Note 142 — Chapter VII

When Mr. Thayer visited Sir George Smart in London in 1861 he made the following notes of the conversation: Smart spoke, or rather wrote on Beethoven’s slate;—he had been warned not to write in Beethoven’s books—in French, a language which Beethoven (as he says) spoke fluently. He (Smart) was particularly desirous of understanding Beethoven’s intentions as to the performance of the Choral Sym. and spoke with him about the recitative for instruments in the last movement. Beethoven’s reply was:

“The recitative in strict time.”

Smart objected, that so played, it was not a recitative nor had words to recite. Beethoven replied, “he called it so;” and finally closed the discussion with “I wish it to go in strict time”; which, from a composer, was of course decisive. The question of how the bass recitatives ought to be played had already been discussed when the rehearsals for the concert of 1824 were in progress, as may be seen in a Conversation Book of March: Schindler:—“How many contrabasses are to play the recitative?—All!—There would be no difficulty in strict time, but to give it in a singing style will make careful study necessary.—If old Krams were still alive we could let the matter go unconcernedly, for he directed 12 contrabasses who had to do what he wanted.—Good; then just as if words were under it?—If necessary I will write words under it so that they may learn to sing.”