Vienna,
August 4, 1800
You are receiving herewith one of my compositions,
which was in fact engraved and published some years ago, but of which
perhaps, I am ashamed to cnfess, you may not yet have heard. To excuse
myself and to explain why I dedicated to you a work which welled forth
so warmly from my heart and why I told you nothing whatever about the
dedication, is quite impossible, perhaps because at first I did not
know where you were living; and again partly owing to my shyness, which
led me to fancy that I had acted too rashly in dedicating a work to
you, without first ascertaining whether it would meet with your approval.
And even now I am sending you my adelaide with a certain amout of apprehension.
You yourself are aware what changes a few years may produce in an artist
who is constantly progressing. The greater the strides he makes in his
art, the less is he satisfied with his earlier works. -- My most ardent
desire will be fulfilled if my musical setting of your heavenly Adelaide
does not entirely displease you and if it inspires you soon to write
another similar poem. Provided you do not consider my request immodest,
I ask you to send me your next poem immediately; and I will then strive
to the utmost to make my setting worthy of your beautiful poetry. --
You must regard the dedication not only as an indication of the delight
which the composition of your A[delaide] has afforded me but also as
a token of my gratitude and my regard for the heavenly pleasure which
your poetry in general has always given and will ever give me.
--
When playing my setting of your A[delaide]
please remember now and then your sincere admirer
Beethoven