BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, April 15, 1822

Today’s Wiener Zeitung contains an announcement by Rossini, declaring that he has granted the sole and exclusive rights to issue his new opera Zelmira to Artaria & Co., in the original and in any arrangement, including for piano. Rossini states that he declares this publicly in order to prevent any misappropriation or accidental encroachment on the property of the publisher.

Artaria adds a note that a number of pieces from this opera have already been arranged for piano score, and work is still in progress on the remainder. Artaria notes that they also have the rights to Rossini’s operas La Bellezza (1821) and Il Mahomet (1820).