The first panel contains not only a drawing of Beethoven behind his birthday cake but also Schulz's rendering of one of Beethoven's sketches for the Ninth Symphony. He found a facsimile of the sketch on page 266 of his copy of Beethoven as I Knew Him by Anton Schindler. In the second panel Schroeder is hard at work playing the first movement of the serious and dramatic sonata nicknamed "The Little Pathétique" when Lucy interrupts him once again with her plans for a party complete with presents for the girls.

Schroeder counters her by announcing his much more sincere plans to celebrate by performing one of Beethoven's most beautiful and profound late sonatas. The solemn expression on Schroeder's face as he announces what he "shall" do - "by myself" - perfectly matches the mood of the beautiful opening of the first movement.