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Beethoven's funeral procession leaving the Schwarzspanierhaus where he lived, on the way to the de:Alserkirche:[a] both belonged to the Conventual Minorites.[b][c] Watercolour by Franz Xaver Stöber

Sources and list of attendees

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Contemporary accounts of the funeral and some of the history of the list of attendees:

  1. First account I can find appeared in Der Sammler (Vienna), April 1827.[1]
  2. An abridged version of the funeral and list of mourners appeared in the Harmonicon (London), May 1827,[2] plus letters from Beethoven about the Philharmonic Society's gift of £100.[3]
  3. Published with "corrections" in June 1829 in the intro to Seyfried's arrangement of the 3 Equals nos. 1 & 3 (settings of the Miserere), and No. 2 (the Grillparzer setting, performed at the 1st anniversary, 1828) pub. Haslinger.[4] See also Allgemeine Musikalischer Anzeiger, March 1829, p. 45
  4. An abbreviated account similar to the Seyfried/Haslinger intro appeared in the Harmonicon, 1830 p. 444 plus the music for Nos. 1 & 3. with new English words[5]
  5. Almost the full list appeared in Appendix XI of the 1841 English edition of Schindler's Life of Beethoven with Moscheles' name on the title page, and no mention of Schindler.[6] Schindler was understandably less than happy.[7] A revised German edition appeared soon after. Translated & published in New York, e.g.[8]
  6. A very truncated list appeared in the 1921 Thayer/Krebhiel biography.[9]
  7. The complete list from Der Sammler doesn't seem to have been collated and printed in full until 2000.[10]

Death

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Main article: Death of Beethoven

Realising that Beethoven was dying, Anton Schindler[d] commissioned a poem from the poet Franz Grillparzer, a friend of Schubert.[e] "When Schindler had arrived at my apartment to commission the oration, I was shattered by the news he bore me. I hadn't even known the composer was ill. Scarcely had I begun to work on the second half when Schindler came back on the following day to collect what he had ordered, for Beethoven had died."[11]

Beethoven's publisher Tobias Haslinger, who owned the MS of Beethoven's Three Equals for four trombones, WoO 30, asked Ignaz Seyfried for a chorale based on the music, which resulted in arrangements of Nos. 1 & 3. NB + copy & sources re arrangements from Equales.

Beethoven died on Monday, 26 March 1827, at the Schwarzspanierhaus, (now 15 Schwarzspanierstraße), in the Alsergrund. An autopsy was held the following morning by Dr. Johann Wagner. [12][13] A death mask was made on 28 March, and the body was placed in an oak coffin.[13]

Funeral

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The funeral took place in the afternoon of 29th March 1827. The music was played in accordance with the regulations of the Catholic Church governing the use of music in churches.

"For first-class funerals, the arrival of the clergy will be announced by a short mourning-music (Equale) played on trombones or other wind instruments. This will mark the beginning of the funeral service. After this, the funeral procession will set out, again suitably announced by mourning music by a wind band. During the procession, this shall be played alternately with a three- or four-voice choral Miserere until arrival at the entrance of the church or graveyard, where the benediction of the Requiem aeternam is sung. After the benediction and common prayer, a mourning motet is sung."[14]

These assorted rules were only gathered together the following year with the publication of Kirchenmusik-Ordnung (1828), ('Church music regulations') by Franz Xaver Glöggl, director of music in Linz and its cathedral (Stadt- und Domkapellmeister).[15][f] Glöggl had commissioned some tower music for trombones from Beethoven in Linz in 1812, which has come down to us as the Three Equals for four trombones, WoO 30.[17][18]

The coffin was placed under an awning in the courtyard at the back of the house, which opened onto a park. See map.[19]

  • Zeller
  • Military assistance - barracks
  • Preparations - LvB.s body & coffin
  • Vast crowds - somewhat uncontrollable - perhaps 10,000 (or 20,000?) - approx 10% of the whole population of Vienna (100-200,000) c1825 - check
  • There were so many people that the gate into the courtyard at the rear was closed. See map.
  • Ceremonies began at 3pm.
  • 9 priests - prayers - B. A. Weber chorale by eight singers
  • Coffin brought out to the front of the house. Procession assembled. Full mourning attire - crepe flowers (roses? lilies?). Wax torches.
  • Richly decorated pall - provided by an infantry regiment? - tips or cords held by Kapellmeisters.
  • Some people, like LvB's brother Johann and Breuning only finding their place with difficulty because of the press of onlookers.
  • Procession moved off, with the trombones and choir alternating Nos. 1 & 3 of the Equals.

