 Section 16 of the Life of Ludwig von Beethoven, Volume 1 by Alexander Wheelock-Fayer, translated by Henry-Edwick Rebiel. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 14, the years 1796 and 1797, Beethoven in Prague and Berlin, King Frederick, William the Second, and Prince Louis Vernand, Himmel, Foch and Zelter, compositions and publications. The narrative resumes its course with the year 1796, the 26th of Beethoven's life and his fourth in Vienna. If not yet officially, he was de facto discharged from his obligations to the elector Maximilian and all his relations with von and its people were broken off. Vienna had become his home and there is no reason to suppose that he ever afterwards cherished any real and subtle purpose to exchange it for another, not even in 1809 when for the moment he had some thought of accepting Jerome Bonaparte's invitation to Cassell. He had now entered his course of contra-puntal study with Albrecht's burger. He was first of the Piano Forte players of the capital and his name added attraction even to the concert which Haydn, returning again from his London triumphs, had given to introduce some of his new works to the Viennese. His master hand was already publicly recognized in the field of musical composition. He counted many nobles of the high ranks in his list of personal friends and had been perhaps even now was a member of Prince Carl Liknowski's family. The change in his pecuniary condition might have thrown a more equitable temperament than his office balance. Three years ago he anxiously noted down the few cruisers occasionally spent for coffee or chocolate for Haydn and Mick. Now he keeps his own servant and a horse. His brothers, if at all a burden, were no longer a heavy one. Carl Casper, according to the best information now obtainable, soon gained moderate success in the musical profession and with probably some occasional aid from Ludwig, both pecuniary and in obtaining pupils earned sufficient for his comfortable support. While Johann had secured the situation, in that apothecary shop Zoom Heiligengeist, which in 1860 was still to be seen in the Karneur Strasse near the former side of the gate of that main, his wages were of course small and we shall soon see that Ludwig offered him assistance if needed, though not to Carl, but Johann's position gradually improved and he was able in a few years to save enough to enable him, unaided by his brother to purchase and establish himself in a business of his own. Fated to become propitious to Beethoven and a final citation from the memorandum book will show in what spirit he was determined to merit the continuance of fortune's favor. If we make allowance for the old era as to his real age, this citation may belong to a period a year or two later, but may it not be one of those extracts from books and periodical publications which all his life long he was so fond of making. This seems to be the more probable supposition. The words of these, courage in spite of all bodily weaknesses, my spirit shall rule. You have lived 25 years, this year must determine the complete man, nothing must remain undone. And now, let the chronological narrative of events be resumed as the year 1795 ended with a public appearance of Beethoven as pianoforte player and composer, so also began the year 1796 and as on a former occasion in a concert by Haydn, so this time he played at a concert given by a singer, Senor Abola, who afterward became famous in the re d'etat en sale. Again he played a pianoforte concerto, meeting of friends in Nuremberg. In 1796, says Begler, Nachtragh, page 18, the two older brooning brothers, Christoph and Stefan, find him Beethoven at Nuremberg on a return journey to Vienna, which journey is not specified. None of the three having a passport from Vienna, they were all detained at Lenz, but soon liberated through my intervention at Vienna. And from a letter written by Stefan von Bruning to his mother dated January 1796, Begler quotes, from Nuremberg, Beethoven traveled all the way in company with us. The three Bonians thus attracted the attention of the police who thought they had made a wonderful discovery. I do not believe that there could be a less dangerous man than Beethoven. Begler's suggestion that Beethoven was returning, perhaps from Berlin, is of course out of the question, but between the date of Haydn's concert, December 18, and Stefan von Bruning's letter, if written towards the end of January, there was ample time, even in those days of post-coaches, for a journey to Prague and then sequels the country to Mürgen, or Ellingen, at that time the temporary residences of elector Maximilian. The necessity of Beethoven's knowing precisely what relation he was to stand with the elector in the future accounts sufficiently for his being in Nuremberg at that time, especially if he had had occasion to visit Prague during the Christmas holidays, which is not improbable. The La-Baz in his Kuhnsler lexicon has a paragraph of which this is a part. V. Beethoven, a concertmaster on the Piano Forte in the year 1795, he gave an academy in Prague at which he played with universal approval. It is true that the La-Baz may here record a concert given during Beethoven's stay in the Bohemian capital some weeks later, but on the one hand, no other notice of such a concert has been discovered, and on the other, universal approval on this occasion may have been an inducement for him to return there so soon. At all events, his delay in Vienna after coming from Nuremberg was short and was doubtless occupied with the last corrections of the Sonatas. Opus II dedicated to hiding the six menuetes, second part, the variations on the theme from the Nazi Disturbate, and those on Nell Corp. U, Non-Me Center, all of which works are advertised in the Weiner Zeitung in the course of the next two months while their author was again in Prague or city's farther north. For the following letter, we are indebted to Madame von Beethoven, widow of the composer's nephew, Carl. To my brother, Nicolaus Beethoven, to be delivered at the apothecary shop at the Carthner, Thor, Mr. von Sieb, will please hand this letter to the rigmaker who will care for its delivery. Prague, February 19, 1796, dear brother, so that you may at least know where I am and what I'm doing, I must needs write you. In the first place, I'm getting on well, very well. My art wins from me, friends, and respect. What more do I want? This time, too, I shall earn considerable money. I shall remain here a few weeks more and then go to Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin. It will probably be six weeks before I shall return. I hope that you will be more and more pleased with your sojourn in Vienna, but beware of the whole guilt of wicked women. Have you yet called on cousin Elz? You might write to me at this place if you have inclination and time. Ethel and Nowski will probably soon return to Vienna. He has already gone from here. If you need money, you may go to him boldly for he still owes me some. For the rest, I hope that your life will grow continually and happiness unto that end. I hope to contribute something, farewell, dear brother, and think occasionally of your true faithful brother, El Beethoven. Greetings to you, brother Caspar. My address is the golden unicorn on that climb cited. A dead gratitude is certainly due, Johann von Beethoven, for having carefully preserved this letter for a full half a century and leaving it to his heirs, notwithstanding all the troubles which afterwards arose between the brothers, since it is hardly more valuable and interesting for the facts which it states directly done for, what it indicates and suggests more or less clearly. A sojourn in Prague and its fruits, it, with other considerations, rendered it well, nigh certain that Beethoven had now come to Prague with Prince Liknowski as Mozart had done seven years before and that upon leaving Vienna, he had had no intention of pursuing his journey farther but encouraged by the success that was thus reported to his brother, he suddenly determined to seek instruction and experience, pleasure, profit, and fame in an extended tour. Had he projected this journey already in Vienna, how could all recollection of it have been lost by Begler? How could von Bruni in the letter cited above have omitted all mention of it? Or is it possible to think that Beethoven still so young and still so unknown outside the Austrian and Bohemian capitals, having so many powerful and influential friends there and there only could at this time have gone forth to seek elsewhere some permanent position with a fixed salary? The remarks which have been preserved made by him in writing our conversation, expressing a desire for such an appointment all belong to a later period and cannot by any torture of language be made to refer to this when he was looking into the future with well-grounded hopes and serene confidence of advancement in his new home. Vienna seemed to offer him all his ambition, could crave why should he seek his fortune beyond her walls? It is pleasant to note his care for the welfare of his brother Johann, which care doubtless the other brother did not need but how could Prince Lichnowski have been indebted to Ludwig? The musical public of Prague was the same that had so recently honored itself by its instant and noble appreciation of Mozart and had given so glorious a welcome to Figaro, Don Giovanni and Titus. There being no royal or imperial court there and the public amusements being less numerous than in Vienna. The nobility were thrown more on their own resources for recreation and hence besides the traditional taste of the Bohemians for instrumental music, their captive was perhaps a better field for the virtuoso than Vienna. No notice of any public concert given by Beethoven on this visit has been discovered either in the newspapers of the time or in the reminiscences of Thomas, Czeck and others and the considerable money earned this time must have been the presence of the nobility for his performances in their salon and perhaps for compositions. The conception of the aria, A, Parfida, Spur, Giora is generally associated with Beethoven's sojourn in Prague. The belief rests upon the fact that upon the cover of a copy which he revised, Beethoven wrote the words von Grangen, Mi, Zang, Music, Par, L, V, Beethoven, A, Prague, 1796 on the first page is written, Ressa, Tatibu, A, Aria, Composta, A, Dedicata, Ala, Signora, Contessa, DiClari, Da, L, V, Beethoven. The opus number 46 in this title is in the handwriting of Al Fuchs, who owned a copy now on November 21st, 1796. Madame Duce Czeck, the well-known friend of Mozart at a concert in Leipzig, sang an Italian center composed for Madame Duce Czeck by Beethoven. And it was easy to conclude that the aria was really written by Beethoven for Madame Duce Czeck. On a page of sketches preserved in Berlin, among others, there are sketches belonging to Parfida, which do not agree with the printed page. On the lower margin of the first page is the remark for Mademoiselle La Comte Czeclari. Not a bomb is led by these things to surmise that the aria was written in Vienna in 1795 before the visit to Prague. In any case, we are permitted to associate the date, 1796 only, with the completion of the work in Prague. And the purpose may well have been to have it sung by Madame Duce Czeck, who is thus proved to have belonged to the circle of Beethoven's friends in Prague. Nevertheless, the aria was originally intended for the Countess Josephine Clary, a well-known amateur singer, who married Count Christian Clam Gaullis in 1797. The Seine first appeared in print in the fall of 1805 when it was published in a collection made by Hofmeister and Kunl. Beethoven placed it upon the program of his concert in 1808. Another family in which Beethoven was received on the footing of a friend was that of Appellate, counselor, conker. Both father and son were dilettante composers and instrumental players. The father on the Via Langella, the son on the Piano Forte, Gerber gives him a place in his lexicon, Miss Jeanette. The daughter says that eulogistic Schoenfeld played the Piano Forte with great expression and skill. The son adopted his father's profession, became a distinguished writer on Bohemian law and in later years did Beethoven give service as legal advisor. There is in the aria collection a thick fascicle of sketches and musical fragments from Beethoven's hand in which papers from the Bonn