A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Krenn, Michael

by George Grove

KRENN, Michael. Beethoven's body-servant while he lived at his brother Johann's at Gneixendorf in the autumn of 1826. Krenn was one of the three sons of the vine-dresser on the farm. The old man died in 1861, but the son survived him, and his story—to all appearance a natural and credible account—was drawn from him by Dr. Lorenz, who communicated it to the 'Deutsche Musik-Zeitung' of Vienna for March 8, 1862. It is a very curious and interesting account of the great master's habits and disposition a few months before his death (see vol. i. p. 198b of this Dictionary). It has been made the subject of a lecture to the Schillerverein at Trieste by Mr. Thayer, 'Ein kritischer Beitrag,' etc. (Berlin, W. Weber, 1877)

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