A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Rudolph, Archduke
RUDOLPH JOHANN JOSEPH RAINER, Archduke of Austria, born at Florence, Jan. 8, 1788, died suddenly at Baden, Vienna, July 24, 1831, was the youngest child of Leopold of Tuscany and Maria Louisa of Spain. On the death of the Emperor Joseph II., Feb. 20, 1790, Leopold succeeded his brother as Emperor Leopold II., and thus Rudolph received an exclusively German education. Music was hereditary in his family. His great-grandfather, Carl VI., so accompanied an opera by Fux, that the composer exclaimed: 'Bravo! your Majesty might serve anywhere as chief Kapellmeister!' 'Not so fast, my dear chief Kapellmeister,' replied the Emperor; 'we are better off as we are!' His grandmother, the great Maria Theresa, was a well-educated dilettante, and a fine singer; her children, from very early age, sang and performed cantatas and little dramas, to words by Metastasio, on birthdays and fetes. His uncle, Max Franz, was Elector of Cologne, viola-player, and organiser of that splendid orchestra at Bonn, to which the Rombergs, Rieses, Reichas and Beethovens belonged. It was his father, Leopold, who, after the first performance of Cimarosa's 'Matrimonio segreto,' gave all those who took part in the production a supper, and then ordered the performance to be repeated; and it was his aunt, Marie Antoinette, who supported Gluck against Piccinni at Paris.
Like the other children of the Imperial family, Rudolph was instructed in music by Anton Teyber, and tradition says that, as early as twelve or fourteen he played in the salons of his friends with credit to himself. In later years he gave ample proof of more than ordinary musical talent and taste; but none greater than this—that as soon as he had liberty of choice he exchanged Teyber for Beethoven. The precise date and circumstances attending this change have eluded investigation; but in his 17th year he received a separate establishment from his elder brother, then Emperor Francis I. of Austria (succeeded March 1, 1792), as 'Coadjutor' of the Prince Archbishop Colloredo of Olmütz. From the notices of Ries and other sources, it seems probable that the connection between Rudolph, a youth of sixteen, and Beethoven, a man of thirty-four, began in the winter of 1803–4.
^Ries relates that Beethoven's breaches of court etiquette were a constant source of trouble to his pupil's chamberlains, who strove in vain to enforce its rules on him. He at last lost all patience, pushed his way into the young Archduke's presence, and, excessively angry, assured him that he had all due respect for his person, but that the punctilious observance of all the rules in which he was daily tutored, was not his business. Rudolph laughed good-humouredly and gave orders that for the future he should be allowed to go his own way.
Beethoven in 1817 told Fräulein Giannatasio, that he had struck his pupil's fingers, and, upon Rudolph's resenting the affront, had defended himself by pointing to a passage in one of the poets (Goethe?) which sustained him.
Beethoven's triple concerto, op. 56 (1804), though dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz, was written, says Schindler, for the Archduke, Seidler, and Kraft. The work does not require great execution in the piano part, but a youth of sixteen able to play it must be a very respectable performer.
The weakness of the Archduke's constitution is said to have been the cause of his entering the Church. The coadjutorship of Olmütz secured to him the succession; and the income of the position was probably not a bad one; for, though his allowance as Archduke in a family so very numerous was of necessity comparatively small, yet, in the spring of 1809, just after completing his 21st year, he subscribed 1500 florins to Beethoven's annuity. [See vol. ii. p. 59.] In 1818 Beethoven determined to compose a solemn Mass for the installation service of his pupil, a year or two later. On Sept. 28, 1819, the Cardinal's insignia arrived from the Pope, and the installation was at length fixed for March 9,[1] 1820. But the Mass had asumed such gigantic proportions that the ceremony had passed nearly two years before it was completed.[2] [See Solennis.] Instead of it, the music performed was a Mass in B♭, by Hummel; 'Te Deum' in C, by Preindl; 'Ecce Sacerdos magnus,' by a 'Herr P. v. R.'; and Haydn's Offertorium in D minor. The orchestra was increased for the occasion to 84 players. What an opportunity was here lost by Beethoven!