period down to the close of the century are stitched together in such disorder as to show that they were thus joined merely for preservation. One sheet of mirrored sketches bears have correctly deciphered this inscription written and dedicated to GRCG as a souvenir of his stay MP on the fourth page of the sheet stands these four bag-talls by B with something more illegible, made not some yet unknown composition of Beethoven be still in the possession of the family of Klam Gallus. Count Christian and his two daughters are numbered by Schoenfeld among the fine Piano Forte players of Prague and these few notices exhaust the information obtained upon this visit of Beethoven there. Next to parents is in Berlin, no record has been found of the proposed visit either Dresden or Leipzig, although his journey it would seem must have taken him through the Saxon capital. Incidents of a visit to Berlin and after years he was fond of talking about his soldier in Berlin and some particulars have thus been preserved. He played, says Reese, several times at court that of King Frederick II where he played the two grand sonatas with Aplegato via Lone cello opus five written for Duport, first Bieland cellist of the king and himself on this departure he received a gold snuff box built with Louis D'Or, Beethoven declared with pride that it was not an ordinary snuff box but such in one as it might have been customary to give to an ambassador. This King cheered his uncle Frederick II's love for music while his taste was better and more cultivated. His instrument was the Bieland cello and he often took part in quartets and sometimes in the rehearsals of Italian operas. He exerted a powerful and enduring influence for good upon the musical taste of Berlin. It was he who caused the operas of Gluck and Mozart to be performed there and introduced oratorials of handle into the court concerts. His appreciation of Mozart's genius and his wish to attach that great master to his court are well known and these facts render credible a statement with which Carl Zerny closes a description of Beethoven's extemporaneous playing contributed to Cox's London musical miscellany, August 2nd, 1852. His improvisation was most brilliant in striking in whatever company he might chance to be. He knew how to produce such an effect upon every hearer that frequently not an eye remained dry while many would break out into loud sobs for there was something wonderful in his expression in addition to the beauty and originality of his ideas and his spirited style of rendering them. After ending an improvisation of this kind he would burst into loud laughter and banter his hears on the emotion he had caused in them. You are fools, he would say. Sometimes he would feel himself insulted by these indications of sympathy. Who can live among such spoiled children he would cry. And only on that account as he told me he declined to accept an invitation which the King of Prussia gave him after one of the extemporary performances above described. Chapelmaster Reichhardt had withdrawn himself from Berlin two years before having fallen into disfavor because of his sympathy with the French Revolution, neither Himmel nor Regini. His successors ever showed a genius for chamber music of a high order and indeed there was no composer of reputation in this sphere than living in that quarter. The young Beethoven by his two sonatas approved his powers and the King saw in him precisely the right man to fill the vacancy no small proof of superior taste and judgment. What the German expression was which the translator of Zerny's letter has rendered except an invitation which the King gave him. There's no means of knowing but as it stands it can only mean an invitation to enter permanently into his service. The death of the King the next year of course prevented his being ever renewed. Frederick Heinrich Himmel, five years older than Beethoven whom the King had withdrawn from the study of theology and caused to be thoroughly educated as a musician first under Naumann in Gresden and afterwards in Italy had returned the year before and had assumed his duties as royal pianist and composer. As a virtuoso on his instrument his only rival in Berlin was Prince Louis Ferdinand, son of Prince August and nephew of Frederick II two years younger than Beethoven and in that nature with talents and genius which would have made him conspicuous had fortunately not given him royal descent. He and Beethoven became well known to each other and each felt and did full justice to the other's musical genius entertainments. Now let Ries speak again. Meetings with Himmel, Basch and Zelte. In Berlin he Beethoven associated much with Himmel of whom he said that he had a pretty talent but no more his piano forte playing. He said was elegant and pleasing but he was not to be compared with Prince Louis Ferdinand. In his opinion he paid the latter a high compliment when once he said to him that his playing was not that of a King or Prince but more like that of a thoroughly good piano forte player. He fell out with Himmel in the following manner. One day when they were together Himmel begged Beethoven to improvise which Beethoven did. Afterwards Beethoven insisted that Himmel do the same. The latter was weak enough to agree but after he had played for quite a time Beethoven remarked well when you are going fairly to begin Himmel had flattered himself that he had already performed wonders. He jumped up and the men behaved ill towards each other. Beethoven said to me I thought that Himmel had been only pre-looting a bit. Afterwards they were reconciled indeed but Himmel could never forgive or forget. They also exchanged letters until Himmel played Beethoven a shabby trick. The latter always wanted to know the news from Berlin. This board Himmel who at last wrote that the greatest news from Berlin was that a lamp for the blind had been invented. Beethoven ran about with the news and all the world wanted to know how this was possible. Thereupon he wrote to Himmel that he had blundered and not given more explicit information. The answer which he received but which does not permit of communication not only put an end to the correspondence but brought ridicule upon Beethoven who was so inconsiderate as to show it then and there. With Carl Frederick Christian Foch and Carl Frederick Zelte he also made a friendly acquaintance and twice at least attended meetings of the Shinga Academy which then numbered about 90 voices. The first time June 21st says the Shinga Academy, a chorale. The first three numbers of the mass and the first six of the 119 songs were sung for him. Hereupon he seated himself at the Piano Forte and played an improvisation on the theme of the final few. Minor Zunga wound in that song, Dain Lap. The last numbers of David Diana, a collection of verses by Foch formed the conclusion. No biographer has mentioned this visit or even his sojourn in Berlin. Nor does Foch pay special attention to it but the performance must have pleased for it was repeated at the meeting on the 28th. The performance of the society must also have pleased Beethoven and with good reason for Foch's mass was in 16 parts and the song and David Diana in part in eight and no such music was then to be heard elsewhere north of the Alps. In 1810 Beethoven speaking of his playing on that occasion told Madame von Arnhem then Elizabeth Bertana that at the close his hearers did not applaud but came crowding around him weeping and added ironically that is not what we artists wish we want applause. Foch's simple record of Beethoven's visit is this. June 21, 1796, Mr. von Beethoven extemporized on that David Diana taking the fugue theme from Psalm 119, number 16, Mr. Beethoven pianist from Vienna was so accommodating as to permit us to hear an improvisation. June 28, Mr. von Beethoven was again so obliging as to play an improvisation for us. Early in July, the king left Berlin for the baths of Priermont the nobility dispersed to their estates or to watering places and the city was empty and silent. Beethoven therefore could have had no inducement to prolong his stay but the precise time of his departure is unknown. Schindler names Leipzig as one of the cities in which during this tour Beethoven awakened interest and created a sensation by his piano forte playing and particularly by his brilliant improvisation for no illusion in any public journal of that or any subsequent period not even the faintest tradition has been discovered to confirm the evidently erroneous statements. Moreover, Rockwitz in his account of a visit to the composer in 1822 remarks had not yet seen Beethoven and again it was only as a youth that he passed through Leipzig. So until some new discovery be made this must also find its place in the long list of Schindler's mistakes. An outstanding regular statement noticed in 28 that he left Beethoven a member of the family of Prince Leknowski in the middle of 1796. It is as certain as circumstantial evidence can well make it that the doctor and Christoph von Brunning had returned to Bonn before Beethoven reached Vienna again. But Stefan and Lenz were still there. The former obtained at this time an appointment in the Teutonic Order which so many of his ancestors had served and his name appears in the published calendars of the order from 1797 to 1803 both inclusive as Hoffroth's successor he then soon departed from Vienna to Murgentheim when he wrote November 23rd with other matters the following upon Beethoven to Wegler and Christoph. I do not know whether or not Lenz has written you anything about Beethoven but take notice that I saw him in Vienna and that according to my mind which Lenz has confirmed he has become somewhat stator or perhaps I should say has acquired more knowledge of humanity through travels or was it because of the new evolution of friendship on his arrival and a greater conviction of the scarceness and value of good friends a hundred times dear Wegler he wishes you here again and regrets nothing so much as that he did not follow much of your advice notice in page 19. Except this notice of his bearing and demeanor there is a complete hiatus in Beethoven's history from his appearance in the Shinga Academy until the following November the so-called fish-off manuscript passed it is true of the story of a dangerous illness which was caused by its own imprudence this summer but as it is in date utterly irreconcilable with other known facts it will receive its due consideration hereafter. The most plausible suggestion is that coming back flushed with victory with the success of his tour and delighted with the novelty of traveling at his ease he made that excursion to Pressburg and Pash of which afterwards Reese was informed and made record notice in page 109 but of which no other account is known attempts at patriotic music and thus become to November this was the year of that astounding series of victories ending at our coal gained by the young French general Napoleon Bonaparte the Austrian government and people alike saw and feared the danger of invasion a general uprising took place and volunteer corps were formed in all quarters for the Vienna corps Friedlberg wrote his Abschaedgesang and Fiendsberger by Al-Slog der Wannen-Devisdien der Werner Frey-Villiers-Ger and Beethoven set it to music the original printed edition bears date November 15, 1795 it does not appear to have gained any great popularity in a drinking song last Das Herz und Froheurreben was afterwards substituted for Friedlberg's text and published by Schott in Mayans the rapid progress of the French army had caused the Germans in Italy to become distrustful of the future and to hasten homework among them were Beethoven's old companions in the Bonn Orchestra the cousins Andreas and Bernhard Romberg who in the spring of this year, May 26 had kissed the hand of the Queen of Naples daughter of the Empress Maria Teresia and then departed to Rome to join another friend of the Bonn period Carl Kugelgen the three coming north arrived at Vienna in the autumn the Rombergs remained there for a space with Beethoven while Kugelgen proceeded to Berlin bear in Bonn-Bron not to be mistaken for Beethoven's first Mycenaeus the Russian Count Brown had heard the cousins the year before in Munich and invited them to give Vienna an opportunity to hear them there is no notice of their concert in the Vienna newspapers of the period and the date is unknown from Lance von Brüning is gleaned an additional