[Anderson footnote: “Immediately after Beethoven’s death on March 26, 1827 this famous letter was found together with other documents, such as the Heiligenstadt Testament … and a portrait of Therese Brunsvik in a secret drawer in his wardrobe. It was discovered by Karl Holz, who at Breuning’s request was searching for seven bank shares which had been bequeathed by Beethoven to his nephew. The letter, which consists of three separate parts, was probably never dispatched. Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s friend, amanuensis and first biographer, published it in his life of the composer, which appeared in 1840.
“The mystery surrounding the unknown recipient has been set forth by all Beethoven’s biographers with widely differing solutions. From the dating, Monday, July 6th, of the second portion of the letter (assuming, of course, that Beethoven dated it correctly) it could have been written in the years 1795, 1801, 1807, or 1812. But now that Beethoven’s residences and movements during those years have been established to a reasonable degree of certainty, the only possible year is 1812; and the inference is that he wrote the letter at Teplitz immediately after his arrival there on July 5th from Prague, where he had spent two or, at most, three days.
“According to Schindler who first published it in 1840, the letter was written in 1801 from a Hungarian spa to the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, then aged 17. According to A. W. Thayer it was written in 1806 (an impossible year, which was altered in later editions of TDR to 1812) to the Countess Therese Brunsvik. According to W. A. Thomas-San-Galli in his biography of Beethoven, published in 1913, the letter was written from Teplitz to Amalie Sebald. According to La Mara (Marie Lipsius) in her book Beethoven und die Brunsviks, Leipzig, 1920, it was written in 1812 to the Countess Josephine Stackelberg, née Brunsvik. For the many other suggestions which have been made see FRBH II, 347-352.
“The supposition most recently put forward in an elaborately documented volume by Siegmund Kaznelson, Beethovens ferne und unsterbliche Geliebte (Zürich, 1954), is that the letter was written to the Countess Josephine Stackelberg (née Brunsvik) and that Beethoven was the father of the third child of her second marriage, Minona, a daughter born on April 9, 1813. Many facts serve to disprove this quite untenable theory, notably the recent discovery of the thirteen letters written by Beethoven to Josephine during the years 1804-1807, the last of which obviously points to the termination of their friendship. Moreover, in all those letters to her Beethoven uses the Sie-form of address, whereas the intimate Du-form is used in this very passionate three-part letter to an unknown recipient. It is very doubtful whether the identity of the woman for whom this letter was intended will ever be established.”]
My angel, my all, my very self. –– Only a few words today, and, what is more, written in pencil (and with your pencil) –– I shan’t be certain of my rooms here until tomorrow; what an unnecessary waste of time is all this –– Why this profound sorrow, when necessity speaks –– can our love endure without sacrifices, without our demanding everything from one another; can you alter the fact that you are not wholly mine, that I am not wholly yours? –– Dear God, look at Nature in all her beauty and set your heart at rest about what must be –– Love demands all, and rightly so, and thus it is for me with you, for you with me –– But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you; if we were completely united, you would feel this painful necessity just as little as I do – My journey was dreadful and I did not arrive here until yesterday at four o’clock in the morning. As there were few horses the mail coach chose another route, but what a dreadful road it was; at the last stage but one I was warned not to travel by night; attempts were made to frighten me about a forest, but all this only spurred me on to proceed – and it was wrong of me to do so. The coach broke down, of course, owing to the dreadful road which had not been made up and was nothing but a country track. If I hadn’t had those two postilions I should have been left stranded on the way –– On the other ordinary road Esterházy with eight horses met with the same fate as I did with four – Yet I felt to a certain extent the pleasure I always feel when I have overcome some difficulty successfully – Well, let me turn quickly from outer to inner experiences. No doubt we shall meet soon; and today also Time fails me to tell you of the thoughts which during these last few days I have been the revolving about my life –– If our hearts were always closely united, I would certainly entertain no such thoughts. My heart overflows with a longing to tell you so many things –– Oh –– there are moments when I find that speech is quite inadequate –– Be cheerful –– and be for ever my faithful, my only sweetheart, my all, as I am yours. The gods must send us everything else, whatever must and shall be our fate ––
Your faithful
Ludwig
Monday evening, July 6th
You are suffering, you, my most precious one – I have noticed this very moment that letters have to be handed in very early, on Monday – or on Thursday – the only days when the mail coach goes from here to K. – You are suffering – Oh, where I am, you are with me – I will see to it that you and I, that I can live with you. What a life ! ! ! ! as it is now ! ! ! ! without you – pursued by the kindness of people here and there, a kindness that I think – that I wish to deserve just as little as I deserve it – main’s homage to man – that pains me – and when I consider myself in the setting of the universe, what am I and what is that man – whom one calls the greatest of men – and yet – on the other hand therein lies the divine element in man – I weep when I think that probably you will not receive the first news of me until Saturday – However much you love me – my love for you is even greater – but never conceal yourself from me – good night – Since I am taking the baths I must get off to sleep – Dear God – so near! So far! Is not our love truly founded in heaven – and, what is more, as strongly cemented as the firmament of Heaven? –
Good morning, on July 7th
Even when I am in bed my thoughts rush to you, my eternally beloved, now and then joyfully, then again sadly, waiting to know whether Fate will hear our prayer – To face life I must live altogether with you or never see you. Yes, I am resolved to be a wanderer abroad until I can fly to your arms and say that I have found my true home with you and enfolded in your arms can let my soul be wafted to the realm of blessed spirits –– alas, unfortunately it must be so –– You will become composed, the more so as you know that I am faithful to you; no other woman can ever possess my heart –– never –– Oh God, why must one be separated from her who is so dear. Yet my life in V[ienna] at present is a miserable life –– Your love has made me both the happiest and the unhappiest of mortals – At my age I now need stability and regularity in my life – can this coexist with our relationship? – Angel, I have just heard that the post goes every day – and therefore I must close, so that you may receive the letter immediately – Be calm; for only by calmly considering our lives can we achieve our purpose to live together – Be calm – love me – Today – yesterday – what tearful longing for you – for you – you – my life – my all – all good wishes to you – Oh, do continue to love me – never misjudge your lover’s most faithful heart.
ever yours
ever mine L.
ever ours