PS.
I
am offering you the following works for 300 gulden:
1) Two sets
of variations, one of which consists of variations on God save
the King [WoO 78], the other of variations on Rule Britannia [WoO
79].
2) A quail
song [WoO 129], the text of which you may know. It consists of
three verses, but my setting is entirely durchkomponiert; --
3) Three
marches for four hands, which are easy and yet not too trivial.
In fact, the third of them is so grand that it could be described
as a march consisting of three marches [Opus 45] -
Reply
by the next post, for this is an urgent matter -
The
variations of which you so kindly sent me a few copies were not,
after all, absolutely correct - For this reason, therefore, I should
like to be able to see a copy of the others beforehand, since I
am always afraid that in these too there may perhaps be even more
serious mistakes - I shall do something for MIIe Bach as soon as
the winter begins. At the moment there are too few influential people
in Vienna and without these I could not collect an appreciable sum
-
Please
convey my most respectful thanks to the editor of the M[usikalische]
Z[eitung] for his kindness in allowing such a flattering report
on my oratorio to be inserted, which contains such blatant lies
about the prices I fixed and treats me in such a degrading manner.
Presumably the intention is to prove the paper's impartiality -
By all means - if that is what makes the fortune of the M[usikalische]
Z[eitung] -
What
nobility of character is expected of a true artist, and certainly
not entirely without good reason! On the other hand, how detestably,
how meanly people proceed to attack us without the slightest hesitation
-
Reply
at once. The next time I shall write about something else -'
As
always your most devoted
L.
v. Beethoven
NB.
All the works I am now offering you are quite new - I am mentioning
this because unfortunately so many wretched old things of mine are
being sold and engraved.