My Dear V[arena]!
It can do no harm to let you know in advance what I am sending you – Perhaps you can use a few or even a good many of these works – You are receiving three choruses which are not long and could be performed at various intervals during the concert – a grand scena for bass voice with choruses, from the ‘Ruinen von Athen’; it is sung at the very moment when the likeness of our Emperor appears (at Ofen in Hungary the likeness came up from below on to the stage) – Perhaps you can make use of something of this kind and – tickle the fancy of – the multitude – If necessary, the bass voice could be altered to a tenor. But I am sending you only the scores of all four compositions. Had I known which of them you could use, I would have had them copied here for you. I am to receive the scores tomorrow and Herr von Rettich will kindly arrange for you to have them at once. You are receiving into the bargain one more march for instruments already written out – Instead of one symphony you are getting two, firstly, the one you asked for written out and duplicated – and, secondly, another which, I believe, has not yet been performed at G[raz]. The latter is also written out – As everything else is written out, you will be able to have any vocal pieces you can use copied easily and in good time. No doubt Herr von Rettich will find a special opportunity to send you everything with all speed, since for a charitable undertaking everyone willingly lends a hand – Why can’t I do more for those good U[rsulines]? I would gladly have sent them two brand new symphonies composed by me. But my present situation unfortunately compels me to think of myself; and I really don’t know whether I shall not have to leave Vienna very soon and take refuge elsewhere. You may thank the excellent Princes who have placed me in the sorry position of not being able in work as usual for the benefit of all that is good and useful – Many thanks for your wine. And please thank the Reverend Ladies for the sweetmeats they have sent me.
Your friend
Beethoven