Besides the annuity, Rudolph's purse was probably often opened to his master; but the strongest proofs of his respect and affection are to be found in his careful preservation of Beethoven's most insignificant letters; in the zeal with which he collected for his library everything published by him; in his purchase of the calligraphic copy of his works[3] made by Haslinger; and in his patience with him, under circumstances that must often have sadly tried his forbearance. For Beethoven, notwithstanding all his obligations to his patron, chafed under the interference with his perfect liberty, which duty to the Archduke-Cardinal occasionally imposed. There are passages in his letters to Ries and others (suppressed in publication), as well as in the conversation-books, which show how galling even this light yoke was to Beethoven; and one feels in perusing those addressed to the Archduke how frivolous are some of the excuses for not attending him at the proper hour, and how hollow and insincere are the occasional compliments, as Rudolph must have felt. That Beethoven was pleased to find the Forty Variations dedicated to him by 'his pupil, R. E. H.' (Rudolph Erz-Herzog), was probably the fact; but it is doubtful whether his satisfaction warranted the superlatives in which his letter of thanks is couched. Other letters again breathe throughout nothing but a true and warm affection for his pupil. Köchel sensibly remarks that the trouble lay in Beethoven's 'aversion to the enforced performance of regular duties, especially to giving lessons, and teaching the theory of music, in which it is well known his strength did not lie, and for which he had to prepare himself.' When the untamed nature of Beethoven, and his deafness, are considered, together with his lack of worldly wisdom and his absolute need of a Mæcenas, one feels deeply how fortunate he was to have attracted and retained the sympathy and affection of a man of such sweet and tender qualities as Archduke Rudolph.
We can hardly expect an Archduke-Cardinal be a voluminous composer, but the Forty Variations already mentioned, and a sonata for PF. and clarinet, composed for Count Ferdinand Troyer, both published by Haslinger, are good specimens of his musical talents and acquirements. He was for many years the 'protector' of the great 'Society of the Friends of Music' at Vienna, and bequeathed to it his very valuable musical library. He was also extremely fond of engraving, and several copper plates designed and engraved by him have been preserved to testify to very considerable taste and skill in that art.
A son of his, for thirty years past a well-known contributor to the German musical periodical press, still living (1881), possesses an oil portrait of his father. It shows a rather intellectual face, of the Hapsburg type, but its peculiarities so softened as to be more than ordinarily pleasing, and even handsome.[4]
The Archduke's published works are the two alluded to above:—Theme by L. van Beethoven, with 40 variations—for PF. solo (Haslinger); Sonata for PF. and clarinet, op. 2, in A (Haslinger). [App. p.777 "to list of works add Variations by him on a theme of Rossini's, corrected by Beethoven, exist in MS. (Thayer)."]
Those dedicated to him by Beethoven are as follows—a noble assemblage—
Concerto for PF. and Orchestra, No. 4, in G (op. 56).
Do., do., No. 5, in E♭ (op. 73).
Sonata for PF. solo, 'Les Adieux, L' Absence, et le Retour,' in E♭ (op. 81a).
PF. arrangement of Fidelio (op. 72b).
Sonata for PF. and Cello, in G (op. 96).
Trio for PF., V., and Cello, in B♭ (op. 97).
Grand Sonata for the Hammerklavier, in B♭ (op. 106).
Canon, 'Alles Gute.'
Missa Solennis, in D (op. 123).
Grand Fugue for Quartet (op. 33), and 4-hand arrangement of same.
Song, 'Gedenke mein.'
- ↑ This date is from the report of the event in the 'Wiener musicalische Zeitung of March 25. 1820.
- ↑ Beethoven announces its completion in a letter to the Archduke Feb. 27, 1822.
- ↑ These, a splendid series of red folio volumes, beautifully copied, are conspicuous in the Library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at Vienna.
- ↑ For a more detailed notice see the 'Musical World' April 2, 1881.