Your Imperial Highness!
I see that Baron Schweiger has not yet informed you of the attack ahead yesterday. I was suddenly struck down by such a fever that I completely lost consciousness; an injured foot may have partly caused this feeling of faintness. Hence it is impossible for me to go out today. But tomorrow I shall certainly have recovered. Hence I ask Your Imperial Highness to have the orchestra summoned for a quarter to three tomorrow afternoon, so that these worthy m[usicians] may come earlier an so that we may have enough time to rehearse the two overtures as well. Should Y.I.H. desire to have the latter rehearsed, then I should require four horns. But in the symphonies, of course, there are only two of them. For instruments in the symphonies I would like to have at least four violins, four seconds, four first, two double basses, two violoncello’s –– All I ask you is kindly to let me know today what you have decided. There is no greater pleasure for me been to let my eminent pupil here my works. May God soon restore your health. For I am often anxious about it ––
Your Imperial Highness’s
most obedient
Ludwig van Beethoven