“If we were not to resolve to take joint action against this, our property would be diminished in no small way. My preliminary, albeit non-binding, suggestion would be this: that we publish all of Beethoven’s works that have appeared in our publishing houses, namely with you, Br.[eitkopf] & Härtel, and myself (perhaps also Mollo) in a pleasing format, the details of which we shall mutually agree will be published bearing the names of all three publishers, at the lowest possible price (approximately 10 kreutzers C.M. per sheet), and announced in advance in all the journals that are read: ‘that we three publishers have joined together to publish the complete works of Beethoven in a tasteful and inexpensive edition, etc. etc.’ The keyboard works should be published first, as these can be published most quickly and are also the most sought after by the public. We can reach an agreement on the terms later.”

“This is only a hastily drafted document, which I submit to you for further examination and consideration.”

Albrecht Letter 440. See also footnote 2 to Beethoven’s letter of October 13, Brandenburg Letter 2221. The original is held by the Vienna City and Provincial Library, H.I.N. 792. Haslinger’s eagerness to deprive Beethoven of his hoped-for profits from a collected edition with Schlesinger or Schott’s is quite shocking, and suggests that his relationship with Beethoven is not nearly as healed as the composer thinks.

In today’s Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, there is a continuation of the article begun two weeks ago on the form and content of newer music. The final paragraph again makes mention of Beethoven, partially quoted here: “With the now-discovered direction of the musical idea, there is a new relationship of the individual to the whole, and with this are the new forms to be understood. We have already noted above that the unfolding into several externally separate parts cannot be appropriate for the expression of every subjective sensation, and this must apply even more so to the representation of an objective intuition, which cannot be arbitrarily separated or unified, but has its completely defined content. Beethoven also often threw off the shackles of habit when no internal reason prompted a connection with what had been presented, and did not add a third to two movements when he had already said what he wanted to say. [This may be an oblique reference to the two-movement piano sonata op.111, the publisher of which innocently asked whether the Finale had been misplaced.] The fact that even some famous musical works have been assembled from several pieces composed by the author at different times that originally did not belong with one another cannot nullify the demands of criticism that works of art should be formed from a single mold, developed from a single idea. And the fact that every author of sense and spirit will be guided in the selection of the individual pieces available according to the idea he wishes to represent as a whole, also confirms the justice of these statements.” Berliner AMZ Nr.42 at 333-334.

Anton Diabelli & Co. announces in today’s Wiener Zeitung (Nr.237) at 1014 the publication of piano arrangements by Beethoven’s former pupil Carl Czerny, of the opera Die weiße Frau (la Dame blanche) by François-Adrien Boildieu [sic], which will be available in a few days. Already published are the Overture, and the Finale of the second act, both arranged for piano four hands. “The remaining pieces are already at the press.” As is the case for most of his arrangements of works by other composers, Czerny does not assign an opus number to these piano reductions. The announcement is repeated in the Wiener Zeitung on Wednesday, October 18 (Nr.239 at 1024).

https://unheardbeethoven.org/mp3s/WoO205i.mp3

The remainder of the letter is in Karl’s hand, other than the signature. “We are writing to you here from the castle of Signore fratello [Brother Johann]. I must inconvenience you again by politely requesting that you send the enclosed two letters to the post office immediately.”

“From the Piano School [Muzio Clementi’s piano method, acquired by Haslinger for Gerhard von Breuning] onward, I will reimburse you for all the expenses incurred as soon as I return to Vienna.”

“The beautiful weather and the fact that I did not get to the countryside all summer are to blame for my staying here longer.”

“The quartet for Schlesinger [op.135 in F major] is already finished, but I do not yet know the safest way to send it so you, so that you would be kind enough to deliver it to Tendler and Manstein and also receive the money for it.”

“Schlesinger will probably not have given an order for [payment in] gold; if you could arrange for me to receive it, I would be greatly obliged, as all publishers pay me in gold.”

“Meanwhile, dearest Tobias, we need money, for it is not all the same whether we have money or not.”