Funeral procession

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The cross-bearer;

Trombone players

The brothers Böck, Weidl, and Tuschke;[g]

Choir

The choirmaster/Kapellmeister, Ignaz Aßmayer and, under his direction, a choir of 16 singers:.[h]

The high clergy;

Coffin-bearers

Eight principal singers of the Royal and Imperial Court Opera carried the coffin:
1. Eichberger,[30][31] 2. Schuster,[31] 3. Cramolini,[32] 4. A. Müller,[31] 5. Hoffmann,[33] 6. Rupprecht,[34] 7. Borschitzky,[33] and 8. Anton Wranitzky (fils)[35][i]

Pall-cord holders

Eight Kapellmeisters held the white cords attached to the pall.


Torch-bearers

(in alphabetical order): 1. Anschütz, 2. Bernard,[37] 3. Blahetka,[38][10][39] 4. Jos. Böhm, 5. Castelli, 6. Karl Czerny, 7. Signore David [or possibly Giovanni David, his "roulade-monger" son], 8. Konrad Graf, 9. Grillparzer, 10. Grünbaum, 11. Haslinger, 12. Hildebrand,[40][41] 13. Holz,[42][43] 14. Katter,[44][45][46] 15. Krall, 16. Sig. Lablache, 17. Baron Lannoy, 18. Linke,[47] 19. Mayseder,[48] 20. Mechetti,[49] 21. Meier, 22, Mr. Meric (Gatte der Mad. Lalande),[50] 23. Merk, 24. Signore Pacini,[51] 25. Piringer,[52][53][54] 26. Radichi,[55] 27. Raimund, 28. Riotte, 29. Schickh, 30. Schmiedl,[56][57][58] 31. Schoberlechner, 32. Schubert, 33. Schuppanzigh, 34. Steiner, 35. Streicher,[59][60] 36. Weidman,[61][62] 37. Weiss,[63][64] 38. Wolfmeyer;[65][66]

Claimed torch-bearer
Joseph Randhartinger

In the 1894 obituary of Benedict Randhartinger, the following phrase appears: "He had a brother, Joseph, of whom nothing is known except that he was one of the torchbearers at Beethoven's funeral."[67]

According to the following account, Joseph R. was at the funeral in Währing, for he retired afterwards to a de:Weinstube with Schubert and Franz Lachner for a drink:

"Schubert accompagna Beethoven à sa dernière demeure, au cimetière de Währing. Au retour, entrant avec deux amis, Franz Lachner et Joseph Randhartiger dans une « weinstube », il fit remplir trois verres ; il but une première fois à la mémoire du grand homme auquel les derniers honneurs venaient d'être rendus ; puis, versant une seconde rasade, il but à celui des trois amis qui mourrait le premier. Une année à peine s'était écoulée que Schubert s'endormait de son dernier sommeil. Conformément à son plus cher désir, il fut inhumé au cimetière de Währing, près de la tombe de Beethoven."[68]

According to another source, however, their companion was Benedict Randhartiger, Joseph's brother.[69]

Benedict Randhartiger
Benedict Randhartiger[70] was the teacher of Liszt. He went to the Konvictschule like Schubert, then the pupil of Salieri. Studied law, then secretary to Count Szechenyi, an officer of the Imperial Court. <!- No, that was Alberto Randegger
The obituary says that in 1823, BR was in the room with Schubert, who was looking at BR's volume of poems by W. Mueller. BR was called out of the room, and when he returned FS was gone with the pomes (penyeach). The next day he went back to FS's for his book, which was returned to him along with the manuscript of Die Schöne Müllerin which Schubert had composed overnight.[67]
According to the obituary, Benedict Randhartiger was Schubert's only real friend to visit Schubert "in the terrible loneliness of the great musician's illness."[67] This may be one of those fanciful agglomerations which encrust the histories of great musicians.
He sang tenor in the kk Hofopera from 1836.[71] Then vice Kapellmeister in 1844, and succeeded Ignaz Aßmayer (who was only a lowly organist when he conducted the choir at the funeral in 1827) as Kapellmeister in 1862.

