To [Nikolaus Zmeskall von Domanovecz, Vienna
Vienna, in the country, August 1793

 

DEAR AND MOST EXCELLENT FELLOW!

       I received my variations yesterday evening. Indeed they had become quite strange to me; and I am delighted, for to me this is a proof that my compositions are not entirely commonplace. But here are still a few mistakes which I must point out to you and which I beg you to have corrected immediately, because they are really very important ones.

       First of all, there is a mistake on the title-page where it is stated 'avec un violon ad libitum'. Since the violin is inseparably connected with the pianoforte part and since it is not possible to play the v[ariations] without the violin, this should be worded 'avec un violon obligate', exactly as I corrected it, moreover, in one copy ! In the twelfth bar of the first variation beginning at the last quaver there is a tie, which should not be there. It is marked with a little asterisk; it is in the bass. In the eleventh and twelfth bars of the third variation three notes in the bass have been omitted. In the eleventh bar these notes are F, a crotchet and a quaver; in the twelfth bar the note is an E and is a crotchet. This too is indicated.

       In the seventh bar of the fourth variation in the treble there are two marks above and below which look almost like trills. But these should be two slurs, as I have indicated.

       In the ninth v[ariation] at the end of the first part the double bar is missing, so that it looks as if the first part should be repeated, though it ought not to be. The four dots are to be removed and the four placed as I have indicated. At the double bar of the second part four dots have to be inserted, as I have indicated.

       In the seventh bar of the eleventh variation four notes in the treble are out of place; and this is a dreadful mistake. I have corrected these notes and written above them what they should be.

       In the third bar of the twelfth variation a note in the bass is out of place. I have put this too in the place where it ought to be. In the fifth and thirty-sixth bars of the coda a slur has been put under the treble notes. That is wrong. It should be merely a stem -- inserted to indicate that the following notes too must be played with the first finger. In the forty-first bar of the coda the note Bb in the bass has a stem below and above. That is wrong. The note should have a stem only below.

       In the eleventh bar of the second v[aration] in the bass instead of a quaver D a crotchet has been put, and instead of a crotchet D a quaver has been put. In the twenty-fifth bar of the eighth variation C appears in the bass instead of Bb. I have corrected these. All this applies to the pianoforte part.

       In the violin part everything is all right, save for the trifling errors which should be noted. In the penultimate bar of the sixth variation a slur over the two quavers has been omitted. In the first bar of the second part of the eleventh variation a dot after the note G has been omitted. In the eighth bar of the ninth variation in the pianoforte part two sixes have been put on these notes
                                                               
the lowest of which must be removed. In the pianoforte part in the fourteenth bar of the coda in the treble the tie which should be put after the F# has been omitted.

       In the fifth bar of the fifth variation in the violin part a natural has been left out. This has been marked.

       You are being very much pestered with these trifles. But you yourself will realize that they are serious mistakes. Please hasten to correct them so that they may all be altered together with the title-page. If some copies have already been sold, then Artaria must make a point of recovering those copies and correcting the errors. I am coming into Vienna myself tomorrow or the day after.

       I must close; and in my haste all that I can add is that I am with my best regards your friend

                                                                                                   Ludwig van Beethoven

       The copy on top is the one that has been corrected.