“If you come across Holz [wood], nail it to another piece of wood. Love’s fury has seized it terribly, and in the process it has almost completely caught fire, so that someone jokingly wrote that Holz is a son of the deceased Papageno.”

“Most astonishing, most admirable, unique of all Tobiases, farewell. If it does not inconvenience you, write a few lines here. Is Dr. Spicker still in Vienna?”

“Yours truly, Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2221; Anderson Letter 1536. The original is in St. Petersburg State Public Library (“M.J. Saltkow-Schtschedrin” (Sobranie inostrannych avtografov Betchoven). The letter bears a KREMS postmark. Haslinger’s registration markings indicate it was received on October 13 and answered on October 16. Beethoven’s request for gold was to avoid having to pay the agio, the fee for converting money in other currencies; Maurice Schlesinger had previously arranged for Beethoven to be paid in guilders. Beethoven is probably telling the truth that the quartet in F is finished, or is very near it, since the copied parts will be ready by October 30.

The two letters enclosed follow. The first is addressed to Adolph Martin Schlesinger in Berlin. “I finally managed to come here to the countryside; a true respite for me as I had to spend this summer in the city.”

“From here I will also send something for Herr Marx [Adolph Bernhard Marx, editor of the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, published by Schlesinger]. The weariness of the city has vanished, and I feel more cheerful again. The quartet is finished, but not yet completely copied, but will be ready in a few days.” [The process will take two and one-half weeks; Beethoven always underestimated the time that copying would require, especially when he was doing it himself.]

“You will have to be patient a little longer with the marches. I will also send them to you soon.” [These marches were intended as a gift to the King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm III.]

“Regarding the publication of my works, the sum of 4000 ducats should not be too considerable, according to my friends. [That is, 18,000 florins C.M.] Write to me about this as soon as possible.”

“If I am not mistaken, you spoke of putting something about me in the newspaper. This might not be useless, as it would put an end to much untrue gossip.”

“Dr Spicker [sic] is taking the symphony for the King, as the embassy found that it would be quicker by this route. I am eager for His Majesty to receive this work, according to my wishes.”

“More details soon regarding the opera. [The Berlin opera had already rejected the libretto for Melusine by Grillparzer as too similar to another opera that they had recently produced.] I am only now beginning to collect myself, as this summer has passed very disturbingly for me.”

“Farewell, and please delight me with a letter soon.”

“All the best to Herr Marx. Your most devoted Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2222; Albrecht Letter 439. This letter is also in Nephew Karl’s hand. The letter bears a Vienna postmark, and the registration mark indicates that Schlesinger responded on November 11, 1826. Beethoven did not send the little songs or canons to Marx as requested. The reference to something being put in the newspaper is probably connected to Holz’s comment on or about September 5 that the plan was once the Ninth Symphony was given to the ambassador, he would send it to the king and Schlesinger would be notified. Then Schlesinger was to mention in the BAMZ that Louis XVIII had given Beethoven a gold medal, so the Prussian King will take notice of it, and not to be outdone, would presumably be similarly generous. The original of this letter is held by the Bonn Beethovenhaus (NE 184), and can be seen here:

https://www.beethoven.de/de/media/view/4829938448334848/scan/0

The other letter is likewise in Nephew Karl’s hand, and contains the promised metronome markings for the Ninth Symphony. “I am using the rest of the summer to recuperate here in the countryside, as it was impossible for me to leave Vienna this summer. — During this time, I have completely metronomized the symphony, and I add the tempi here:

Allo ma non troppo. 88=quarter note
Molto Vivace. 116=half note
Presto. 116=half note
Adagio, tempo 1mo 60=quarter note
Andante moderato. 63=quarter note

Finale. Presto. 66=dotted half note
Allo ma non trop. 88=quarter note
Allegro assai. 80=half note
Alla Marcia. 84=dotted quarter note
Andte maestoso. 72=half note

Adagio divoto. 60=half note
Allo energico. 84=dotted half note
Allo ma non tanto. 120=half note
Prestissimo. 132=half note
Maestoso. 60=quarter note

“You can also have it engraved separately. Don’t forget what I told you about the second movement.” [Schott’s has already written Beethoven asking for clarification on this correction.]