Other mourners

illustrious and enlightened amateurs, count Moriz von Dietrichstein, Moritz, Prince of Dietrichstein and the Privy Counsellors (Geheimer Rat) von Mosel and Brauning (LvB's childhood friend and executor); Beethoven's brother; the pupils of the Conservatory; the students of the thoroughbass teacher at St. Anna's, Herr Kapellmeister Drechsler, etc. Freiherr von Schlechta de:Franz Xaver Schlechta von Wschehrd[j]

Service and burial

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Map of the Alservorstadt in 1830 by Count Carl Vasquez.[k] Beethoven's house is at no. 200 on the 'Glacis'. The Minorite church is on the south side of the Alser Gasse, by the word 'Haupstrasse'. The Währing brook ('Währinger Bach') flows into the Alser Bach at the top of the map.
  • Arrived at the church - bier placed at the high altar. Prayers said. Seyfried's Libera me was sung. (NB Printed in appendix to B's General Bass.)
  • Coffin placed on a four-in-hand ceremonial hearse, and drove off to the Hoffried Währing Cemetery. Many carriages followed it out across the custom-line.
  • Picnic drama at the Währing brook.
  • At the gates of the cemetery, Heinrich Anschütz, kk Court Actor, recited a funeral oration written by Grillparzer in B's memory.
  • Some accounts[which?] say only a few select mourners were allowed in. Other accounts say it was crowded.
  • Interment
  • Haslinger handed three laurel wreaths to Hummel, Court Kapellmeister of the Grand-Duchy of Weimar, who lowered them on to the coffin. B's close friends remained until the earth was levelled off.
  • Watch placed on the grave after suspicions of grave-robbing were brought to light.

Aftermath

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Johann Baptist Krall, aged c23 when he carried one of the torches in the procession, became a member of the board of directors of the Wiener Singverein in 1858.[72] In 1863, at the instigation of Krall and Joseph Hellmesberger, Sr., the board of directors of the Gesellschaft der Musik decided to exhume the graves of Schubert and Beethoven, in order to prevent further decomposition and at the same time to establish their resting places in a “worthy manner”. On Friday morning, 23 October 1863, the remains of both composers were reburied in newly constructed vaults in the Währing Cemetery.[73]

"En 1888, les restes de Schubert furent transportés de Währing au cimetière central à Vienne dans le monument que nous reproduisons on p. 118."[74]

