P.P. [Praemissis
Praemittendis = with the necessary introduction]
You must
forgive my delay in replying to your letter to me. For a while
I was continually indisposed and at the same time overwhelmed
with work; and, since in any case I am not a very regular letter-writer,
let this fact also serve to excuse me. - In regard to your proposal
about some of my compositions, I am very sorry not to be able
to accept it at the moment. But please be so kind just to inform
me what types of compositions you would like to have from me,
namely, symphonies, quartets, sonatas and so forth, so that I
may be guided by your wishes and, should I happen to have the
works you require or desire, be able to supply them.- Mollo here
is going to publish, with my consent, seven or eight works; and
Hoffmeister in Leipzig is also publishing four works.-- In this
connection I merely point out that Hoffmeister is publishing one
of my first concertos[Opus 19], which, of course, is not one of
my best compositions. Mollo is also publishing a concerto which
was written later [Opus 15], it is true, but which also is not
one of my best compositions of that type. Let this serve merely
as a hint to your Musikalische Zeitung about reviewing these works,
though indeed, if one can hear them and, I should add, well performed
- one can then best form an opinion - Musical policy demands that
one should keep one's finest concertos to oneself for a time -
Advise your reviewers to be more circumspect and intelligent,
particularly in regard to the productions of younger composers.
For many a one, who perhaps might go far, may take fright. As
for myself, far be it from me to think that I have achieved a
perfection which suffers no adverse criticism. But your reviewer's
outcry against me was at first very mortifying. Yet when I began
to compare myself with other composers, I could hardly bring myself
to pay any attention to it but remained quite calm and said to
myself: 'They don't know anything about music'. And indeed what
made it easier for me to keep calm was that I noticed how certain
people were being praised to the skies who in Vienna had very
little standing among the best local composers - practically none
at all, whatever other excellent qualities they might possess
- However, pax vobiscum - Peace between you and me - I should
never have mentioned a syllable of all this, if you yourself had
not raised the point -
I recently
visited a good friend of mine who mentioned the sum that had been
collected for the daughter of the immortal god of harmony [footnote:
Regine Susanna Bach, the only surviving child of Johann Sebastian
Bach], and I was amazed at the small amount which Germany, and
especially your Germany, had contributed to this person whom I
revere for the sake of her father. And that has made me hit on
the following idea; how would it be if I were to publish some
work by subscription for the benefit of this person and, in order
to protect myself against all attacks, to inform the public of
the sum collected and of the yearly profit from the work? -You
could do most for this object. Let me know quickly how it could
best be arranged, so that it may be done before this brook dies
or, rather, before this brook has dried up and we can no longer
supply it with water [footnote 2: Beethoven is punning on the
word 'Bach', which means 'brook'.] - It is clearly understood,
of course, that you would publish the work.
With
kindest regards I remain your devoted
Ludwig van Beethoven