joke on Haslinger-Beethoven and a

Copyist The String Quartet in E-flat Taken Away

from Schuppanzigh after a First Performance-Karl

Holz-Beethoven Authorizes Him to Write the His-

tory of His Life Early Biographers-Visits of Rellstab,

Kuhlau, Smart and Others-Sir George Smart's Recol-

lections Dedication of the Mass in D-Stephan von

Breuning-Wegeler asks Beethoven to Defend the Honor

of His Mother-The Quartets in A Minor and B-flat 186

CHAPTER VIII. A Year of Sickness and Sorrow-The

Last String Quartets-Wolfmayer Commissions a

"Requiem" and Pays in Advance-Many Works in

petto-Controversy with Prince Galitzin and His

Son-The Fugue in the B-flat Quartet -"Muss es

sein?" Dedication of the Ninth Symphony-The King

of Prussia and His Gift of a Dubious Diamond-Abbé