Dear Simrock!
My
brother now in Vienna has told me that you have already engraved
or, at any rate, are going to engrave my variations for four hands.
I am an inclined to think that you should have taken the trouble
to consult me about this - What would you think of me if I were
to act in the same way and sell these variations to Artaria, although
you are now engraving them? However, do not let this cause you any
anxiety. The only point on which I insist is that you either give
up your idea of engraving them or just let me know whether you have
really begun the work. In that case, as soon as I have an opportunity
of doing so, I will send from here to my friend Count Waldstein,
to be delivered to you, a manuscript of the variations, from which
you can then engrave them. For I have made various corrections in
the MS and I do want to see my compositions appear at any rate in
as perfect of form as possible. The fact is that I had no desire
to publish at the present moment any variations, because I wanted
to wait until some more important works of mine, which are due to
appear very soon, had first been given to the world. [Anderson's
Note: most likely his three pianoforte trios, Opus 1, published
by Arteria during the summer of 1795]
Hence I asked you to write to me about this as soon as possible.
Perhaps
you would like to have a publisher in Vienna? If so, I would willingly
undertake to recommend to you one whom I know to be a first-rate
man.
Let
me add that I hope to receive at least two dozen copies, and that
I trust that they will be engraved more accurately. For in other
v[ariations] there was a serious error, namely in the sixth variation
instead of indicating A minor by three naturals, you allowed A major
with three sharks to stand. You sent me only one copy. Surely that
was damnably little - seeing that Arteria gave me for the other
variations a handsome fee and twelve copies.
Let
me know whether you want anything else from me, and, if so, what?
-
All
good wishes and give my greetings to Ries.
Your
friend who is at your service,
L.
v. Beethoven