Music played

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References

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Notes
  1. ^ Not to be confused with the Minoritenkirche in the Altstadt, Vienna 1.
  2. ^ This is one of are three First Orders of Franciscans within the Catholic Church, the other two being the Order of Friars Minor and the Capuchins. All are also known as Greyfriars or Minorites.
  3. ^ This Vienna of map at calameo.com shows the relationship between the Schwarzspanierhaus, the Minorite church of the 'Dreifaltigkeitskirche' (the Alserkirche), and Währing, west of the city. Layouts of streets change.
  4. ^ Schindler's somewhat tarnished reputation is reconsidered by Theodore Albrecht (Albrecht 2010).
  5. ^ Schubert set three of Grillparzer's poems, including Ständchen, D 920, 'Mirjams Siegesgesang', & 'Berthas Nachtlied'.
  6. ^ A review of Glöggl's book shows how useful it was in gathering together and explaining the many rules concerning music at church services.
    "There appears an explanatory guide of musical worship, according to the existing church music-order for all functions occurring on Sundays, festivals, vespers, litanies, masses, funerals, processions etc. while chants, songs for the congregation, motets, introiten, versicles, graduals, offertories, responses etc. It explains the ritual-texts from the measurement book and Breviarium, and is found at a very cheap price. In all countries where Roman Catholic worship prevails, through its essential usefulness of numerous sales, where the lack of such a reliable signpost has been felt for a long time: until the present moment when -wonderfully enough - under the supervision of some well-informed experts, the simple expedient of this book has been devised."[16]
  7. ^ Marx, Adolf Bernhard, ed. (2 May 1829). "Post nubila Phöbus!". Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. 6 (18): 142–3. NB Inc. list of the reconstituted orchestra of the Theater am Kärntnertor, which had been dark for some time.
  8. ^ Forbes says they were from Barbaja's Italian Opera:[13] Okkkk, from 1821 Barbaia was the manager of two theatres in Vienna, the Theater am Kärntnertor (where lots of Beethoven was performed, inc. 9th Symphony), and the Theater an der Wien. But both en: and it:WP articles say he went to La Scala in 1826, before returning to Naples where he had been instrumental in rebuilding the Teatro San Carlo. Original reports of the funeral don't mention where they were employed. But a number of these 16 singers who I have tentatively identified were on the books of the kk Hofteather Opera at the time. Best check argh.
  9. ^ Not a singer but a violinist, son of Anton Wranitzky (d. 1820) and brother of Friedrich, a cellist.[36]
  10. ^ Schlechta is mentioned in the Der Sammler account after Castelli's poem, p. 180 line 4.
  11. ^ From "Die kaiserl. königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Wien mit ihren Vorstädten und nächsten Umgebungen. Vienna: Ch. F. Schade, 1830. Done by map-makers Anton Ziegler and Carl Vasquez-Pinas von Löwenthal [de], who learned the techniques of the lithography process co-owned by Ziegler and went into business with him.
  12. ^ This was played when the procession passed by the "Rotes Haus", in which Stepan von Breuning lived with his family.[78]
Citations
  1. ^ Der Sammler 1827, pp. 179–80.
  2. ^ Harmonicon 1827b.
  3. ^ Harmonicon 1827a.
  4. ^ Seyfried 1829, p. 2.
  5. ^ Pettet 1830, p. 444.
  6. ^ Schindler 1841.
  7. ^ Comini 2008, p. 145.
  8. ^ Schindler 1900.
  9. ^ Thayer 1921, vol. 3, p. 311..
  10. ^ a b Burnham & Steinberg 2000, p. 266.
  11. ^ Bishop 1992, p. 19.
  12. ^ Schindler 1841, p. 327.
  13. ^ a b c Forbes 1967, vol. 2, p. 1053.
  14. ^ Glöggl 1828, pp. 20–21. Translation by User:HLHJ.
  15. ^ Henke & Winkler 2002, pp. 225–6.
  16. ^ Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. No. 6, 13 February 1828 (in German). Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, p. 111a. NB The first page has a likeness of Paganini, whose appearance in Vienna dissuaded Joseph Mayseder from performing in public. (Devaux 2014, p. 134).
  17. ^ Voss 2012, p. 3.
  18. ^ B&H Revisionsbericht 1888, p. vi.
  19. ^ "Schwarzspanierhaus". Wien Geschichte Wiki (in German). 12 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017. With good picture of the courtyard.
  20. ^ NZF 1840, p. LVII.
  21. ^ Liu 2013, p. 67-8.
  22. ^ Köchel 1869, p. 96.
  23. ^ Hofteather 1892, p. 344.
  24. ^ Albrecht 2008, pp. 31–32.
  25. ^ Hanson 1985, pp. 228, 229.
  26. ^ Clive 1997, p. 140.
  27. ^ Nejebse_Brueder. musiklexikon.ac.at.
  28. ^ a b Hofteather 1892, p. 348.
  29. ^ Hofteather 1892, p. 367.
  30. ^ Oesterreicher Beobachter 1827, p. 330a, last para.
