BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, February 20, 1822
Beethoven writes today to Berlin publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger, regarding a number of topics. Beethoven refers to Schlesinger on the address as a “famous bookseller and music publisher.”
Beethoven does not plead illness as he does so often, but rather that he has been extremely busy and thus unable to answer Schlesinger’s letter of January 8th. Given a reference later in the letter to Beethoven’s good health, the gout must not be bothering him currently, allowing him the ability to continue working hard. Schlesinger should have already received the second sonata (op.110). Beethoven notes that he has given the manuscript of the third sonata, op.111, to Tendler & Marstein. “Please don’t have me provide anything more to these people; they deducted 2 percent each time from the two payments, so I received 14 fl. too little.” [Apparently Schlesinger had sent a 2 percent fee to compensate Tendler & Marstein, but they double-dipped and also withheld an additional 2 percent from Beethoven’s distribution.]
In any event, the final sonata has already gone off to Berlin, but Beethoven intends to send Schlesinger another copy with a revised version of the last movement with variations. What Beethoven sent through Tendler & Marstein just the other day is already superseded. The explanation is that Beethoven had given his copyist Wenzel Rampl a first draft, “whereby, as it sometimes happens, some things were still incomplete and were not properly indicated, so you must not make use of it. I also ask you not to show it to anyone else. As soon as you have received the other copy, destroy it immediately. Due to my earlier illness, some things got misplaced and confused, so things like this can happen. You should get this revised movement at most eight days after you get the sonata itself, as well as the corrected proofs of the songs.” [The songs referenced are the 25 Scottish Songs, op.108. However, the proofreading on that massive set is slow work and Beethoven does not send the proof of the songs to Schlesinger until the end of March. With this revision to the finale of the sonata, Beethoven thus had Rampl create two complete copies of the sonata op.111, but per Beethoven’s instructions the second movement of the earlier draft does not survive. The first movement of the first version is held by the Beethovenhaus, BH 71; the duplicate corrected version is in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek, Artaria 198.]
Beethoven remembers his admirer Wilhelm Christian Müller, teacher at the Lyceum in Bremen, who with his daughter Elise had visited Beethoven in October 1820. Beethoven asks that Schlesinger send Müller a copy of the first sonata, op.109, as a gift from the composer.
“Now, as far as the Mass [the Missa Solemnis] is concerned, I accept your proposal [of January 8], namely 650 Prussian Reichsthalers for the work, including the piano arrangement, which I will do myself. As far as the copy is concerned, hopefully the cost of the copy does not come in too high, so we do not have a fight over the heavy deduction from this fee. As far as payment of the fee is concerned, I would prefer it to be with Herr v. Herz, [Leopold Eder von Herz, imperially-privileged wholesaler. Beethoven had received the fee for the Scottish Songs op.108 from Schlesinger through Herz on September 20, 1820] whom we all here know to be an honorable man. Just never again send anything, nothing more, through the usurious T and M Co. What I need to send to you I will hand over to Cappi & Diabelli, which should be all right with you.”
Beethoven says that in a few days he will send a followup letter with further information about the Mass, etc. and the issue of Schlesinger making payment one month after delivery [which Schlesinger had requested, rather than upon delivery.] “I will not be particular about it either, at least with regard to the four-part songs and quartets [which Schlesinger had repeatedly requested Beethoven write for him.]
“I greet your son [Maurice Schlesinger, a music publisher in Paris], who was a very dear person here. I thank him again for the veal roast that he gave me in Mödling.” [During the summer of 1819, Maurice learned that Beethoven was unable to get veal at his inn in Mödling. Maurice arranged for a roast veal to be sent to Beethoven from Vienna, which quite delighted the composer. Maurice, rather than Adolph, will end up publishing the first edition of the piano sonata op.111 in Paris.]
“Please excuse my unclassical letter style, because I am very hard pressed, and thank heaven for my good health. Beethoven”
Brandenburg letter 1458; not in Anderson. The original is in a private collection, having been auctioned in Paris in 1977.
It seems probable that shortly after this optimistic letter is sent Beethoven’s health will take another turn for the worse. There is no certain record whatsoever of his activities again for at least a month, until March 29th, when he will finally send Schlesinger the proofread Scottish Songs. In this letter he believed they would be out the door within the week. The more urgent revised finale for the piano sonata similarly does not leave Vienna until April 9th.
This is the second time Beethoven has sold the Missa solemnis, which remains unfinished.