The Beethoven teaser

[Peter]

1) The invitation from this lady sadly arrives much too late to prevent an axe grinding experience. Answered by Michael in PM: Marie leopoldine Pachler-Koschak wrote to Beethoven in 1825 inviting him to stay at Graz - the letter arrived a year late and he regretted he hadn't gone there instead of Gneixendorf - his brother's home.

2) A sonata has tragic consequences, revealed in a confession. Answered by Michael : Kreutzer sonata

3) Because of pride she won't sing this song! Answered by Michael: Anna Milder-Hauptmann and 'Ah, perfido!'

4) A final effort at the keyboard is rather a trifling matter. Answered by Michael: Op.126

5) Florestan has to go. Answered by Chris: Beethoven was disatisfied with the tenor Joseph Demmer and replaced him in the 1806 revival of Leonore with Joseph Röckel

6) The last movement performed in a central location. Answered by Michael: 1888 exhumation and moving of Beethoven's coffin to the Zentral friedhof in Vienna.

[Chris]

4) A final effort at the keyboard is rather a trifling matter.

This could be a number of things, but I'll guess the small unfinished draft known as Biamonti 849, supposedly the final notes written by Beethoven.

5) Florestan has to go.

I'll guess Friedrich Christian Demmer. He took the role of Florestan in the premier performance of Fidelio on November 20, 1805. The second version premiered on March 29, 1806, with the same cast, except Demmer was replaced by Joseph August Röckel as Florestan.

[Michael]

Re 4, didn't Beethoven call his Op 126 Bagatelles "trifles"?

2 suggests the "Kreutzer Sonata" which had a tragic outcome in Tolstoy's short novel. (Which I've never read, I'm ashamed to say.)




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[Chris]

2 suggests the "Kreutzer Sonata" which had a tragic outcome in Tolstoy's short novel. (Which I've never read, I'm ashamed to say.)

I think you're right, Michael, since Tolstoy also wrote a short work called A Confession. This part of the clue would seem to lead us to Tolstoy.

[Michael]

I think you're right, Michael, since Tolstoy also wrote a short work called A Confession. This part of the clue would seem to lead us to Tolstoy.

Maybe - but Peter is getting very devious.

No. 6 might be Opus 111 which ends with a slow movement (which is usually central) ???

5 might refer to the prison toilet facilities.



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[Peter]

This could be a number of things, but I'll guess the small unfinished draft known as Biamonti 849, supposedly the final notes written by Beethoven.



I'll guess Friedrich Christian Demmer. He took the role of Florestan in the premier performance of Fidelio on November 20, 1805. The second version premiered on March 29, 1806, with the same cast, except Demmer was replaced by Joseph August Röckel as Florestan.

No.5 correct Chris.

[Peter]

Re 4, didn't Beethoven call his Op 126 Bagatelles "trifles"?

2 suggests the "Kreutzer Sonata" which had a tragic outcome in Tolstoy's short novel. (Which I've never read, I'm ashamed to say.)




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Both correct Michael - bagatelle itself means trifle.

[Peter]

I think you're right, Michael, since Tolstoy also wrote a short work called A Confession. This part of the clue would seem to lead us to Tolstoy.

Yes, but the confession was nothing to do with Tolstoy's personal confession which is in itself quite fascinating. The confession part of the clue refers to Pozdnyshev confessing on a train that he has murdered his wife.

[Michael]

I'm wondering if No. 6 refers to the last movement of Beethoven's bones to the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna.

[Peter]

I'm wondering if No. 6 refers to the last movement of Beethoven's bones to the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna.

It does indeed Michael!

[Peter]

As we seem to have come ta halt on the remaining two, here are some clues, no.1 has a reference Beethoven made to a certain place as sounding like an 'axe grinding', but you will need more than just the place!
No.3 contains an anagram but you also the need the name of the singer.

[Michael]

As we seem to have come ta halt on the remaining two, here are some clues, no.1 has a reference Beethoven made to a certain place as sounding like an 'axe grinding', but you will need more than just the place!
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I was considering Gneixendorf a while back but - and maybe it's a translation anomaly - I always thought Beethoven said it sounded like an "axle-tree breaking". I can't find the exact reference - nor the late invitation from a lady.

Oh - was it Eleonore Wegeler?

"Ah Perfido" comes to mind for number 3. Hadn't Beethoven some sort of contretemps with Anna Milder (Hauptmann?)



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[Peter]

I was considering Gneixendorf a while back but - and maybe it's a translation anomaly - I always thought Beethoven said it sounded like an "axle-tree breaking". I can't find the exact reference - nor the late invitation from a lady.

Oh - was it Eleonore Wegeler?

"Ah Perfido" comes to mind for number 3. Hadn't Beethoven some sort of contretemps with Anna Milder (Hauptmann?)



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No.3 is correct. Anna Milder (1785-1838) married in 1810 and was known as Anna Milder-Hauptmann - she later became a champion of Schubert's songs. At the famous concert of Dec 22 1808 she was to have been the soloist in a performance of the aria 'Ah, perfido!' but refused to perform as Beethoven had offended her. Clearly any differences were forgotten as she sang the part of Leonore yet again in the 1814 revival of Fidelio. Beethoven wrote the canon 'Ich kuesse Sie, druecke Sie an mein Herz', Hess 250 for her in 1816.

Gneixendorf is correct and I may well have got the Beethoven quote wrong myself as it was from memory! Eleonore Wegeler isn't the person concerned, though I think she and her husband invited Beethoven to visit them in Bonn. The invitation I'm thinking of was sent in 1825 but arrived a year late, after Beethoven had gone to Gneixendorf and he much regretted he hadn't received that letter earlier as he possibly would have gone there instead - Karl's suicide attempt however may have changed things in any case. The invitation was repeated for the following year, but Beethoven was of course dead by then - a certain Franz Schubert went in his place!

[Peter]

That's the last teaser for while - they do take quite a lot of effort to think up and perhaps I'll do them monthly from now on, though there will be a Christmas special!

[Chris]

Ha, well at least I blocked Michael from a clean sweep

Monthly is probably better. They take a lot of effort to answer too!

But these have been fun. Thanks for your efforts in thinking them up, Peter.