fact which alone gives interest to the concert for us he writes to Begler in January, 1797 not 1796 as erroneously printed in the appendix to the notice in page 20 and after the meeting with von Brüning's at Nuremberg Beethoven is here again he played in the Romberg concert he is the same as of old and I'm glad that he and the Bonnberg still get along with each other once he was near a break with them I interceded and achieved my end to a fair extent moreover he thinks a great deal of me just now it is clear that the Rombergs under the circumstances must have largely owed their limited success to Beethoven's name and influence in February, 1797 they were again in their old positions in Schroeder's Orchestra in Hamburg Beethoven during this winter must be imagined busily engaged with pupils and private concerts perhaps also with his operatic studies with Salieri certainly with composition and with preparation for and the oversight of various works then passing through the press for in February and April Artaria advertises the two via Langello Sonata's Opus V the Pianoforte Sonata for four hands Opus VI, the Triu Opus III the Quintet Opus IV and the Twelve Variations on a Danse Rousse these last are the variations which he dedicated to the Countess Brown and which gave occasion for the anecdote related by Rhys illustrating Beethoven's forgetfulness for this dedication he had received a handsome riding horse from Count Brown as a gift he rode the animal a few times soon after forgot all about it and worse than that its food also his servant who soon noticed this began to hire out the horse for his own benefit and in order not to attract the attention of Beethoven to the fact for a long time with help from him all bills for fodder at length however to Beethoven's great amazement he handed in a very large one which we call to him at once his horse and his neglectfulness notice in page 120 on Thursday April 6, 1797 Schupen Sieg gave a concert on the program of which Beethoven's name figured twice number two was an Aria by Mr. von Beethoven son by Madame Triboulay Villeman number three was a quintet for Piano Forte and four wind instruments played and composed by Mr. L. V. Beethoven this was the beautiful quintet opus 16 the time of whose origin is thus more definitely indicated that in the Chrono logiscia their zeikness a fact for which we are indebted to notabomb but the war was renewed in the thoughts of the Viennese were occupied with matters more serious than the indulgence of their musical taste on the 16th of March Bonaparte forced the passage of the Taglia Mento and Izanza during the two weeks following he had conquered the greater part of Carniola, Carinthia and the Tyrol and was now rapidly approaching Vienna on the 11th of February Lawrence Leopold Hauschka Gatz Erhalter Unsehn Kaiser with Haydn's music had been sung for the first time in the theater and now when on April 7th the Landsturm was called out Freidelberg produced his war song Eingroßes, Deutsches, Volk und sinds wir hier to which Beethoven also gave music the printed copy bearers date April 14th suggesting the probability that we're selling the occasion of the grand consecration of the banners which took place on the glasses on the 17th Beethoven's music was however far from being so fortunate as Haydn's and seems to have gained as little popularity as his previous attempt but as the preliminaries to a 3D piece were signed at Leoben on the 18th and the armies so hastily improvised were dismissed three weeks afterwards the tasteful war songs vanished a quiet and uneventful period the little that is known of Beethoven's position as a teacher of this period is very vague and unsatisfactory enough however to render it sufficiently certain that he had plenty of pupils many of them young ladies of high rank who paid him generously in the triple capacity of teacher composer and pianist his gains were large and he was able to write in May to Weigler that he was doing well and steadily better it is very possible that the illness mentioned by that Fischhoff manuscript may have occurred during this summit there can be little doubt that the original authority for the statement is Zemeckl and therefore the fact of such an attack may be accepted as certain but the date being as they're given clearly wrong as well as the inference that in it lay the original cause of the composer's subsequent loss of hearing must be left mainly to conjecture from May to November 1797 Beethoven's history is still a blank in nothing but the utter silence of Lenz von Bruning in his correspondence with his family at von on a topic so likely to engage his sympathies as the dangerous illness of his friend appears to prevent the filling of this blanking part by throwing him upon a bed of sickness true Lenz may have written and the letter have been lost or destroyed or he may have neglected to write because of his approaching departure from Vienna which took place in the autumn his album still preserved as among its contributors Ludwig and Johann von Beethoven and Zemeckl Ludwig wrote his thoughts truth exists for the wise beauty for a feeling heart they belong to each other dear good Bruning never shall I forget the time which I spent with you in Bonn as well as here hold fast your friendship for me you will always find me the same your true friend L.B. Beethoven Vienna 1797 the 1st of October they never met again Lenz died on April the 10th of the following year November Beethoven enjoyed a singular compliment paid him by the association of the Belden de Künzler a repetition of his minuettes and trios composed two years before for the artist ball and on the 23rd of December he again contributed to the attractions of the Witters and Orphans concert by producing the variations for two oboes and English horn on La Cee Darum La Manne played by Zervenka, Ruder and Timer his publications in 1797 besides those mentioned at the beginning of the year were the 12 variations for Piano Forte and via Lanciello on the theme from Handel's Judas Maccabees precise data known the Piano Forte Sonata Opus 7 and the Serenade Opus 8 both advertised by Artaria and company October 7th finally the Rondo in C Opus 51 number one published by Artaria with the catalog number 711 the composition of Adelaide we come to a consideration of the facts touching the compositions of the year 1796 and 1797 among the most widely known of these is Adelaide the composition of this song must have been begun in the first half of 1795 if not early four sketches of it are found among the exercises in double counterpoint written for Albrecht's burger other sheets containing sketches for Adelaide and the setting of burgers Souv, Zer, Ines, Uga, Liebten are preserved in the library of the Charles Schaft their music friend in Vienna and the British Museum in London the song was published by Artaria in 1797 under the title Adelaide von Matheson Ina Kantata for Ina sings Timmit, Big Le Tongue, Day's Glaviers the music is that's undemn der Faser Gevidmet von Ludwig von Beethoven the Opus number 46 was given to it later in 1800 Beethoven sent a copy of the song to the poet and accompanied it with the following letter most honored sir you are here with receiving from me a composition which has been in print for several years but concerning which you probably to my shame know nothing perhaps I can excuse myself and explain how it came about that I dedicated something to you which came so warmly from my heart yet did not inform you of the fact by saying that at first I was unaware of your place of residence and partly also I was diffident not knowing but that I had been over hasty in dedicating a work to you without knowing whether or not you've met with your approval even now I send you Adelaide with some timidity you know what changes are brought by a few years and an artist who is continually going forward the greater the progress one makes in art the less one is satisfied with one's older works my most ardent wish will be fulfilled if my musical setting of your heavenly Adelaide does not wholly displease you and if it should move you soon to write another poem of its kind and you not finding my request too immodest should send it to me at once I will put forth all my powers to do your beautiful poetry justice look upon the dedication as partly a token of the delight which the composition of your a gave me partly as an evidence of my gratitude and respect for the blessed pleasure which your poetry has always given and always will give me when playing Adelaide sometimes recall your sincere admirer Beethoven, Vienna, August 4th, 1800 whether or not Matheson answered this letter is not known but when he republished Adelaide in the first volume of his collective poems in 1815 he appended to it a note to this effect several composers have idolized this little lyric fantasy with music but according to my strong conviction none of them so through the text into the shade with his melody as the highly gifted Ludwig von Beethoven in Vienna the opera lead the words of which were also written by Matheson is one of the poems to which Beethoven repeatedly recurred it seems always to have presented itself to him as a prayer says not a bomb its last words the beautiful to the good were written in autograph albums even in his later years the origin of the composition is to be ascribed to 7095 as not a bomb enters it in his catalog it was thus possible for Fregler to know it in 7097 when he put a Masonic text under the music it had not yet been published at that time however which fact accounts for the discovery of sketches for it in a sketchbook of 7098 to 7099 described by not a bomb it was not published until later probably in 1808 when it came with two other songs from the press of Simrock Beethoven composed the poem a second time utilizing the beginning of his first melody for solo course and orchestra opus 121b to this setting we shall recur hereafter there is still another song which must be brought into the story of this period it is the Soetze Ines Unger Liebten with its two parts based on two independent but related poems by Berger particular interest attaches to the second part Gergen Lieber from the fact that its melody was used afterward by Beethoven for the variations in the chorale Fantasia Opus 80 sketches for this melody are found associated with sketches for Adelaide on a sheet in the archives of the cell shot there music frunda not a bomb fixes the ear of the song's origin as 7095 it was first published as late as 1837 by Daya Belly along with the song to Taube du Klages which was composed much later the Italian song Ocaro Selva Ocaro Felice Lberta from Matastius Olemi Piaud entered under number 1264 in Thayer's chrono logisca their zikeness appears as a chorus for three voices at the end of the Albrechtsberger exercises and hence may be placed in the year 7095 as is done by not a bomb who adds that it originated simultaneously with the setting of their Einstein Friar Mon here mentioned must also be made of two arias which Beethoven wrote for introduction in Umlau's comic opera D. Schoenach, Schuestern these songs were sung to the bomb period in the first edition of this biography because the opera was performed in Bonn in the year 1789 and 1790 the two songs composed by Beethoven are an arietta or rather strophic song O. Welch, I'm Leben Fortenner and an aria so I'm Schuch, Dicht, Trucken for soprano the words of that letter are in the original libretto the words of the tenor song go not part of the original text were obviously written for the opera the melody was afterward used by Beethoven as a setting for Gertus Mayer published 1805 as Opus 52 both songs as written for the opera were published for the first time in the complete edition of Beethoven's works from the Coppice Preservation at Berlin Library numerous pieces of chamber music most important of the instrumental compositions of this period is the quintet for Strings Opus 4 which is frequently set down as an arrangement or revised transcription of the octet Opus 103 the quintet however though it employs the same motowi as the octet is an entirely reworked made so by the radical changes of structure changes of register to adopt the themes to the stringed instruments and changes in the themes themselves the origin of the quintet can be placed anywhere in the period from 1792 when the octet was probably begun to the beginning of 1797 when the quintet was advertised as Holy New there is a clue in the