yourself are in sad circumstances. Stephen Breuning is now here, and
we are together almost daily. It does me good to hark back to old
times. He is really a good, noble young fellow, who knows a thing
or two, and whose heart, as with all of us more or less, is sound.
I have very fine rooms now, which look on to the bastion, and this
for my health is of double value. I really think I can arrange for
Breuning to come and live with me. You shall have your Antiochus, and
a rare lot of my new compositions, unless you think it will cost you
too much. Honestly speaking, your love for art gives me the highest
pleasure. Only write to me how it is to be managed, and I will send you
all my works, of which the number is now pretty large and it is daily
increasing. In place of the portrait of my grandfather, which I beg
you to send as soon as possible by stage coach, I send you that of his
grandson, your ever good and affectionate Beethoven. It is coming out
here at Artaria's, who, also other art firms, have often asked me for
it. I will write shortly to Stoffel, and read him a bit of a lecture
about his cross temper. He shall hear what I have to say about old
friendship, he shall promise on his oath not to grieve you any more in
your, apart from this, sad circumstances. I will also write to kind
Lorchen. I have never forgot a single one of you, my dear good people,
although you never get any news from me; but writing, as you well know,
was never a strong point with me--years, even, have passed without my
best friends ever receiving anything. I only live in my music, and
I have scarcely begun one thing when I start another. As I am now
working, I am often engaged on three or four things at the same time.
Write often to me now; I will see to it that I find time sometimes to
write to you. Greetings to all, also to the good wife of the privy
councillor, and tell her that I still, occasionally, have a "raptus."
I am not surprised at the change in K; fortune is fickle, and does not
always fall to the most worthy, the best. A word about Ries, to whom
hearty greetings. As regards his son, about whom I will write shortly,
although I am of opinion that to make his way in the world, Paris is
better than Vienna. The latter city is overcrowded, and even persons of
the highest merit find it hard to maintain themselves. By the autumn,
or the winter, I will see what I can do for him, for then every one is
returning.
Farewell, good, faithful Wegeler. Rest assured of the love and
friendship of
Your,
BEETHOVEN.
V.
To Dr. FRANZ WEGELER in Bonn.
_November_ 16 (1801?)
My good Wegeler.
I thank you for the fresh proof of your anxiety concerning myself, and
all the more as I am so little deserving of it. You want to know how I
am, what I am taking; and however unwillingly I may discuss the matter,
I certainly like best to do it with you. For the last few months,
Vering has ordered herb plasters to be constantly placed on both arms;
and these, as you will know, are composed of a certain bark. This is
a most unpleasant cure, as, until the bark has sufficiently drawn, I
am deprived for a day or so of the free use of my arms, to say nothing
of the pain. I cannot, it is true, deny that the humming with which my
deafness actually began, has become somewhat weaker, especially in the
left ear. My hearing, however, has not in the least improved; I really
am not quite sure whether it has not become worse. My general health is
better, and especially after I have taken luke warm baths a few times,
I am fairly well for eight or ten days. I seldom take any tonic; I am
now applying herb-plasters according to your advice. Vering won't hear
of shower baths, but I am really very dissatisfied with him; he shows
so little care and forbearance for such a malady; if I did not actually
go to him, and that costs me a great effort, I should never see him.
What is your opinion of Schmidt? I do not like making a change, yet it
seems to me that Vering is too much a practitioner to be able to take
in new ideas through books. Schmidt appears to me a very different
kind of man, and perhaps would not be so remiss. I hear wonders of
galvanism; what do you say about it? A doctor told me he had seen a
deaf and dumb child in Berlin who had recovered his hearing, also a man
who had been deaf for seven years. I have just heard that your Schmidt
is making experiments with it.
My life is again somewhat pleasanter, for I mix in society. You
can scarcely imagine what a dreary, sad life I have led during the
past two years. My weak hearing always seemed to me like a ghost and
I ran away from people, was forced to appear a misanthrope, though
not at all in my character. This change has been brought about by an
enchanting maiden, who loves me, and whom I love. Again during the
past two years I have had some happy moments, and for the first time
I feel that marriage can bring happiness. Unfortunately, she is not
of my station in life, and now--for the moment I certainly could not
marry--I must bravely bustle about. If it were not for my hearing, I
should already long ago have travelled half over the world, and that I
must do. For me there is no greater pleasure than that of practising
and displaying my art. Do not believe that I should feel happy among
you. What, indeed, could make me happier? Even your solicitude would
pain me; at every moment I should read pity on your faces, and that
would make me still more miserable. My beautiful native country, what
was my lot when there? Nothing but hope of a better state, and, except
for this evil, I should already have won it! O that I could be free
from it, and encompass the world! My youth, yes I feel it, is only now
beginning; have I not always been sickly? My strength, both of body
and mind, for some time has been on the increase. Every day I approach
nearer to the goal; this I feel, though I can scarcely describe it.
