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