Begler anecdote already related in connection with the string trio Opus 3 in the chapter of this work devoted to the works composed in Bond in 1795 Count Apony commissioned Beethoven to compose a quartet the honor variant being fixed the Begler's recollection was that Beethoven twice undertook the task but the first effort resulted in the string trio and the second in a quintet Opus 4 there is not sufficient internal evidence to reject the story so far as it affects the quintet the trio has already been subjected to study and from its structure it might well be argued that the composition was undertaken as a quartet and expanded into a quintet in the hands of the composer if Count Apony's commission was given in 1795 the date of the completion of the quintet may be set down to 1796 Artaria who published the work advertised it in the Biner Zeitung of February 8, 1797 the two sonatas for piano four-tenth Bieland cello Opus 5 belong to the year 1796 and are the fruits of the visit to Berlin there is no reason to question Risa's story that Beethoven composed them for pure duport and played them with him the dedication to Frederick Wilhelm II and the character of the works lend credibility to Risa's account of their origin Beethoven played them with Bernard Romberg in Vienna at the close of 1796 or beginning of 1797 they were published soon afterward being advertised by Artaria in the Biner Zeitung of February 8, 1797 the twelve variations on a theme from Handel's Judas Maccabees were published by Artaria in 1797 dedicated to the princess Lichnowski in a Countess's Thun there was no performances of Handel's oratorios in Vienna at this time but it is not improbable that the suggestion for the variations came from Baron von Sleitan here seems to be the place to refer to the Allegra movement in sonata form for viola and via launcella which Beethoven gave the title duet mit zwei Algenglassen obligato von L.B. Beethoven duet with two eyeglasses obligato by L.B. Beethoven to be found in the volume of sketches from this period 1784 to 1800 which the British Museum bought from J.N. Kafka in 1875 there ought to be a hint as to the identity of the two players with two eyeglasses obligato here is also the place for the three duos for clarinet and bassoon first published by André in Ofenbach the sixth step for wind instruments published by Breitkopf and Hartel in 1810 it received the opus number 71 later belongs to this period sketches for the last movement which differ from the ultimate form however are found amongst the sketches for the piano forte sonata opus 10 number three the inception of the sonata must fall sometime between the middle of 1796 and the middle of 1798 since the subscription for it was opened in the beginning of July 1798 another works of a similar character were already completed in 1797 it is therefore possible to place the origin of the earlier movements of the sextet in an earlier period say 1796 to 1797 a proceeding which is confirmed by the circumstance that the beginning is found before sketches for a perfido which was composed in 1796 at the latest on a sheet of sketches in the Artaria collection the Kafka volume of sketches in the British Museum contains sketches for the minuet entree of the sextet perfida and that piano forte sonata opus 49 number two this fact also indicates the year 1796 Beethoven let the work lie a long time it had its first hearing at a chamber concert for the benefit of Schupenzig in April 1805 but it was not until 1809 that he gave it out for publication on August 3rd of that year he wrote to Breitkopf and Hartel by the next male coach who will receive a song or perhaps do in a sextet for wind instruments and on August 8th the sextet is one of my earlier things and moreover was written in a single night nothing can really be said of it beyond that it was written by an author who at least has produced a few better works yet for many people such works are the best the statement that the work was written in a single night must be taken in a pick, wiki and sense for sketches of it have been found predilection for wind instruments it is plain that at this time Beethoven had a particular predilection for wind instruments very prior owned a fragment of a quintet in reflux for oboe, three horns in bassoon formally in the possession of artari the beginning of that first movement is lacking but can be supplied from the repetition in the second part the adagio is intact but there are only a few measures of the minuet influenced no doubt by the performances of such compositions Beethoven composed at this time two works for two oboes and English horn not a bomb surmises that they were instigated by a terzetto for two oboes an English horn composed by a musician named Bent and performed at a concert of the Tong Kunstler Kassel Schaft by three brothers Johann Franz and Philip Timer on December 23rd, 1793 one of the two works the trio which was published as Opus 87 is pretty well known since it was made accessible to wider circles by arrangements published in Beethoven's day and with his approval Artaria published it in April 1806 without Opus' number he also published it for two violins and viola as Opus 29 and finally as a sonata for piano forte and violin the last transcription was published first as stated in Thayer's catalogue nothing of a historical nature is known of the variations on la sida rem for the same instruments beyond the fact that they were performed on December 23rd, 1797 at the concert for the benefit of the widows and orphans in the National Court Theater on a free page of the autograph after the sixth variation there are some miscellaneous sketches among them a motive for the adagio of Opus 3 another which was used in the Sarah nod Opus 25 and more remarkable still a few measures of Adelaide on which he was at work in 1793 and which appeared in print in 1797 obviously the variations were finished we may sit down at the latest the year 1795 for their beginning the sextet for four stringed instruments and two horns Opus 81B also belongs to this early period and in all likelihood was conceived before the sextet for wind instruments sketches for the first two movements are upon a sheet in the Berlin Library by the side of sketches for the song Sufzer, Ines, Unger, Liebten sketches for the song Keep Company with some for Adelaide the sextet is therefore to be credited to the year 1795 or perhaps 1794 it was published in 1819 by Simrock and Bonn in a letter which Beethoven sent to Simrock with the manuscript but which has been lost he had written to the publisher who was an admirable horn player that the people had given his master many are hard nut to crack as to whether or not and if so when and where the sextet had been played before being sent to Simrock there is as yet no conclusive evidence the beautiful quintet in E flat Opus 16 for piano 14 when instruments was played at a concert given by Schupen Sieg on April 6, 1797 being number five on the program which described it as a quintet for the forte piano accompanied by four wind instruments played and composed by Mr. Ludwig von Beethoven it had probably been completed not long before sketches are found in connection with the remark concerning the sonata in C minor Opus 10, number one it was in all probability composed between 1794 and the beginning of 1797 in the minutes of a meeting of the Tonk-Kunzler-Gessell shop under date May 10, 1797 occurs this entry on the second day Mr. von Beethoven produced the quintet and distinguished himself in the quintet and incidentally by an improvisation the word dabbé incidentally seems to indicate that he introduced an improvisation in the quintet as he did on a later occasion to the embarrassment of the other players but to the delight of the listeners Rhys tells the story in his notice in page 79 it was at a concert at which the famous oboist Friedrich Rahm of Munich took part in the final Allegro there occur several holes before a resumption of the theme at one of these Beethoven suddenly began to improvise took the Rondo as a theme and entertained himself and the others for a considerable space but not his associates they were displeased and Rahm even enraged all grot it really was comical to see these jump and waiting as expectantly every moment to go on continually lifting their instruments to their lips and quietly putting them down again and last Beethoven was satisfied and dropped again into the Rondo the entire audience was delighted Oaxia Luski doubts the correctness of the story since there is but one hold in the finale Dr. Deiders thought Rhys confounded the last with the first movement in which the clarinet enters after Ramada the quintet was published by Molo Vienna in 1801 and was dedicated to Prince Schwarzsenberg it appeared simultaneously in one arrangement made by Beethoven himself as a quartet for piano, forte and strings as Rhys expressly declares Beethoven had nothing to do with the arrangement as a string quartet published by Artaria as Opus 75 touching the history of the serenade for violin viola and violoncello Opus 8 little else is known beyond the fact that his publication was announced in the Weiner Zeitag on October 7th, 1797 by Artaria Mr. Schadlot called attention in the musical times of 1892 page 525 two sketches which appeared along with others of the piano, forte, concerto and b-flat and the trio Opus 1, number two that Beethoven valued the work highly is a fair deduction from the fact that he published it soon after its composition and authorized the publication of an arrangement for piano, forte and viola which he had revised this arrangement received the Opus number 42 though probably not from Beethoven Hofmeister and Leipzig who published in 1804 under the title naturnum pour forte piano et alto arranger d'une enanturnum pour violon alto et violoncella et revue par l'autour however 42 advertised it in the Intella Gensblatt der Zeitschrift viewer the elegant belt on December 17th, 1803 it is this arrangement now doubt to which Beethoven referred in a letter to Hofmeister dated September 22nd, 1803 in which he said these transcriptions are not mine though they were much improved by me in places therefore I'm not willing to have you state that I made them for that would be a lie and I couldn't buy neither time nor patience for such work according to the view of Dr. Diders which was shared also about not a bomb the serenade Opus 25 also belongs here it was probably composed before Opus 8 Beethoven entrusted his publication in the beginning of 1802 to copy who had just begun business then like Opus 8 it was published by Hofmeister as Opus 41 in an arrangement for Pianoforte in flute or violin which no doubt was included in Beethoven's protest against being set down as the transcriber a group of Pianoforte sonatas prominent among the compositions of this time is the sonata in E-flat for Pianoforte Opus 7 the only evidence of the date of its composition is the announcement of its publication by Artaria and the viner Zeitung of October 7th, 1797 there are sketches for the third movement in the Kafka volume but they afford no help in fixing a date the sonata is inscribed to that countess Babette Keglovich one of Beethoven's pupils who afterwards married Prince Aino Sen's Oda's Skal she in Presberg not a bomb quotes the following from a letter written by a nephew of the countess the sonata was composed for her when she was still a maiden it was one of the hobbies of which he Beethoven had many that living as he did vis-à-vis he came in morning gowns, slippers and tassel cap, zip belt, mutsa to give her lessons in as much as the sketches mentioned belong only to the third movement and that she contains the remark diverse four baguette tails de anglaise, l'endlo, etc notabomb supposes that the movement was originally intended for one of the baguette tails and was later incorporated in the sonata it is very probable that the two little sonatas Opus 49 belong to this period everybody knows that the second movement of the second sonata of the minuet is based on the same motive as the third movement of the septet that the motive is older in the sonata than in the septet is proved by the fact that sketches for it are found along with some two Ah, profita, 7095 to 96 and the sextet for wind instruments, Opus 71 this circumstance establishes its early origin say in 7095 or at latest 7096 notabomb considers it likely that the first sonata was finished at the latest in 7098 certainly