Only through this, can your Beethoven live. Don't talk of rest! I know
no other but sleep, and sorry enough am I, that I am compelled to give
more time to it than formerly. If only half freed from my infirmity,
then--as a thorough, ripe man--I will come to you and renew the old
feelings of friendship. You will see me as happy as my lot can be here
below, not unhappy. No, that I could not endure; I will seize fate by
the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me. Oh! life is so
beautiful, would I could have a thousand lives! I feel I am no longer
fit to lead a quiet life! Do write as soon as you can. See to it that
Stephen makes up his mind to get an appointment in the Order of German
Knights. For his health, life here is too fatiguing. And besides, he
leads such a retired life, that I do not see how he can get on. You
know how it is here; I do not mean to say that society would render him
less languid; he can never be persuaded to go into it. Some time ago I
had a musical party at my house; but our friend Stephen did not turn
up. Do advise him to take more rest and to be more steady. I have done
all I could; without he takes this advice, he can never become either
happy or healthy. Now, tell me in your next letter, whether it matters
if I send you a great deal of my music. What you really don't want you
can sell, and so you will have your postage--also my portrait. Best
remembrances to Lorchen--also Mamma--and Christoph. You do really love
me a little, do you not? Be as well assured of this (of my love), as of
the friendship of your
BEETHOVEN.
VI.
To CAPELLMEISTER HOFMEISTER in Leipzig.
_Vienna_, 15_th_ (or something like it), _January_, 1801.
With great pleasure, my dearly beloved brother and friend, have I
read your letter. I thank you right heartily for the good opinion you
have expressed concerning me and my works, and hope I may prove myself
really worthy of it. Please also convey my dutiful thanks to Herr K.
for his courtesy and friendly feelings towards me.
Your undertakings likewise make me glad, and I hope, if works of art
can procure gain, that it will fall to the lot of genuine true artists,
rather than to mere shopkeepers. That you wish to publish the works
of _Sebastian_ Bach rejoices my heart, which beats in unison with the
high art of this forefather of harmony, and I desire soon to see the
scheme in full swing. I hope that here, so soon as golden peace has
been proclaimed, I shall be able to be of great assistance in the
matter, when you issue a subscription list. As regards our special
business, since you wish it, I hope this may be to your liking: I now
offer you the following: _Septet_ (concerning which I have already
written to you; by _arranging_ it for pianoforte, it would become
better known and be more profitable) 20 ducats, _Symphony_ 20 ducats,
_Concerto_ 10 ducats, _Solo Sonata_ (_Allegro_, _Adagio_, _Minuetto_,
_Rondo_) 20 ducats. This _Sonata_ is A1, dearest brother! Now for a
word of explanation; you will perhaps be surprised that I here make
no difference between _Sonata_, _Septet_, _Symphony_, because I find
that there is not such a demand for a Septet or a _Symphony_ as for
a Sonata; that is why I do so, although a _Symphony_ is undoubtedly
of greater value (N.B.--the Septet consists of a short introductory
_Adagio_, then _Allegro_, _Adagio_, _Minuetto_, _Andante_ with
_Variations_, _Minuetto_, another short introductory _Adagio_, and
then _Presto_). The _Concerto_ I only value at 10 ducats, because, as
I have already written, I do not give it out as one of my best. All
things considered, I do not think you will find this excessive; anyhow
I have tried to name prices for you as moderate as I possibly could.
Concerning the money order, since you leave me the choice, you could
make it payable at Geimüller's or Schüller's. The full amount would
therefore be 70 ducats for all four works. I do not understand any
other money than Viennese ducats; how many thalers and gulden that
makes, is no affair of mine, for I am a bad _business_ man and reckoner.
There is an end of the troublesome business. So I name it, because
I only wish it could be otherwise in the world. There ought to be an
artistic _depôt_ where the artist need only hand in his art-work in
order to receive what he asks for. As things are, one must be half a
business man, and how can one understand,--good heavens!--that's what
I really call _troublesome_. As for the Leipzig O (?) let them just go
on talking; _they_ will never by their chatter confer immortality on
any one, neither can they take it away from any one for whom Apollo has
destined it. Now, may heaven have _you and yours_ in its keeping. For
some time I have not been well; and so it is now somewhat difficult for
me to write notes, still more so alphabet letters. I hope that we shall
often have opportunity to assure ourselves that you are a great friend
to me, and that I am
Your devoted brother and friend,
L. V. BEETHOVEN.
VII.
Letter from Wegeler and Eleonore von Breuning to Beethoven.
_Coblentz_, 28 _December_, 1825.
My dear old Louis.
I cannot allow one of Ries' ten children to leave Vienna without
recalling him to your remembrance. If during the twenty-eight years
since I left Vienna, you have not received a long letter from me
every two months, you must put it down to your own silence after the
first letters which I sent you. It should not be so and especially
now that we other old people live so entirely in the past and derive
our chief pleasure in recollections of our youth. For me at least, my
acquaintance and my firm friendship to you, thanks to your good mother
whom God now blesses, is a guiding star in my life, towards which I
turn with pleasure.... I raise my eyes to you as to a hero, and I am
proud to be able to say: 'I have had some influence on his development;
he confided in me his ambitions and his dreams; and when later he was
so often misunderstood, I knew quite well what he wanted.' God be
praised that I have been able to speak of you with my wife, and now
with my children! My mother-in-law's house was more your home than your
own home, especially after the death of your good mother. Tell us still
once more, 'I think of you both in joy and in sorrow.' A man, even when
he has risen as high as you, is only happy once in his life: when he is
young. Your thoughts should hark back happily many times to the stones
of Bonn, Godesburg, Pépinière, etc. Now I want to speak of myself, of
ourselves, to give you an example of how you ought to reply to me.