“I will also send you the Mass with the metronome markings soon.” [Beethoven never got around to metronomizing the Missa Solemnis.]

“I hope you have already received the new quartet [op.131, which Beethoven had delivered to Schott’s agent in Vienna on August 14, 1826.]”

“Regarding the publication of my complete works, I wish to know your opinion and request that you inform me of it as soon as possible. Had I not striven against it with all my might, the publication would already have partially begun, something that would be disadvantageous for the publishers, and of no benefit to me either.”

“The regions where I am now staying remind me somewhat of the Rhine region, which I so long to see again, having left it in my youth.”

“Write me something pleasant soon. As always, with the highest respect, your most devoted Beethoven.”

Brandenburg Letter 2223; Anderson Letter 1535. The letter bears a Vienna postmark, with the registry note “Beethoven Gneixendorf 13th Oct 1826/28 Nov 26.” The latter date is when Schott’s responded to Beethoven. The original is held in the Mainz City Library (Hs III 71, Nr.23), and can be seen here:

https://www.dilibri.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:0128-1-82963

When the metronome markings are published in Schott’s Cäcilia magazine 6 (1827) at 158, the number given for “Finale. Presto” is erroneously printed as 96 for the dotted half, as opposed to 66. This error was carried over in a letter by Ignaz Moscheles dated March 18, 1827, and the mistake was perpetuated for many years.

Schubert’s Symphony Nr.9 is here performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, undeterred by the difficulty of the work, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner:

Five works for piano solo, the Douzième Rondino (militaire) for piano solo, on a theme by Cherubini, op.100; the Onzième Rondino for piano solo, on a theme by Joseph Haydn, op.99; the Dixième Rondino for piano solo on a theme by W.A. Mozart, op.98; the Neuvième Rondino (de Chasse) for piano solo on an original theme, op.97; and the Huitième Rondino (alla Polacca) for piano solo on an original theme, op.96, round out the Diabelli announcement.

The Mozart Rondino, op.98, is here performed by Roman Repka, June 2017 in Kyiv:

Publisher Tobias Haslinger has his own Czerny works to announce on the same page of the Wiener Zeitung. These include the Fantaisie élégante ou Pot-pourri brillant for pianoforte, on popular themes from the opera La dame blanche, by François-Adrien Boildieu [sic], which had recently been well-received in Vienna in a German language version. Among other Czerny works offered by Haslinger is another newly-advertised work for piano four hands, Variations brillantes op.125, on a theme from the opera Il Crociato by Giacomo Meyerbeer.

Karl is preparing to go into the nearby village of Krems to run errands for his uncle. Karl tells him he needs 2 florins 12 kreutzers. He will get two books of music paper for his uncle at 1 florin 36 kreutzers per book. [Karl has made a math error here; he should have asked for 3 florins 12 kreutzers, and if this is not corrected will find himself a florin short.]

Johann’s wife Therese understands about taking in income and spending it, Karl tells Uncle Ludwig. Johann almost never goes to Krems; he doesn’t like it there.

Johann tells Ludwig that “In Spring and in Summer, it is daytime here from 9 in the morning until the evening, and the evenings are wondrously beautiful.” He also notes that this year’s young wine is mild and sweet, just like the evenings.

Conversation Book 123, 1v. This portion of the conversation book was translated by Prof. Theodore Albrecht.

Gioacchino Rossini’s opera Le siège de Corinthe is premiered today at the Paris Opera, the first work by Rossini to be given its first performance there. Parisian music publisher Leon Escudier describes the reaction thus: “The hall…leaped to its feet as one man at the final notes of the chorus and gave vent to a long shout of admiration.” Vienna is not alone in its enthusiasm for Rossini.