BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, July 8, 1825 (approximately)
About now, Beethoven works on a draft to Prince Nikolai Galitzin’s question about the viola part in op.127. There was a dispute amongst the musicians in St. Petersburg as to whether a particular note in the second movement, the 12th note of bar 50, was supposed to be a D-flat, or a C. The draft is partly in French, which the Prince knows, and partly in German, which he does not. The letter gives him some difficulty, and a fair copy is not made by Karl to send to the Prince until about July 13, and it is not actually sent to the Prince until after July 15th. Unfortunately, the final letter is not known to survive, but it was probably similar to this draft.
“Your highness! In answering the question, [composer Karl Traugott] Zeuner is absolutely right–the viola has a D flat in the passage, that is to say, [musical example follows of the viola part]. The motive for so writing is to be found in the theme itself, but above all because of the way melody is sung, which is always to be preferred above everything else. Moreover, this passage has as its basis [A in the cello with figured bass 6/4] as the grounding, while [G-flat] is in the first violin, which is nothing but a grace note or an anticipation, which every good singer will perform as such, just as Art is found in Nature and Nature is found in Art. But if I had written a [C in the musical figure], the melody would have been torn to pieces, and why? Because then instead of the 6/4 of the chord which in this place is against the A [in the cello], making the ground chord [D with a 5 figured bass], the [C in the musical example] would make the [A 6] the 6th chord, which would create the F minor chord [F with figured bass flat] as the ground, which would have been contrary to the entire flow of the melody and harmony, and too foreign. In short, Zeuner has reasoned it out perfectly, and I am pleased that such a skilled artist has guessed my intent right away.”
“The new quartet in A minor [op.132] is already finished. I am just trying to hand it over to you as quickly as possible. In my next letter, I will write you more, by which I hope to clear up the gloomy clouds that, as it seems to me, are gathering over you against me. Believe me, that the highest thing for me is that my art finds acceptance among the noblest and most cultured people. Unfortunately, one is only too readily drawn down into the earthly, human realm from the supernatural nature of art. However, are these not precisely the ones who belong to us, and without actually wanting or being able to accumulate treasures of happiness, we must nevertheless ensure that they bless our memory, since we are not Iroquois, who, as is well-known, leave the well-being of their people to the future and to God alone.”
“In conclusion, I must say only that I hear what difficulty you have with rubles and ducats, etc. I therefore ask that Your Excellency not make the slightest effort. I am completely satisfied, even if it remains as before, all the more so since you allow me to publish these quartets immediately. In this regard, I have also made use of Your Excellency’s permission with the first quartet and left it with a publisher. I also ask that you do not take offense over the accounting of the 4 ducats [charged by Henikstein for exchanging Galitzin’s rubles for ducats], as I am very conscientious. Indeed, I must confess that I still have 2 florins to account for. As I said, I am completely satisfied with the amount for the quartets. Such a distinguished person as yourself has to give everywhere, so please allow me the pleasure of leaving this to others, in the name of your generosity.”
“I am now handing over two overtures to Hönigstein [Henikstein], one of which I have taken the liberty of dedicating to Your Excellency. The other is to Prince Ra[dziwill], and I will be deeply pleased if you consider this dedication worthy of you–May heaven bless you and your family. I ask you to count me amongst the most grateful of your acquaintances, and so I conclude, etc.”
“The 3rd quartet is also almost completed.” [Opus 130. That quartet, although progressing well at this point, will not in fact be finished until December of 1825.]
Brandenburg Letter 2003, Anderson Letter 1405. The original is in a private collection, though a transcription appears in Oscar G. Sonneck, Beethoven Letters in America (New York 1927) at page 40. The Overture dedicated to Galitzin is Consecration of the House, op.124; that to Radziwill is the Name Day Overture, op.115, just published by Steiner. Beethoven will give this letter draft to Nephew Karl to rewrite and translate into French for him. An earlier draft of the letter can be found in the de Roda Sketchbook, Beethovenhaus NE 47 at f.23 and 24. That draft contains the following interesting passage not contained in the later version:
“These are the principles that we must observe in all other voices since true Nature always finds its principles in Art. This is the greatest achievement of Art in Nature: melody and harmony are paramount. It can be shown in the generalbass books what infinite changes harmony may offer, yet a generalbass book is not, like a cashier to a finance minister, there to calculate all the billions of combinations. Incidentally, it is not at all impermissible to act without paying attention to principles in the slightest. As soon as feeling opens a way for us, then away with all the rules.”
Beethoven’s claim that the op.132 quartet is finished is probably close to true, since no sketches for it appear in the De Roda sketchbook after this letter, which is surrounded by work on op.130. However, progress on that third quartet ended up being much slower than Beethoven anticipated at this time.