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
Johann’s wife had assigned Michael Krenn, son of one of her husband’s
vinedressers, to look after Beethoven’s wants. At first the cook had to
make up Beethoven’s bed. One day, while the woman was thus occupied,
Beethoven sat at a table gesticulating with his hands, beating time
with his feet, muttering and singing. The woman burst into a laugh,
which Beethoven observed. He drove her out of the room instanter.
Krenn tried to follow her, but Beethoven drew him back, gave him three
20-kreutzer pieces, told him not to be afraid, and said that hereafter
he should make the bed and clean the floor every day. Krenn said that
he was told to come to the room early, but generally had to knock a
long time before Beethoven opened the door. It was Beethoven’s custom
to get up at half-past 5 o’clock, seat himself at a table and write
while he beat time with hands and feet and sang. This frequently
stirred Krenn’s risibles, and when he could no longer restrain his
laughter he used to leave the room. Gradually he grew accustomed to
it. The family breakfast was eaten at half-past 7 o’clock, after which
Beethoven hurried out into the open air, rambled across the fields
shouting and waving his arms, sometimes walking very rapidly, sometimes
very slowly and stopping at times to write in a sort of pocketbook.
This book he once lost and said: “Michael, run about and hunt my
writings; I must have them again at any cost.” Michael luckily found
them. At half-past 12 Beethoven would come home for dinner, after which
he went to his room until about 3 o’clock; then he roamed over the
fields until shortly before sunset, after which he never went out of
doors. Supper was at half-past 7, and after eating he went to his room,
wrote till 10 o’clock and then went to bed. Occasionally Beethoven
played the pianoforte, which did not stand in his room but in the
salon. Nobody was permitted to enter his rooms except Michael, who had
to put them in order while Beethoven was out walking. In doing so he
several times found money on the floor, and when he carried it to its
owner, Beethoven made him show him where he had picked it up and then
gave it to him. This happened three or four times, after which no more
money was found. In the evening Michael had to sit with Beethoven and
write down answers to questions which he asked. Generally Beethoven
wanted to know what had been said about him at dinner and supper.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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