The
extreme delay in returning your libretto to you, my most esteemed
Sir, should be ascribed to the hesitation and the dilatoriness
of him who not only directs the Wiedener Theater but also censors
its productions -- However fortunate I should have counted myself
to be allowed to compose the music for this text, yes it would
have been quite impossible to do this now. If the subject had
not been connected with magic, your libretto might have extricated
me this very moment for my most embarrassing situation. For I
have finally broken with Schikaneder, whose empire has really
been entirely eclipsed by the light of the brilliant and attractive
French operas. Meanwhile he has kept me back four fully six months,
and I have let myself be deceived simply because, since he is
undeniably successful at creating stage effects, I hope that he
would produce something more brilliant than usual. But how greatly
have I been misled. I hope to at least he would have the verses
and the contents of the libretto corrected and considerably improved
by someone else, but in vain. For it was impossible to persuade
this fellow, who is so infatuated with his own opinion, to do
this. Well, I withdrew from my arrangement with him, although
I've for my part had composed several numbers. Just picture to
your self a Roman subject (of which I had been told neither the
scheme nor anything else whatever) and language and verses such
as could proceed only out of the mouths of our Viennese apple-women
-- Well, I have quickly had an old French libretto adapted and
I'm now beginning work on it. [Anderson footnote: "The French
libretto by J. N. Bouilly 'Leonore ou l'amour conjugal', which
Sonnleithner translated and adapted for Beethoven."] If your
opera had not been an opera with magic, I would've snatched it
with both hands. But the public hearing is now as prejudiced against
a subject of that kind as informally look for and desired it --
Such too is the opinion of the stage sensor, who also maintains
that however excellent one may find the first act, yet it is impossible
to form a judgment of the whole subject without having the two
acts -- Pray do not let yourself be put off by this opinion, but
as soon as you have written another opera, which, however, would
have to be a complete one, send it to me; and rest assured that
you will also be handsomely paid for it, because the owner of
the Wiedener Theater is really not niggardly about anything pertaining
to the theater! Meanwhile I am delighted to have made your acquaintance
in this way and I hope that this present disagreeable incident
will not prevent you from bearing me in mind now and then and
from applying to me immediately, should I be in a position to
serve you -- True enough, I could feel a little angry with you
for having so many false reports about me inserted, but no --
I realize that you are doing this purely out of ignorance of the
conditions prevailing in this city and the great number of enemies
I have in Vienna --
All
good wishes.
You're
most devoted
Beethoven