PS.
Partly
the distractions of my stay in Silesia and partly recent events
in your country are to blame for my not yet replying to your last
letter -- If circumstances are preventing you from coming to some
agreement with me, well, you are not forced to adopt any course
-- All I request you to do is to reply to me at once by the next
post so that, should you not wish to enter into discussions with
me -- I need not leave my works unused -- As for a three-year contract
I should be quite willing to make it with you at once, if you would
agree to my selling several works to England or Scotland or France
- It would be clearly understood that the works which you received
from me or which I sold to you would belong to you alone, that is
to say, would be exclusively and wholly your property, and would
be quite different from those for France or England or Scotland
-- But I should have to be allowed to retain the freedom to dispose
of other works as well to the countries I have just mentioned --
In Germany, however, you would be the owner of my works and there
would be no other publisher whatsoever -- I assure you that I would
gladly refuse to sell my works to the countries I have mentioned.
But I have received from Scotland, for instance, such very favourable
offers and a fee such as I could really never ask you to pay. [Anderson
footnote: "…George Thomson of Edinburgh] Moreover a connexion
with foreign countries is always of advantage to the reputation
of an artist, particularly if he starts travelling abroad -- since
the offers from Scotland, for instance, still leave me free to sell
the same works in Germany and France, I should be delighted to let
you have those works for Germany and France -- Hence you would only
lose London and perhaps Edinburgh (in Scotland) from your market
-- I would very gladly enter into a three-year contract with you
on these lines. You would still get enough works from me -- because
it so happens that orders from those countries are sometimes given
to suit a more individual taste, a factor we in Germany need not
consider - But on the whole I am inclined to think that it would
not be at all necessary for us to have a contract and that you ought
to rely entirely on my word of honour, that is to say, on the promise
which I give you herewith, i.e. that in Germany I shall give you
the preference over all others, and that it is clearly understood
that neither France nor Holland can claim any interest in these
works - of which you are the sole owner - Well, in this matter you
must now please yourself -- But the conclusion of a contract raises
a great number of difficulties. I would quote to you the fee for
each work - and as low a fee as possible -- For the time being I
am offering you three quartets and a pianoforte concerto [Op. 59
and 58] -- I cannot yet give you the symphony I promised you, because
a distinguished gentleman has taken it from me [Anderson footnote:
Op. 60. The 'distinguished gentleman' was undoubtedly Count Franz
von Oppersdorff, to whom the symphony was dedicated". But I
still retain the freedom to publish it after six months -- From
you I ask 600 gulden for the three quartets and 300 gulden for the
concerto, both sums to be paid in A.C. gulden at the twenty gulden
rate -- the arrangement I should prefer most of all would be if
you would notify me that the money has been deposited either at
your firm or at some other well-known banker's, whereupon I would
then draw a bill of exchange here in Leipzig -- If this method doesn't
suit you, I might also agree to your sending me for the sum in amounts
of 20 gulden an order made out correctly according to the rate of
exchange.
Perhaps
it will be possible for me to have the symphony engraved sooner
than I have been able to hope for up to the present. If so, you
may have it at an early date -- But do reply soon -- so that I may
not be held up -- In any case you may rest assured that I always
much prefer your firm to all other firms and shall continue to do
so --
With
kindest regards, your most devoted servant
L.
v. Beethoven