BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, December 21, 1822 (approximately)

Sometime about now, perhaps aggravated by the unpleasant dealings with C.F. Peters recently, Beethoven decides not to publish the Missa solemnis for general sale at this point, but rather to make it a subscription available to the nobility. This will involve greater expense, because instead of a single engraving it will involve making copies by hand of the entire Mass for each subscriber. But it should produce more income, Beethoven hopes, since he can effectively sell the Mass again after that to a publisher for the general market after a year or two has elapsed. But he will need help to do this, and he ponders the best way to accomplish such a subscription for the next few weeks.