before the sonata pate dique and a trio of four strings Opus 9, No. 3 the sonatas were ready for publication as early as 1802 in which your brother Carl offered them to Andre in Offenbach they were not published until 1805 when they appeared with the imprint of the Bureau d'Art des Dandes Street as appears from an advertisement in the minor Zeitung of January 19, 1805 here too belongs the little sonata in D for four hands Opus 6 published by Artaria in October 1797 as Notabomb surmises it was probably composed for purposes of instruction except a few trifles, marches and two sets of variations Beethoven wrote nothing more for four hands though Diabelli offered him 40 ducats for a four-hand sonata in 1824 in the pianoforte composition of these two years are to be included the variations in A on a Russian dance from the ballet Daswald-Modchen published in April 1797 and dedicated to the Countess Brown May by Dinghawk Daswald-Modchen by Drough Berry music by Paul Vrannitsky was first performed at the Karth Nerthor Theater on September 28, 1796 and was repeated 16 times the same year this fixes the time of the composition of the variations approximately they were probably written before the end of 1796 there are a few other compositions brought to light by Notabomb and Mandizusky which called for notice number 299 series 25 supplement B and H complete works is in Alec Retto in C minor, three-fourths time number 295 Abagatil also in C minor, three-fourths Presto sketches for which are associated with those for the C minor sonata Opus 10, number one from the remark very short menu adds to the new sonatas the Presto remains for that in C minor written about this time Notabomb concludes that this bagatil was conceived as an intermezzo in the C minor sonata and that possibly the Alec Retto had a similar origin a unique place among Beethoven's early works is occupied by the two pieces for mandolin with Piano Forte accompaniment first published in the complete edition there who knew of the sketches at Artarius but seems not to have seen the composition recovered by Notabomb which is called Sonatine associated Beethoven's purpose with Grumm-Polz who was a virtuoso on the mandolin but Meilich, Amanda's student companion may have been in the composer's mind the fact that no compositions for orchestra save the dances for the three doubting songs to be referred to presently have been preserved is not to be taken as conclusive evidence that Beethoven did not venture into the field of orchestral music in the Bonn and early Vienna days such an assertion is less likely to be made now than before the discovery of the two imperial cantatas of 7090 moreover Mr. Shedlock's extracts from the Kafka sketchbook in the British Museum Shedler Beethoven tried his youthful hand at his symphony among the earliest of the sketches there is one in C minor, Mark Siponia which begins as follows the Jenna symphony and some dances Notabomb notes the theme also in his Zvaita Beethoveniana, page 577 Shedlock's contention that out of this theme grew the second movement of the first Piano Forte quartet composed in 1785 is incontestable the symphonic sketches therefore of earlier date than 1785 In 1909 Professor Fritz Stein musical director of the University of Vienna announced that in the collection of music of the academic concerts founded in 1780 he discovered the complete parts of a symphony in four movements in C part Louis Bonn Beethoven these words are in the handwriting of the copyist on the second violin part on the cello part is written symphony Bonn Beethoven Dr. Hugo Riemann after a glance through the score prepared by Professor Stein and put at his disposal gave it as his opinion that the symphony might well be a composition by Beethoven thematically he says it suggests partly the Mannheim school partly Haydn the instrumentation is near Mozart than Stamets or Canabich mentioned Beethoven's orchestral dances has already been made Schindler's remark that the musicians of Vienna refuse citizenship to Beethoven's efforts to write Austrian dance music is discredited at least so far as Viennese society is concerned by the success of his dances composed with a three doubts and Saul and the very considerable number of his waltzes, londlers, minuettes, echo seizes, alamons and contra-dances which have been preserved only the smaller portion of these dances have been included in the complete edition of right coffin hardtail that's in series two there are 12 minuettes and 12 German dances in series 25 supplement six Lanzurica tanzer for three violins and bass six German dances with piano forte and violin and a four piano forte alone six German dances six echo seizes and a few miscellaneous dances in series 18 small pieces for piano forte there are six minuettes and 13 Lanzurica one to six identical with those numbered seven to 13 in series two but transcribed there are many dances as yet unpublished for instance among the Artaria manuscripts purchased by Eric Prager there are 12 echo seizes of which six are as yet unknown also 12 duets for piano forte and six minuettes for two violins and bass which have never been printed the three orchestral dances noted by Thayer in the thematic catalog as number 290 of the Artaria collection are numbers three nine and eleven of the 12 minuettes which Avon Prager discovered in the archives of the consular pensions institute in 1872 in which were published by Hengel in Paris in piano forte transcription in 1903 and in score and parts in 1906 edited by Chante Juan they were composed for the consular societat and are now in the court library at Vienna manuscript 16925 end of section 16 section 17 of the life of Ludwig von Beethoven volume one by Alexander Wielach Thayer translated by Henry Edward Grebel this LibriVox recording is in the public domain chapter 15 general Bernadotte is connection with the heroic symphony rival pianists J. Ruff Dragonetti and Kramer compositions of the years 1798 and 1799 early in the year 1798 a political event occurred which demands notice here from its connection with one of Beethoven's noblest and most original works the symphonia Eroica the singular tissue of error which owing to carelessness and observing dates has been woven in relation to its origin may be best destroyed by a simple statement of fact the extraordinary demands made by the French directory upon the Austrian government as preliminary to the renewal of diplomatic intercourse after the peace of Campo Formia such as a national palace and French theater for the minister and the right of jurisdiction over all Frenchmen in the Austrian dominions all of which were rejected by the imperial government had aroused to a high pitch the public curiosity both as to the man who might be selected for the appointment and as to the course he might adopt this curiosity was by no means diminished by the intelligence that the new minister was Jean Baptiste Bonadate the young general who had born so important a part in the recent invasion of Istria he arrived at Vienna on February 5th 1798 the state of the Empress's health who was delivered of the arch Duchess Maria Clementine on the 1st of March delayed the private audience of Bernadotte for the presentation of his credentials to the emperor until the 2nd of that month and his public audience until the 8th of April during the festivities of the court which then took place Bernadotte was always present and a reporter of that day says both the emperor and Empress held more conversation with him than with any other of the circular this familiar intercourse however came speedily to an end from the 13th Bernadotte had that rashness to display the hated tricolor from his balcony and to threaten to defend it by force a riot occurred and it was thought that in the extreme excitement of popular feeling nothing but the strong detachments of cavalry and infantry detail for his protection saved his life saved it to ascend the throne of Sweden on the 20th anniversary of his arrival in Vienna since etiquette allowed a foreign minister neither to make nor to see visits in his public capacity until after his formal reception accord the general during the two months of his stay except the last five days lived very quietly those who saw him praised him as well behaved sedate and modest in his train was Rudolf Krutser the great violinist Bernadotte and the heroic symphony Bernadotte had now just entered his 34th year Krutser was in his 32nd both of them therefore in age as in taste and requirements fitted to appreciate the splendor of Beethoven's genius and to enjoy his society moreover as the ambassador was the son of a provincial advocate there was no difference of rank by birth which could prevent them from meeting upon equal terms under such circumstances and remembering that just at that epoch the young general Bonaparte was the topic of universal wonder and admiration one is fully prepared for the statement of Schindler upon the origin of the heroic symphony the first idea for the symphony is said to have gone out from general Bernadotte then French ambassador in Vienna who esteemed Beethoven very highly this I heard from several of Beethoven's friends I was also told so by Count Moritz Liknowski brother of Prince Liknowski who was often in the society Bernadotte with Beethoven again in 1823 Beethoven had a lively recollection that Bernadotte had really first inspired him with the idea of the heroic symphony this is from Schindler's work in its first form his unfortunate propensity sometimes to accept the illusions of his fancy for matters of thought is exhibited in the corresponding passage in his third edition in Bernadotte's salon which was open to notabilities of all ranks of life Beethoven also appeared it already made it known that he was a great admirer of the first consul of the republic from the general emanated the suggestion that Beethoven celebrate the greatest hero of his age in a musical composition it was not long before the thought had become a deed volume one page 101 in proceeding with the history of the symphony Schindler extracts largely from Beethoven's own copy of Schleyer-Macher's translation of Plato that the idea of Bonaparte as first consul may have influenced the form and matter of the symphony when he came to the labor of its composition and that Beethoven may have based for himself a sort of system of political ethics upon Schleyer-Macher's Plato all this is very possible but Bernadotte was far away from Vienna before the consular form of government was adopted at Paris and the symphony Erika had been publicly performed at Vienna before the Plato came from the Berlin press it is certainly to be regretted that so much fine writing by Schindler and his copyists on this point should be exploded by a date like a ship by a single shell but how could anyone believe that the much-employed Beethoven at the age of 27 he who had refused two years before even despite Begler's urging to listen to a single private lecture on Kant had become in so short a time a Platonic philosopher let us return to a field where Beethoven was even now more at home than he ever became in Plato's political philosophy Salieri had again engaged him for the Witters and Orphans concerts of April 1st and 2nd at which Haydn's seven last words with son and Beethoven's piano forte quintet played Kaiser Franz and the Imperial family were present rivalry of Beethoven and Böv-Fla it was now no longer the case that Beethoven was without a rival as piano forte virtuoso he had a competitor fully worthy of his powers one who divided about equally with him the suffragies of the leaders and the Vienna musical circles in fact the Excellencies Paquilia to the two were such and so different that it depended upon the taste of the auditor to which he accorded the praise of superiority Joseph of Salzburg two years younger than Beethoven a wonder child who had played a violin concerto in public at the age of seven years was a people of Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn being in Vienna when but 18 years old he was engaged on the recommendation of Mozart by the Polish Count O. Genski who took him to Warsaw his success there as piano forte virtuoso teacher and composer was almost unexampled but it is only in his character as pianist that we have to do with him and the reference may be made to the general principal but a worthy competition is the best for a genius when we read in one of his letters Beethoven's words I have also greatly