BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, December 1, 1821

Berlin publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger writes to Beethoven today, confirming receipt of the list of corrections for the piano sonata op.109 sent on November 14, and inquires about what Beethoven is doing for corrective measures in Vienna. Schlesinger announces he will be sending a proof of the 25 Scottish Songs, op.108.

Most significantly, Schlesinger confirms he will take the Missa Solemnis at Beethoven’s price of 200 gold ducats, but he would want a clean copyist’s copy (i.e., NOT Beethoven’s illegible autograph copy, which was the cause of so much grief on the piano sonata), plus a piano reduction of the work. He also renews his request for quartets and quintets from Beethoven.

Brandenburg letter 1448; not in Anderson. The letter is lost today, but its contents are known from Schlesinger’s notes on Letter 1447, and Beethoven’s response, letter 1450, dated December 12.