  31. ^ a b c Hofteather 1892, p. 362.
  32. ^ Hofteather 1892, p. 361.
  33. ^ a b Hofteather 1892, p. 363.
  34. ^ Hofteather 1892, p. 359.
  35. ^ Hanslick 1971, p. 113n.
  36. ^ Albrecht 1996b, p. 34.
  37. ^ Clive 2001, pp. 29–30.
  38. ^ Albrecht 1996b, p. 131n.
  39. ^ "Blahetka, Anna Leopoldine". Sophie Drinker Institut (in German). Retrieved 16 August 2016
  40. ^ Kroll 2014, p. 52.
  41. ^ "Theodore Albrecht: Die Uraufführungen von Beethovens Sinfonie Nr. 9". wieneroboe.at (in English and German). n.d. p. 157. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  42. ^ Bishop 1992, p. 1.
  43. ^ he was a pupil of Franz Xaver Glöggl, who in 1812 commissioned the Equales played at the funeral.
  44. ^ Hofteather 1892, p. 346.
  45. ^ Albrecht 2008, p. 232.
  46. ^ Oesterreicher Beobachter 1827, p. 330b, 1st para..
  47. ^ Bishop 1992, p. 20.
  48. ^ Devaux 2014, pp. 24–25, 30.
  49. ^ Antonicek, Th. "Mechetti, Pietro (1777-1850), Musikverleger" (in German). Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon online (ÖBL 1815-1950, Bd. 6 (Lfg. 27, 1974), S. 179f.). Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  50. ^ "Death of Madame Meric-Lalande". Watson's Art Journal. 7 (24): 362. 5 October 1867. JSTOR 20647498. (free access)
  51. ^ Probst 1990, p. 34.
  52. ^ ""Dedicated to Beethoven, the MAN". Beethoven's biographer, Alexander Wheelock Thayer". Beethoven-Haus, Bonn - News archive. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  53. ^ List of LvB's WoO
  54. ^ Kalischer 1909, Vol. 2, pp. 299, 339, 373, 441.
  55. ^ Hofteather catalogue 1892, p. 350.
  56. ^ Harten, Uwe (6 May 2001). "Schmiedel (Schmiedl), Johann Baptist" (in German). Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon online. ÖBL 10 (1994). Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  57. ^ Hanslick 1971, p. 294.
  58. ^ Der Sammler, 14 March 1844 (in German)
  59. ^ Nohl 1867, p. 274.
  60. ^ Burnham & Steinberg 2000, p. 167-175.
  61. ^ A guide for Excursions through Austria and Styria (1820), p. 428.
  62. ^ Die Rosenbaum'sche Gartenanlage (in German). Vienna: Strauss, 1824.
  63. ^ Bishop 1992, pp. 10–20.
  64. ^ Pohl, C. F. (1900). "Weiss, Franz" . In Grove, George (ed.). A Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 4. London: Macmillan and Company. p. 449.
  65. ^ "Johann Nepomuk Wolfmayer, Brief an Ludwig van Beethoven, Wien, 9. April 1818, Autograph". Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  66. ^ Albrecht 1996c, p. 165.
  67. ^ a b c "Benedict Randhartinger?". New York Times. 11 January 1894. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  68. ^ Bourgault-Ducoudray 1908, p. 35.
  69. ^ Comini 2008, p. 123.
  70. ^ Liu 2013, p. 68.
  71. ^ Köchel 1869, p. 103.
  72. ^ Böhm 1908, Appendix, p. 93, pdf 303.
  73. ^ Meredith 2005, pp. 4–5.
  74. ^ Bourgault-Ducoudray 1908, pp. 33n, 118.
  75. ^ Harmonicon 1827b, p. 154.
  76. ^ Gesänge aus 'Wilhelm Tell' von B. A. Weber. Mit Begleitung der Guitarre von F. Westenholz. (Songs from 'William Tell' with guitar accompaniment). Europeana collections. Retrieved 24 September 2017. NB Weber also wrote incidental music for two other Schiller plays, de:Wallensteins Tod (Friedrich Schiller) (1799), and de:Die Jungfrau von Orleans (Schiller) (1801).
  77. ^ Forbes 1967, vol. 2, p. 1053. According to Forbes, B. A. Weber's music was for an opera.
  78. ^ Beethovens Leichenzug vor dem ehemaligen Schwarzspanierkloster in Wien, 1827 - Aquarell von Franz Xaver Stöber Beethoven-Haus, Bonn.
  79. ^ Beethoven's Begräbniss. Gedicht von Jeitteles. Nach einer Composition des Verewigten: "Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe" für 4 Singstimmen mit Begleitung des Pianoforte eingerichtet von Ignaz Ritter von Seyfried. Plate no. 5036. Vienna: Tobias Haslinger (June 1827).
  80. ^ Seyfried 1827.
  81. ^ Libera, welches bey Beethoven's Leichenbegängnisse vor der Einsegnung des entseelten Körpers, in der Kirche bey den P. P. Minoriten in der Alservorstadt in Wien, den 29. März 1827 von dem Sdnger-Chor, welcher den Leichenzug begleitete, gesungen worden ist. Componirt, und zu obigem Gebrauche eingerichtet von Ignaz Ritter von Seyfried Plate no. 5035 .Vienna: Tobias Haslinger (June 1827).

Sources

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Contemporary accounts

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The German edition of Thayer's book, edited and expanded by Hugo Riemann, doesn't expand on Thayer's very selective list of mourners, but contains the full text of Grillparzer's oration, hastily scribbled down for Haslinger?

Secondary sources

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{{Beethoven's funeral}}

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