The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume IIIThayer, Alexander Wheelock
History
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume III
Thayer, Alexander Wheelock
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827
A number of incidents in Beethoven’s life may now be passed in hurried
chronological review: On October 1, he was made an honorary member of
the Mercantile Association (_Kaufmännischer Verein_) in Vienna. In the
fall Ferdinand Schimon (1797-1852), who was musician and opera-singer
as well as painter, painted the portrait which afterward came into
the possession of Schindler, and was engraved by Eduard Eichers for
Schindler’s biography.[20] Schimon had obtained permission through
Schindler to set up his easel in the chamber adjoining Beethoven’s
workroom, the composer having resolutely refused a sitting because he
was busy on the _Credo_ of the mass. From this point of vantage he made
his studies and had finished them all but the eyes--the most striking
feature in the portrait. Out of this dilemma Beethoven unconsciously
helped him. He had evidently been impressed with the discretion, or
independence, of the young artist who came without a “good morning” and
went without a “good evening,” and invited him to coffee. Thus Schimon
had ample opportunity to supply the one deficiency in his sketches.
At the end of October, Beethoven returned to Vienna from Mödling,
taking lodging this time at No. 16 Josephstädter Glacis, opposite the
Auersberg Palace and near the Blöchlinger Institute where Karl was
studying. The guardianship matter soon occupied his attention; spells
of indisposition tormented him; and financial distress so threatened
him that he attempted to negotiate a loan from the banker Hennickstein,
and borrowed 750 florins from Steiner.[21] Countess Erdödy was in
Vienna at the end of the year and he sent her a note on December 19,
promising to visit her soon and scratching down a musical phrase which
he afterwards erased to make of it the New Year canon: “Glück, Glück
zum neuen Jahr.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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