Life of Beethoven Part 8

Salomon (merely out of friends.h.i.+p, to be performed at his concert), expressly desiring him to take care not to let it get into other hands, as I meant to have it engraved in Germany; and you can make inquiry of him concerning this matter, if you think fit.

But, to give you a further proof of my honesty, I hereby a.s.sure you that I have not sold the Septett, the Concerto, the Symphony, and the Sonata, to any other person in the world but to you, Messrs. Hofmeister and Kuhnel, and that you may formally consider them as your exclusive property, for which I pledge my honour. At any rate, you may make what use you please of this a.s.surance.

For the rest, I can no more believe that Salomon is capable of so base a trick as to publish the Septett than I am to have sold it to him. I am so conscientious that I have refused several publishers the piano-forte arrangement of the Septett, for which they have applied to me,[73] and yet I do not even know whether you intend to make use of it in this manner.

Here follow the long-promised t.i.tles of my works.

In the t.i.tles there will be much to alter and improve: that I leave to you. I expect a letter from you immediately, and very soon the works, which I wish to see engraved, since others are already published and coming out with numbers relating to these.

I have written to Salomon; but considering your statement as a mere rumour which you have taken up rather too credulously, or as a conjecture which may have forced itself upon you, because you may accidentally have heard that I had sent it to Salomon, it only remains for me to add that I feel somewhat chilled towards friends so easy of belief, and as such sign myself,

Your friend,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

5.

Vienna, April 8, 1802.

Does the devil then ride you all together, gentlemen, to propose to me to make such a Sonata?

During the revolutionary fever, well and good, such a thing might have been done; but now, when everything is getting into the old track, when Buonaparte has concluded a concordat with the Pope--such a Sonata!

Were it a Missa pro Sancta Maria, a tre voci, or a Vesper, why then I would immediately take up the pencil, and write in huge semi-breves a Credo in unum; but, gracious G.o.d! such a Sonata in these new-fangled Christian times! Ho ho! leave me alone--that won't do.

Now my answer in the quickest _tempo_, The lady can have a Sonata by me, and I will follow her general design as far as aesthetic goes, but without following the prescribed keys, price five ducats, for which she shall have the use of it a year, and in that time neither she nor I shall have the right to publish it. After the expiration of this year, the Sonata is again mine--that is, I can and will publish it; and she can certainly, if she thinks that it will be any honour, request me to dedicate it to her.

Now G.o.d preserve you, gentlemen.

My Sonata is beautifully engraved, but it has been a confounded long while a-doing. Do send my Septett a little quicker into the world, because the P---- is waiting for it, and you know the Empress has it; and--so that I cannot answer for what may happen, therefore look sharp.

Mr.---- has lately republished my Quartetts, in large and small size, full of blunders and errata. They swarm in them like fish in water, that is, to infinity--questo e un piacere per un autore--that I call stinging[74] to some purpose. My skin is covered with stings and scratches with these charming editions of my Quartetts.

Now farewell, and think of me as I do of you. Till death your faithful

L. VAN BEETHOVEN.

6.

Vienna, September 22, 1803.

Hereby then I declare all the works about which you have written, as your property. Another copy shall be made of the list of them, and sent to you with my signature as your acknowledged property; and the offer of fifty ducats I accept. Are you satisfied now?

Perhaps, instead of the Variations with violoncello and violin, I can give you Variations on the piano-forte, for two performers, on a song by me, the poetry of which, by Gothe, must likewise be engraved, as I have written these Variations as a souvenir in an alb.u.m, and consider them better than the others. Are you satisfied?

The arrangements[75] are not by me, but I have revised and improved them in part, so don't pretend to say that I have arranged, as that would be a lie, and I could not find either time or patience for such things. Are you satisfied?

Now farewell. I can but wish you to thrive in every way. Gladly would I make you a present of the whole, if I could get through the world in that way; but only consider; all about me get appointments, and have something certain to live upon; but, gracious G.o.d! how can a parvum talentum com ego look for an appointment at the Imperial court?

Your friend,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

The following are extracts from letters written at a later and less cheerful period of life, and addressed to M. C. F. Peters of Leipsic:--

7.

Vienna, July 26, 1822.

I write to you merely to say that you shall have the Ma.s.s,[76] together with a piano-forte arrangement, for the sum of 1000 florins, Vienna currency. By the end of July you shall receive it fairly copied in score, perhaps a few days later, as I am exceedingly busy, and have been, for five months, ailing: as one must go through works very carefully, if they are to go abroad, this is a matter that proceeds rather more slowly with me. ---- shall in no case have anything more from me, as he has played me a Jewish trick; besides, he is not one of those to whom I would have sold the Ma.s.s. The compet.i.tion for my works is at present very strong, for which I thank the Almighty, for I have lost a great deal.

I am moreover the foster-father of my brother's child, who is left wholly unprovided for. As this boy, now fifteen years old, shows a great capacity for the sciences, not only do his education and maintenance cost me a great deal of money at present, but I am obliged to think about the future, as we are neither Indians nor Cherokees, who, as you know, leave everything to G.o.d Almighty, and a pauper has but a melancholy existence of it.

I a.s.sure you, upon my honour, which, next to G.o.d, is the most sacred thing with me, that I have never asked any one to take commissions for me; I have always made it a particular point not to offer myself to any publisher, not out of pride, but because I wished to know how far the territory of my humble talent extends....

I conclude for to-day, wis.h.i.+ng you all prosperity, and am, with esteem,

Your most obedient,

L. V. BEETHOVEN.

8.

Vienna, August 3, 1822.

I wrote to you lately about my health, which is not yet quite restored: I am obliged to take baths, mineral waters, and at times, medicine.

I am therefore rather at sixes and sevens, especially as I am obliged at the same time to write, and then corrections run away with time. In respect to the Songs, and the other Marches and trifles, I have not yet made up my mind as to the choice, but I shall be able to furnish everything by the 15th of this month. I wait your determination about it, and shall make no use of your bill. As soon as I know that the money for the Ma.s.s and for the other works is here, all can be supplied by the 15th instant; but after the 15th I must go to a neighbouring bathing-place; I am therefore desirous to have no engagements on my hands for a while.

About all other matters, some day when I am not so pressed. Only do not take an unhandsome advantage of me: it pains me when I am obliged to bargain.

In haste, with respect,

Your most obedient,

BEETHOVEN.

9.

Vienna, November 22, 1822.

In reply to your letter of the 9th of November, in which I fancied you meant to reproach me for my apparent neglect--and the money paid too, and yet nothing sent to you--unhandsome as this seems, I am sure you would be reconciled with me in a few minutes if we were together.