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INVITATION TO BEETHOVEN'S FUNERAL. It was formulated by his faithful friend Stephan von Breuning. (Collection Cortot, Lausanne)
THE FUNERAL PROCESSION Water color by Franz Stöber The funeral procession began at the Schwarzgpanierhaus, in the court of which the first ceremony took place, and led to the church at the Alserstrasse. From there the cortege went to the Währing Cemetery. The estimated number of persons following the hearse was 20,000. (Beethovenhaus, Bonn)
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MANUSCRIPT OF THE FUNERAL, SERMON AUTHORED BY GRILLPARZER FOR BEETHOVEN'S ENTOMBMENT First page of the manuscript. ( Municipal Library, Vienna)
FRANZ GRILLPARZER (1791-1872) Water color by Moritz Michael Daffinger The famous Austrian poet was elected to author the funeral oration. Grillparzer and Beethoven had known each other since 1805 and had greatest admiration for one another. ( Historical Museum of the City of Vienna)
HEINRICH ANSCHÜTZ (1785-1865) Lithograph by Joseph Teltscher The actor Anschütz, another friend of Beethoven, delivered the funeral oration authored by Grillparzer. ( Historical Museum of the City of Vienna)
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THE AUGUSTINIANS' CHURCH IN VIENNA After a water color by Joseph Danhauser On April 3, 1827 a memorial service took place at the Augustinians' Church. The Requiem of Mozart was heard on this occasion with the participation of Italian singers who happened to be present in Vienna for a series of opera performances. Their impresario Barbaja had forbidden these singers to sing at any place other than the theater. The penalty for so doing was 200 guldens. ( National Library, Vienna)
LUIGI LABLACHE (1794-1858) Lithograph of Achille Devéria Lablache did not mind paying the penalty in order to be able to participate in the homage paid the master. ( Opera Library, Paris)
FUNERAL MUSIC FOR BEETHOVEN This funeral chorus for four parts, men's voices, was composed by Ignaz von Seyfried on words by Jeitteles. The composer used motives from the "Funeral March" of the piano sonata, opus 26 by Beethoven. The work was published by Haslinger in Vienna in June, 1827. (Bodmer, Zürich)
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THE WÄHRING CEMETERY IN VIENNA Steel engraving by M. Aigner after H. Emperger More than two hundred carriages followed the hearse to the cemetery of Währing. Here, by the grave, the actor Anschütz read the funeral oration penned by Grillparzer. Thereupon Hummel laid a crown on the coffin. A number of mourners took earth from the grave with them. ( National Library, Vienna)
TOMBSTONE ON BEETHOVEN'S GRAVE, WÄHRING CEMETERY, VIENNA Photograph Beethoven's grave was untouched until 1865 when the corpse was exhumed and his skull was submitted to indiscreet investigations. When they were completed he was buried there for the second time. In 1888 the corpse was again exhumed and Beethoven's remains were transferred to the Central Cemetery of Vienna. At the right of the photograph one recognizes Schubert's grave.
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TODAY'S TOMB OF BEETHOVEN, CENTRAL CEMETERY, VIENNA Photograph Sixty-one years after his death, in 1888, Beethoven's remains were transferred to this cemetery as was the tombstone erected on his first grave by his friends. (Beethovenhaus, Bonn)
BEETHOVEN'S MONUMENT IN BONN Work of E. Hähnel after an unsigned lithograph This Beethoven monument was unveiled in 1845 in the master's native town. It came about as a result of the initiative of a committee headed by Franz Liszt and furthered by him in the most generous manner. (Beethovenhaus, Bonn)
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