perfected my piano forte playing they will cause no surprise for only by severe industry and consequent improvement could he retain his high position in the presence of such rivals as Wolf and a year or two later J.B. Kramer a lively picture of Wolf by Thomas Jack who heard him in 1799 and his autobiography sufficiently proves that his party in Vienna was composed of those to whom extraordinary execution was the main thing while Beethoven's admirers were of those who had hearts to be touched a parallel between Beethoven and Berfler in a letter to the Olga Minor Musa Kalowska Zeitung Volume 1 pages 24, 25 dated April 22, 1799 just at the time when the performances of both were topics of general conversation in musical circles and still fresh in the memory of all who had heard them is in the highest degree opposite to the subject of this chapter the writer says opinion is divided here touching the merits of the two yet it would seem as if the majority were on the side of the latter Berfler I shall try to set forth the peculiarities of each without taking part in the controversy Beethoven's playing is extremely brilliant but has less delicacy and occasionally he is guilty of indistinctness he shows himself to the greatest advantage in improvisation and here indeed it is most extraordinary with what likeness and yet firmness and the succession of ideas Beethoven not only varies a theme given him on the spur of the moment by figuration with which many a virtuoso makes his fortune and wind but really develops it since the death of Mozart who in this respect is for me still the non plus ultra I have never enjoyed this kind of pleasure in the degree in which it is provided by Beethoven in this both fails to reach him but W has advantages in this that sound in musical learning and dignified in this compositions he plays passages with seeming possible with an ease precision and clearness which cause amazement of course he has helped here by the large structure of his hands and that his interpretation is always especially in the adagios so pleasing and insinuating that one can not only admire it but also enjoy that Berfler likewise enjoys an advantage because of his Amy Barbering contrasted with the somewhat hearty pose of Beethoven is very natural no biography of Beethoven which makes any pretence to completeness can omit the somewhat inflated and bombastic account which say Friede gives of the emulation between Beethoven and Berfler Ignace Bonn say Friede at the period in question was one of Schickeneder's conductors to which position he had been called when not quite 21 years of age and had assumed his duties March 1, 1797 he was among the most promising of the young composers of the capital belonged to a highly respectable family had been educated at the university and his personal character was unblemished he would therefore naturally have access to the musical salon and his reminiscences of music and musicians in those years may be accepted as the records of observation the unfavorable light which the researchers of not a bomb have thrown upon him as editor of the so-called Beethoven studio does not extend to such statements of fact as might easily have come under his own cognizance and the passage now cited from the appendix of the studio though written 30 years after the events that describes bears all the marks of being a faithful transcript of the writer's own memories Beethoven had already attracted attention to himself by several compositions and was rated our first class pianist in Vienna when he was confronted by a rival in the closing years of the last century thereupon there was in a way a revival of the Parisian feud of the Gluckus and Pinginness and the many friends of art in the imperial city arrayed themselves in two parties at the head of Beethoven's admirers stood the amiable prince Liknowski among the most zealous patrons of Verfler was the broadly cultured Baron Raymond von Betzler whose delightful villa on the Grunberg near the emperor's recreation castle offered to all artists, native and foreign and asylum in the summer months as pleasing as it was desirable with true British loyalty there the interesting combats of the two athletes not infrequently offered an indescribable artistic treat to the numerous and thoroughly select gathering each brought forward the latest product of his mind now one and a non the other gave free reign to his glowing fancy sometimes they would seat themselves at two piano fortes and improvise alternately on themes which they gave each other and thus created many of four hand Capriccio which if it could have been put upon paper at the moment would surely have been defiance to time it would have been difficult perhaps impossible to award the palm of victory to either one of the gladiators in respect of technical skill nature had been a particularly kind mother to Verfler and bestowing upon him a gigantic hand which could span a tent as easily as other hands compass and octave and permitted him to play passages of double notes in these intervals with the repetitive lightning in his improvisations even then Beethoven did not deny his tendency toward the mysterious and gloomy and once he began to revel in the infinite world of tones he was transported also above all earthly things his spirit had burst all restricting bonds shaken off the yoke of servitude and soared triumphantly and jubilantly into the luminous spaces of the higher ether now is playing tour along like a wildly foaming cataract and the conjurer constrained his instrument to end utterance so forceful that the stout of structure was scarcely able to withstand it and the non he sank down exhausted exhaling gentle pains dissolving in melancholy again the spirit would soar loft ramping over transitory terrestrial sufferings turn its glance upward in reverence sounds in fine resting comfort on the innocent bosom of holy nature but who shall sound the depths of the sea it was the mystical Sanskrit language whose hieroglyphs can be read only by the initiated Wilfler on the contrary trained in the school of Mozart was always equable never superficial but always clear and thus more accessible to the multitude he used art only as a means to an end never to exhibit his requirements he always invested the interest of his hearers and inevitably compelled them to follow the progression of his well-ordered ideas whoever has heard Hummel won't know what is meant by this but for this the attitude of their patrons the protégé cared very little they respected each other because they knew best how to appreciate each other and a straightforward honest Germans followed the principle that the roadway of art is broad enough for many and that it is not necessary to lose one's self and end being pushing forward for the goal of fame Wilfler proved his respect for his rival by dedicating to M. L. von Beethoven the pianoforte sonatas opus 7 which were highly commended in the Alla Giozza Musica Zeitung of Leipzig of January 1799 another interesting and valuable discussion of Beethoven's powers and characteristics of the pianoforte virtuoso that this period is contained in the autobiography of Thomas Jek who heard him both in public and in private during a visit which Beethoven made again this year to Prague Thomas Jek was then both in age he was born on April 17, 1774 and a musical culture competent to form an independent judgment on such a subject Thomas Jek on Beethoven's playing in the year 1798 says Thomas Jek unfortunately without giving any clue to the time of the year in which I continued my juridical studies Beethoven the giant among pianoforte players came to Prague he gave a largely attended to concert in the convict to Saal at which he played his concerto in C major opus 15 and the Adagio and Graceful Rondo in a major from opus two and concluded with an improvisation on a theme given him by Countess Schick to Faustio Primo Ogetto from Mozart's Titus duet number seven Beethoven's magnificent playing and particularly the daring flights in his improvisation stirred me strangely to the depths of my soul indeed I found myself so profoundly bowed down that I did not touch my pianoforte for several days I heard Beethoven at his second concert with neither in performance nor in composition renewed again the first powerful impression this time he played the concerto in B-flat which he had just composed in Prague then I heard him a third time at the home of Count C where he played besides the graceful Rondo from the A major sonata an improvisation on the theme a vous dirais je maman this time I listened to Beethoven's artistic work with more composure I admired his powerful and brilliant playing but his frequent daring deviations from one motive to another whereby the organic connection the gradual development of idea was put aside did not escape me evils of this nature frequently weaken his greatest compositions those which sprang from a two exuberant conception it is not so that the unbiased listeners rudely awakened from his transport the singular and original seemed to be his G-frame in composition as is confirmed by the answer which he made to a lady who asked him if he often attended Mozart's operas I do not know them, he replied and do not care to hear the music of others lest I forfeit some of my originality the veteran Thomas Jerk when he wrote thus had heard all the greatest virtuosos of a pianoforte who from the days of Mozart to 1840 and made themselves famous and yet Beethoven remained for him still the lord of pianoforte players and the giant among pianoforte players still great as he was now when Thomas Jerk heard him Beethoven could write three years later that he had greatly perfected his playing it is only to be added to the history of the year 1798 that it is the time in which Beethoven fixes the beginning of his deafness like if the year 1799 offers upon the whole but scanty materials to the biographers of Beethoven standing in broad contrast to the next and indeed all succeeding years in which their quantity and variety become a source of embarrassment to new and valuable but passing acquaintances were made by Beethoven this year however with Domenico Dragonetti the greatest contra bassist known to history and John Baptist Screamer one of the greatest pianists Dragonetti was not more remarkable for his astounding execution than for the deep genuine musical feeling which elevated and ennobled it he was now the spring of 1799 so far as the means are at hand of determining the time returning to London from a visit to his native province in his route taking him to Vienna he remained there for several weeks Beethoven and he soon met and they were mutually pleased with each other many years afterwards Dragonetti related the following anecdote to Samuel Appleby Esquire of Brighton, England Beethoven had been told that his new friend could execute viol alone cello music upon his huge instrument and one morning when Dragonetti called at his room he expressed his desire to hear a sonata the contra bass was sent for and the sonata number two of Opus V was selected Beethoven played his part with his eyes immovably fixed upon his companion and in the finale where the opera geos occur was so delighted and excited that at the close he sprang up and threw his arms around both player and instrument the unlucky contra bassists of orchestras had frequent occasion during the next few years to know that this new revelation of the powers and possibilities of their instrument to Beethoven was not forgotten Gremer born at Mannheim 1771 but from early infancy reared and educated in England was successively the people of the noted Benser Schroeder and Clementi but like Beethoven was in no small degree self-taught he was so rarely in such long intervals on the continent that his extraordinary merits have never been fully understood and appreciated there yet for a period of many years in the first part of the 19th century he was undoubtedly upon the hold the first pianist of Europe the object of his tour in 1799 was not to display his own talents and requirements but to add to his general musical culture and to profit by his observations upon the styles and peculiar characteristics of the great pianists of the continent in Vienna he renewed his intercourse with Haydn whose prime favorite he had been in England and at once became extremely intimate with Beethoven Gremer surpassed Beethoven in the perfect neatness, correctness and finish of his execution Beethoven