BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Monday, August 23, 1824

Beethoven writes today from Baden to his patron Archduke Rudolph, fulfilling the request made to him by Hans Georg Nägeli a few weeks ago. “I’m alive! How? The life of a snail. The unfavorable weather keeps setting me back again and again, and here in Baden it is impossible to be the master of one’s own strength as usual. Just a few days ago, Nägeli, who is not insignificant as an author and writer on music, wrote to me from Zurich. He is publishing 200 poems, including some related to music, and he has requested that I ask Your Imperial Highness to kindly subscribe to the collection. The price is very low: 20 groschen or 1 florin 30 kreutzers. If Y.I.H. were to subscribe to 6 copies, it will cause quite a stir, although I know Y.I.H. doesn’t pay attention to such things. It is enough for now if Y.I.H. will only have the grace to tell me your will on this. The money can be paid as soon as the copies arrive, which will be in a few months at most. Mr. Nägeli asked, and now I have made my request for him. Not everything can be measured out with a string, but as [Christoph Martin] Wieland says: a little book is easily worth a few groschen. If Y.I.H. crowns these poems by presenting his august name as a supporter of this man, they will certainly not be entirely worthless. As I am convinced of Y.I.H.’s participation in all that is noble and beautiful, I hope I have not erred in this request for Nägeli, and only ask that Y.I.H. give me written permission to inform Nügeli that Y.I.H. approves of the subscription.”

Brandenburg Letter 1864; Anderson Letter 1303. The original is held by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (A 84/138). Archduke Rudolph did subscribe as requested, and received his copies from Nägeli in February of 1825.