New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-06
ST DAYS
OF BEETHOVEN

usual gayety to the last, and set him
self at ease (Lucanl.
CONSULTATIONS OF RELIGION.
When Beethoven's friends saw the
end approaching they we're naturally
desirous that he receive the spiritual
comfort which the Offices Of the Ro-
man Catholic, Church offer to the
dying; and il was equally natural that
Beethoven, brought up as a child Of the
Church, though careless of his duties
toward it, should at the last be ready
to accept them. Johann van Beethoven
relates that few days after March 10,
when the physicians gave him up for
lost, he had begged his brother to make
his peace with God, TO which request
he acceded with the greatest resdi'
ness" Confirmation of this is found IN
DR.. Wawruch's report. Wawruch had,
at the beginning of his studies, in
tended to enter the priesthood. At the
crisis described by Johann he says he
called Beethoven's Attention to his inn
pending dissolution $50 that he might
do his duty rs citizen and to re-
ligion." He continues:
With the greatest delicacy wrote
the words Of admonition on sheet
of paper. Beethoven read the
writing with unexampled composure,
slowly and thoughtfully, his coun-
tenance like that of one TRANSPORTED;
cordially and solemnly ne held out
his hand to me and said; "Have the
priest called" Then he lay quietly
lost in thought, and amisbly indi-
Gated by a nod his "a shall soon see
YOU again" Soon thereafter Bee
thoven performed his devotlons with
a pious resignation which looked
confidently into eternity, and turned
to the friends around him with the
words, "PidRditC, dmici; fRitd est.
comRdid!'
Wawruch was not present at the time
when the words were spoken. Schind-
ler's account, in letter TO the
"Ceilia" dated April u, 1927, and
printed in that journal in May, is as
follows:
On the day before Cthe 23d) there
remained with us only one ardent
wish--to reconcile him with heaven
and to show the world at the same
time that he had ended his life a
true Christian. The Professor in
Ordinary (Wawruch) therefore wrote
and begged him in the name of all
his friends to receive the holy sacra-
ment, to which he replied, quietly
and firmly, 81 wish it," The physi-
clan went away and left us to care
for it.
SCHNEIDER describes the administra-
tion OF the sacrament, which Beethoven
received with edifcation, and adds that
now for the first time Beethoven
seemed to believe that he was about TO
die, for scarcely had the priest left
the room before he said to me and
Breuning: 'PIduditC, dmiCi: cOm0did
HHftd est. Did ] not always say that IL
would end thus p" Here is agreement
with Wawruch, but to Gerhard vol
Breuning SCHNEIDER said that Beethoven
made the remark at the conclusion OF
a long consultation after the physi-
clans had gone away. In 1860 Anselm
Huttenbrenner wrote in letter to Mr..
Thayer which was found among Hut
tenbrenner's posthumous papers and
printed in the "Grazer Tagespost" OF
October %, 1868:
1t is not true, as has been reported,
that / begged Beethoven TO receive
the sacrament for the dying; but ]
did bring it about at the request Of
the wife of the music publisher
Tobias Haslinger, now deceased, that
Beethoven was asked in the gentlest
Jenger and Madame van Beethoven,
wife of the landowner, to strengthen
himself by receiving holy communion.
i- hot
spoke the words "PIdHditc, dmtCt:
COmGdiG dHitG est to me, for |
was not present when the rite was
administered in the forenoon of
March oath, 1927. And surely Bee
thoven did not make to others an
utterance so completely at variance
with his sturdy Character. But on
the day of her brother-in-law's death
Frau v. Beethoven told me that after
receiving the viaticum he said to the
priest, 81 thank you, ghostly sir; you
have brought me comfort"
LAST THOUGHTS OF MUSIC.
Huttenbrenner is confirmed by Johann
van Beethoven, who wrote in his brief
review of his brothers. last illness that
when the priest WAS leaving the room
said to him: 81 thank you
for this last service" Beethoven re
ceived the viaticum in the presence OF
SCHNEIDER, Jenger and the wife Of his
brother Johann. After the priest had
taken his departure he reminded his
friends of the necessity of sending. a
document ceding the rights of the
C-sharp minor Quartet to the Schotts.
II was drawn .p and his signature to
il, the last which he wrote, was attest
ed bv SCHNEIDER and Breuning. He also
smoke of a letter of thanks to the Fhll-
harmonic Society of London, and IN
suggesting it's tenor comprehended the
whole English people with g ferVeht
"God bless them!" About l o'clock the
special shipment of wine and WINE
mixed with herbs came from Mayehce,
and SCHNEIDER placed the bottles upon
the table near the bed. beeth0yeH
looked at them and murmured' ivy
nitv-too late!" He spoke no more;
A little Of the wine was admln Us iorO
to him in spoonfuls at intervals as ion OIL,
as he could swallow 1T. Iowsrus eaeh,
ing he lost consciousness ana tne ug go
struggle began. 1t lasted two oSS p
"From the evening OF the E4th W n !,
last breath he was almost cohCil'ually !"
dcliriO." wrote SCHNEIDER TO Moscneies
We have a description from Ner'~'o
Won Breuning:
During the next day and the day
folIowing the strong man lay COM
,iatsjv Unconscious in the process
~ dissolution, breathing so sterto,
rously that the rattle could De hearu
at q distance. His powerful frame
his unweakened lungs, fought , IKE
Giants with approaching death. Inc
spectacle was fearful one. Al
though it was known that the poor
man suffered no more. it was yet APP
Mailing TO observe that the noble
being, now irredeemably prey to
The mowers of dissolution, was be
vond all mental communication. IT
was expected as early as the 2oth
~ L. ,unnld mass AWAY In the toI-