assured him that he preferred his touch to that of any other player his brilliancy was astonishing but yet taste, feeling, expression were the qualities which more eminently distinguished him Beethoven stood far above Gremer in power and energy especially when extemporizing each was supreme in his own sphere each found much to learn in the perfections of the other each in later years did fold justice to the other's powers thus Reese says amongst the piano forte players he, Beethoven, had praised four but one as being distinguished John Gremer all others were but little to him on the other hand Mr. Applebee who knew Gremer well was long afterwards told by him no man in these days has heard extemporary playing unless he has heard Beethoven Gremer's recollections of Beethoven making a visit one morning to him Gremer as he entered the anti-room heard Beethoven extemporizing by himself and remained there more than half an hour completely entranced never in his life having heard such exquisite effects such beautiful combinations knowing Beethoven's extreme dislike to being listened to on such occasions Gremer retired and never let him know that he had so heard him Gremer's widow communicates a pleasant anecdote and an all-garden concert the two pianists were walking together and hearing a performance of Mozart's piano forte concerto in C minor Churchill number 491 Beethoven suddenly stood still and directing his companion's attention to the exceedingly simple but equally beautiful motive which is first introduced towards the end of the piece exclaimed Gremer Gremer we shall never be able to do anything like that as the theme was repeated and wrought up to the climax Beethoven swaying his body to and fro marked the time and in every possible manner manifested a delight rising to enthusiasm Schindler's record of his conversations upon Beethoven with Gremer and Cerebini in 1841 is interesting and valuable he has however left one important consideration unnoticed namely that the visits of those masters to Vienna were five years apart five years of great change in Beethoven a period during which his deafness to slight to attract Gremer's attention had increased to a degree beyond concealment and which joined to his increased devotion to composition and compulsory abandonment of all ambition as a virtuoso with consequent neglect to practice had affected his execution unfavorably hence the difference in the opinions of such competent judges as Gremer describing him as he was in 1799 to 1800 Cerebini in 1805 to 6 and two years later Clementi afforded out his just and fair indication of the decline of Beethoven's powers as a mere pianist not extending however at least for some years yet to his extemporaneous performances we shall find from recent others ample confirmation of the fact and now that Schindler speak to the warm feeling of Kramer for Beethoven I owe the more important matters Cerebini disposed to be Kurt characterized Beethoven's pianoforte playing in a single word rough the gentleman Kramer however desired that less offense be taken at the rudeness of his performance than at the unreliable reading of one and the same composition one day intellectually brilliant and full of characteristic expression the next freakish to the verge of uncleanness often confused which is confirmed by research zoning and others because of this few friends expressed to wish to hear Kramer play several works publicly from the manuscript this touched a sensitive spot in Beethoven his jealousy was aroused and according to Kramer their relations became strained this strain however left no such thing behind it as to diminish Kramer's good opinion of Beethoven both as man and artist or hinder his free expression of it to this fact the concurrent testimony of his widow and son and those enthusiasts for Beethoven Charles Neat, Cipriani Potter and others who knew Kramer well bear witness it was the conversation of Kramer about Beethoven which induced Potter after the fall of the Napoleon to journey to Vienna to make the acquaintance of the great master and if possible become his pupil Kramer's musical gods were Handel and Mozart notwithstanding his lifelong love for Bach's clavier compositions hence the abrupt transitions the strange modulations and the until then unheard passages which Beethoven introduced ever more freely into his works many of which have not yet found universal acceptance were to him as to Thomas Check and so many other of his contemporaries imperfections and distortions of compositions which but for them were models of beauty and harmonious proportion he once gave this feeling utterance with comic exaggeration when Potter then a youth was extolling some abstruse combinations by saying if Beethoven emptied his ink stand upon a piece of music paper you would admire it Beethoven's demeanor and society upon Beethoven's demeanor and society Shindler proceeds thus the communications of both Kramer and Madame Cerebini agreed in saying that in mixed society his conduct was reserved, stiffed and marked by artist pride whereas among his intimates he was drove lively indeed valuable at times and found a giving play to all the arts of wit sarcasm not always wisely especially in respect of political and social prejudices to this the two were able to add much concerning his awkwardness in taking hold of such objects as glasses coffee cups, etc. to which Master Cerebini added the comment to Jean Brousque these statements confirmed what I had heard from his older friends touching the social demeanor of Beethoven in general Kramer reached Vienna early in September and remained there according to Shindler through the following winter but he does not appear to have given any public concerts although during the first month of his stay we learn from a newspaper he earned general and deserved applause by his playing it is needless to dwell upon the advantages to Beethoven of constant intercourse for several months with a master like Kramer whose noblest characteristics as pianists were the same as Mozart's and precisely those in which Beethoven was deficient that has passed in review the composition which had their origin in the years 1798 and 1799 first of all come the three trios for a stringed instrument soap as nine the exact date of their conception has not yet been determined all that is positive being that Beethoven sold them to Treg on March 16, 1798 and that the publisher's announcement of them appeared on July 21st of the same year the only sketches for the trios quoted by Nadebaum show them in connection with the sketch for the last movement of the Sonata Pateti which was published in 1799 but this proves nothing it may be easily imagined that Beethoven deserved to make more extended use of the experience gained in writing the trios opus three and that he therefore began sketching opus nine in 1796 or 1797 Beethoven dedicated the works to Count Brown in words such as could hardly have been called forth by the present of a horse perhaps some future investigator will be able to show upon what grounds Beethoven in the dedication called Count Brown his first Mycenaeus a title better deserved by Prince Liknowski the first two Piano Forte concertos the first two concertos for Piano Forte called for consideration here for it was not until 1798 that they acquired the form in which they are now known that the Concerto in B-flat was the earlier of the two has been proved in a preceding chapter of this volume it was this Concerto not the one in C major as Begler incorrectly reported that was played in March 1795 Begler's error was due to the circumstance that the Concerto in C was published first sketches for the Concerto in B-flat major are found among the exercises written for Albrecht's Berger's sketches for the Sonata in E major Opus 14, number one and others for a little quartet movement which was owned by Monsieur Mahab of Paris on this sheet occurs a short exercise with the remark Contra Pantu Al Atava which points to the beginning of 1795 or even 1794 the sketches in obviously early form of a passage in the Free Fantasia disagrees with the statement that on March 29, 1795 Beethoven played a new concerto the key of which is not indicated it is most likely that it was this in B-flat since the one in C did not exist at the time Beethoven it appears played it a few times afterward in Vienna and then rewrote it according to Thomas Czech's account he played the B-flat Concerto expressly distinguished from that in C in 1798 again in Prague Thomas Czech added which he had composed in Prague this is confounding the original version with a revision concerning which not a bond gives information in his Zvaita Be-Tauvanjana on the basis of sketches which point to 1798 the fact of the revision is proved by Beethoven's memoranda such as to remain as it was from here on everything to remain as it was the revision of the first movement was radical and the entire work was apparently undertaken in view of an imminent performance most likely that of Prague in 1798 it was published by Haffmeister and Kunl and dedicated to Carl Nicol Edeland von Nicholsburg that the concerto in C was composed later then that in B-flat has been proved by Beethoven's testimony as well as other external evidences and is confirmed by the few remaining sketches analyzed by Nadebaum they appear in connection with a sketch for the cadenza for the B-flat concerto which therefore must have been finished when his companion was begun a sketch for a cadenza for the C major concerto comes after sketches for the Sonata in D, opus 10, number 3 which was published in 1798 this new concerto must therefore have been finished according to the testimony of Thomas Tscheck he played it in 1798 in the Convich Sal in Prague Schindler says he played it for the first time in the spring of 1800 in the Carneurthor Theater but this concert is likely to have been that of April the 2nd, 1800 described by Hanslick in his Gershikta De's concerto vessel in the end page 127 Schindler evidently knew nothing of a performance in Prague and a confusion must be at the bottom of Zerny's statement that the concerto was played in the Carneurthor Theater in 1801 the concerto in C dedicated to the Countess Odess Calci Nekeglavich was published by Molo in Vienna in 1801 there are three cadenzas for the first movement of the concerto the last two of which called for an extended compass of the Piano Forte and are thus shown to be of later date than the first to these concertos must be out of the Ronde and be flat for Piano Forte an orchestra found and finished among Beethoven's compositions and published by D'Appelli and company in 1829 son Leitner on the authority of D'Appelli says it was completed by Zerny who also filled out the accompaniment there is no authentic record of the time of its composition O'Yan surmise that it may have been designed for the concerto and be flat its contents indicate an earlier period a sketch printed by Nadebaum associated with a romanza for Piano Forte, Flute and Bassoon judged by the handwriting is not of later date than 1795 E. Mendesuski compared the original manuscript now in the library of the Gasel shop the music finder with the printed form and decided that the work was completed in plan and more teary by Beethoven who however did not carry out the cadenzas and only indicated the passages the share which Zerny had in it is thus indicated he added the cadenzas and extended the Piano Forte passages which Beethoven had only indicated making them more effective and brilliant the use of the high registers of the Piano Forte which Zerny employs somewhat too freely in view of the simple character of the piece was not contemplated by Beethoven who once remarked of Zerny he uses the piccolo too much for me in Mendesuski's opinion the handwriting points to a time before 1800 and the contents indicate the early Evianna if not the Bonn period Mendesuski also thinks that the romanza like Andante is palpably a very early composition and that the correspondence in key and measure with the B-flat concerto might indicate that it was originally designed as a part of that work a supposition which is strengthened by the fact that the original manuscript is neither dated nor signed this internal evidence has much in its favor the more since it is not at all obvious what might have prompted Beethoven to write an independent londo for concert use there's no external evidence if there were the conception of the B-flat concerto