Beethoven completed only two compositions in all of 1821 and both are very short. But he spent at least part of the year working on two piano sonatas, the Mass that he had promised the Archduke Rudolph, and piano variations based on a dopey waltz by Anton Diabelli.
Beethoven was also ill during 1821. As he wrote to the publisher Schlesinger on 7 March 1821,
You have probably formed an unfavourable opinion of me. But you will soon think better of me when I tell you that for six weeks I have been laid up with a violent attack of rheumatism.
One of Beethoven’s recent friends in 1821 was Ferdinand Piringer, who worked as an assistant conductor. On 18 February 1821, Beethoven wrote Piringer a little piano Allegretto, quite possibly in one sitting. It is catalogued as WoO 61.
#Beethoven250 Day 321
Allegretto in B Minor (WoO 61), 1821
Playing earlier this year (unfortunately without an audience) is Uzbekistan-born pianist Evgenia Rubinova.
On 31 March 1821, Baroness Josephine Stackelberg, formerly Josephine Deym, born Josephine Brunsvik (Day 117) died in her early 40s. By that time, she and Beethoven were no longer in contact.
On 5 May 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of Saint Helena, where he had spent the last five years of his life.
On 25 May 1821, Klemens Metternich became Chancellor of the Austrian Empire.
Beethoven wrote to Archduke Rudolph on 18 July 1821 with more news of his health:
I had been very poorly for a long time when finally jaundice definitely set in; and in my case it seems to be an extremely objectionable disease.… Last winter too I had the most violent attacks of rheumatism — a great deal of this is to be ascribed to my distressing situation, and particularly to my economic circumstances.
But he assured the Archduke that the commemorative Mass was still in progress:
God who sees into my innermost heart and knows that as a man I perform most conscientiously and on all occasions the duties which humanity, God and Nature enjoin upon me, will doubtless rescue me in the end from my afflictions — The Mass will be delivered to Y.I.H. [Your Imperial Highness] while you are still in Vienna. (Beethoven Letters, No. 1054)