would have to be set at a much earlier date than has yet been done the first Vienna sketches for the concerto as not a bomb shows proved that the present three movements belong together from the beginning they were therefore surely played at the first performance in 1795 it's not a bomb who repeated Jan Sermaz and his thematiscus their zikeness changed his mind after a study of the sketches and rejected the notion that the rondo had been designed for the concerto only by assuming an earlier date for the rondo can the theory be upheld? attention may here be called to regular statement notizen page 56 of the rondo of the first concerto he says of course the concerto in C was not composed until the second afternoon before the performance there may possibly have been another this is not necessarily disproved by the fact that sketches for the present one were in existence the question has not settled by the evidence now before us but the probabilities are with Man Dazuski now begins the glorious series of sonatas the first were the three opus 10 which though began in part at an earlier date were definitely finished and published in 1798 either the publisher opened a subscription for them by an advertisement in the biner Zeitung July 5th, 1798 therefore they were finished at that time the sketching for them had begun in 1796 as appears from Naderbaum's statement and Beethoven worked on the three simultaneously sketches for the first movement of the first sonata are mixed with sketches for the soprano air for Umlaus Schusterin which have been attributed to 1796 and the variations for three wind instruments which were played in 1797 sketches for the third sonata are found among notes for the sextet for wind instruments composed about 1796 and also for the concerto in C minor which therefore was begun thus early and for one of the seven country dances which appeared in 1799 or perhaps earlier the sketches for the last movement of number three are associated alone with sketches for a cadenza for the C major concerto which Beethoven played in Prague in 1798 and may therefore be placed in this year that follows that the three sonatas were developed gradually in 1796 to 98 and completed in 1798 from the sketches and the accompanying memoranda we learn furthermore that for the first sonata which now has three movements a fourth in Intermezzo was planned on which Beethoven several times made a beginning but permitted to fall two of these movements became known afterwards as Bagatell's we learn also that the last movement of the first sonata and the second movement of the second were originally laid out on a larger scale composition of the sonata pateitich the sonata pateitich opus 13 was published by Eder in Vienna in 1799 and afterwards by Hofmeister who announced them on December 18 of the same year sketches for the rondo are found among those for the trio opus nine and after the beginning of a fair copy of the sonata opus 49 number one from this there is no larger deduction than that the sonata probably had its origin about 1798 one of the sketches however indicates that the last movement which originally conceived for more than one instrument probably for a sonata for a piano forte and violin Beethoven published the two sonatas opus 14 which he dedicated to the Baroness Braun immediately after the sonata pateitich they came from the press of Molo and were announced on December 21, 1799 the exact time of their composition cannot be determined definitely after the present time no sketches for the second are known to exist copious ones for the first however are published by Nadebaum in his zvaita Pate of Beniana page 45 and following some of which appear before sketches for the sonata opus 12 number three then approaching completion and some after sketches for the concerto in B flat because of this juxtaposition Nadebaum places the conception of the sonata in 1795 touching the history of the trio opus 11 for piano forte clarinet and violon cello little is known it was advertised as wholly new by Molo and company on October 3, 1798 and is inscribed to the concerto's son sketches associated with works that are unknown or were never completed are in the British Museum and set forth by Nadebaum in his zvaita Pate of Beniana page 515 the sketch of the adagio resembles the beginning of the minuet in the sonata opus 49 number two and his change later this points approximately to 1798 the last movement consists of a series of variations on the theme of a trio from vegla's opera la mor maronara beginning pre-gio lepegno Beagle's opera was performed for the first time on October 15, 1797 Zerny told Otto Jan that Beethoven took the theme at the request of a clarinet player beer for whom he wrote the trio the elder artarian told Capriano Potter in 1797 that he had given the theme to Beethoven and requested him to introduce variations on it into a trio and added that Beethoven did not know that the melody was vegles until after the trio was finished where Bunny grew very angry on finding it out Zerny says in the supplement to his piano forte school it was at the wish of the clarinet player for whom Beethoven wrote this trio that he employed the theme by Beagle which was then very popular as the finale at a later period he frequently contemplated writing another concluding movement for this trio and letting the variation stand as a separate work if Zerny is correct in this statement obvious deductions from it are these which are scarcely consistent with our tari's story if the theme was very popular at the time the opera must have had several performances and it is not likely that the melody was unfamiliar to Beethoven who also it may be assumed wrote the title of Beagle's trio which is printed at the beginning of the last movement of Beethoven's composition Beethoven produced the trio for the first time at the House of Count Fries on the occasion of his first meeting with Steyr Belt the three sonatas for piano forte and violin opus 12 were advertised in the Weiner Zeitung of January 12th, 1799 as published by Artaria which would seem to place their origin in 1798 the program of a concert given by Madame Ducecek on March 29, 1798, preserved in the archives of Gasel Schachter, Musicfreunde announces a sonata with accompaniment to be played by Beethoven the accompanying obligato instrument is not mentioned but the work may well have been one of these sonatas not a bomb discusses the juxtaposition of sketches for the second sonata with sketches for the piano forte concerto and B-flat and the sonata in E, opus 14, number one and is inclined to fix 1795 as the year of the sonata's origin but we are in the darkest to whether the sketches for the piano forte concerto were for its original or its revised form among the instrumental compositions of this year belong the variations for piano forte and violone cello on Ein Manchen odor by Chen from Mozart's Zyberflotte of which nothing more is known than that trade announced their publication on September 12, 1798 they were afterward taken over by Artaria the variation for piano forte on a theme from Grey Trees, Richard Couerd de Lyon un fervor bruyant where announced as newly published on November 7, 1798 by Treg, Capy and Diabelli acquired them later, sketches for them are found by the site of sketches for the first movement of the sonata in C minor, opus 10, number one which circumstance indicates that 1796 was the year of their origin according to son Lightner Richard Couerd de Lyon was first performed at the Hoff Theater Vienna on January 7, 1788 then again on June 13, 1799 in the theater of then Biden by Diabelli Richard Loeb and Hertz by Vagano music by Beagle in which Grey Trees romance un fervor bruyant was interpolated was brought forward on July 2, 1795 in the Hoff und Natanal Theater and repeated often in that year and it was then snowed out that the suggestion for the variations came to Beethoven the six little variations on a Swiss air were published according to Not a Bomb by Simrock and Bonn in 1798 the 10 variations on La Stessa, La Stessima from Salieri's Faust, Ostia, La Tré Burl were announced as just published in the Bainer Zeitung of March, 2799 Salieri's opera was performed on January 3 La Sac says January 6, 1799 in the Haft Theater Beethoven's therefore was an occasional composition conceived and produced in a very short time sketches are found amongst some for the first quartet Opus 18 and others, the variations are dedicated to the Countess Babette Keglevich twice more in the same year operatic productions and do similar works the publication of the variations on Kent Wist, Du Ruhig-Schlafen from Winters Uder Brotchen's opera fest was announced in the Bainer Zeitung of December 21, 1799 by Molo & Company the opera had its first performance in Vienna on June 15, 1796 and was repeated frequently within the years immediately following six times in 1799 in this case also it may be assumed that publication followed hard on the heels of composition sketches are found in companionship with others belonging to the quartet Opus 18, number five and the septet the variations on Tandel und Scherzen from Soesmeyer's opera Solomon II, Oder D. III so Tandem belonged to the same time the opera was performed on October 1, 1799 in the Haft Theater the publication of the variations by Haft Meister was announced in the Bainer Zeitung on December 18, 1799 they may have been printed previously by Eder they were dedicated to Countess Browne von Beiting Haft it is interesting to learn from Zerny that these variations were the first of Beethoven's compositions which the master gave in to study when he became his pupil before them he had pieces by C. P. E. Bach and after them the Sonata Pateti the period of the first symphony as evidence pointing to the period in which the first symphony was written we have first of all the report of the first performance on April 2, 1800 but in as much as the copying of the parts and the rehearsals must have consumed a considerable time the period would be much too short especially in view of Beethoven's method of working if we were also to assume that the symphony originated in 1800 it is very likely that with the quartets it was sketched at an earlier period and worked out in the main by 1799 at the latest it was published toward the end of 1801 by Haft Meister and Kuhnel as opus 21 dedicated to Baron von Sleitan and advertising the obiner of Zeitung of January 16, 1802 Beethoven had already planned a symphony while studying with Albrecht's Burger not a bomb reports on his purposes after a study of some sketches and from him we learned that the theme of the present last movement was originally intended for a first movement Beethoven must have worked on this composition in 1794 to 95 perhaps at the suggestion of von Sleitan a conclusion suggested by the fact that the dedication of the first symphony went to him Beethoven abandoned this early plan and turned to other ideas for the new symphony but there is no clue as to the precise time when this was done in 1802 Molo published an arrangement of the symphony as a quintet at the same time that Haft Meister and Kuhnel published a like arrangement of the sub-tet Beethoven published the following protest in the obiner Zeitung of October 20, 1802 I believe that I owe it to the public and myself publicly to announce that the two quintets in C major and E flat major of which the first taken from a symphony of mine has been published by Mr. Molo in Vienna and the second taken from my familiar septet Opus 20 by Mr. Haft Meister and Leipzig are not original quintets but transcriptions prepared by the publishers the making of transcriptions at the best is that matter against which in this prolific day of such things an author must protest in vain but it is possible at least to demand of the publishers that they indicate the fact on the title page so that the honor of the author may not be lessened and the public be not deceived this much to hinder such things in the future at the same time I announced that a new quintet of mine in C major Opus 29 will shortly be published by Breitkopf and Hartel in Leipzig mentioned may here be made in conclusion of the two French songs Que le temps joue me dur Rousseau and plaisir d'armée recovered from sketches and described by Jean-Chant Tavoie in the music volume one number 12 1902 the origin of the latter is fixed in 79 and nine by its association with the sketch for the quartet surface 18 end of section 17