After my return from Vienna in 1796, things went rather badly with
me. For a long time I had to rely for a living on my consultations as
a doctor, and that lasted for several years in this wretched country,
before I could even make a bare livelihood. Then I became a professor
with a salary, and I married. A year later I had a daughter who is
still living and who is quite accomplished. In addition to a very clear
head, she has the quiet ways of her father; and she plays admirably
some of Beethoven's Sonatas. She can claim no merit for this, for it
is an inborn gift with her. In 1807 I had a son who is now studying
medicine in Berlin. In four years I shall send him to Vienna. Will you
look after him for me? I celebrated, in August, my 60th birthday by a
party of sixty friends and acquaintances, including the chief people of
Bonn. I have lived here since 1807, and have a fine house and a good
position. My superiors are satisfied with me, and the King has given me
some orders and medals. Lore and I are content. Now that I have told
you all about ourselves, it is your turn....
Do you never wish to turn your eyes from the tower of St. Stephen's?
Has travel no charms for you? Do you never wish to see the Rhine again?
With every good wish from Madam Lore and myself,
Your very old friend,
WEGELER.
_Coblentz_, 29 _December_, 1825.
Dear Beethoven--dear for such a long time!
It was my wish that Wegeler should write to you again. Now that this
is done, I should like to add a few words--not only to recall myself
to your remembrance, but to renew the pressing question whether you
have not a desire to see the Rhine and your birthplace again, and to
give Wegeler and me the greatest joy possible. Our Lenchen thanks you
for so many happy hours; she delights in hearing us speak of you; she
knows all the little adventures of our happy youthful days at Bonn--of
the quarrel and the reconciliation.... How happy she would be to see
you! Unfortunately, the little one has no special aptitude for music;
but she has done so much by application and perseverance that she
can play your Sonatas, Variations, etc.; and as music is always the
greatest relaxation for Wegeler, she is thus able to give him many
happy hours. Julius has some talent for music, but up to the present
it has been neglected; for the last six months, he has been learning
the violoncello with zest and pleasure; and as he has a good teacher
in Berlin I believe that he will get on well. The two children are
tall and resemble their father; they also possess that fine cheery
disposition which Wegeler, thanks to God, has not even yet lost....
He takes great pleasure in playing the themes of your Variations;
the old ones have the greater preference, but he often plays the new
ones, too, with incredible patience. Your _Opferlied_ is placed above
everything. Wegeler never goes to his room without putting it on the
piano. So, dear Beethoven, you can see how lasting and real a thing is
the remembrance which we always have of you! Tell us then just once
that this is not worthless to you, and that we are not quite forgotten.
If it were not so difficult to do as one wishes, we should already have
been to Vienna to see my brother, and have the pleasure of seeing you
again; but such a journey is out of the question now that our son is
at Berlin. Wegeler has told you how everything goes with us--we should
do wrong to complain. Even the most difficult times have been better
for us than for hundreds of others. The greatest blessing is that we
all keep well and that we have such good and noble children. Yes, they
have hardly given us any trouble, and they are such merry and happy
little people. Lenchen has had only one great grief; it was when our
poor Burscheid died: a loss none of us will ever forget. Adieu, dear
Beethoven, and think of us as the most loyal of friends.
ELN. WEGELER.
VIII.
To Dr. FRANZ WEGELER.
_Vienna_, 7_th_ _October_, 1826.
My dear old friend.
I cannot tell you how much pleasure your letter and that of your
Lorchen gave me. Certainly, a reply ought to have been sent with
lightning speed, but I am generally somewhat careless about writing,
because I think that the better sort of men know me without this. I
often compose the answer in my mind, but when I wish to write it down,
I usually throw the pen away, because I cannot write as I feel. I
remember all the love which you have constantly shown me, for instance,
when you had my room whitewashed, and so pleasantly surprised me. It is
the same with the Breuning family. If we were separated, that happened
in the natural course of things; every one must pursue and try to
attain distinction in his calling; but the eternal unshaken foundations
of virtue held us ever firmly united. Unfortunately, I cannot write
to you to-day so much as I wished, as I am bed-ridden, and therefore
confine myself to answering certain points of your letter.
You write that I am somewhere spoken of as a natural son of the late
King of Prussia; I, likewise, heard of this long ago, but have made
it a principle never to write anything about myself, nor to reply to
anything written about me. So I willingly leave it to you to make
known to the world the uprightness of my parents, and especially of my
mother. You write about your son. I need not say that if he comes here
he will find in me a friend and father, and if I can help, or be of
service to him in any way, I will gladly do so.
I still have the silhouette of your Lorchen, from which you will see
that all the goodness and affection shown to me in my youth are still
dear to me.
Of my diplomas, I will only tell you briefly, that I am honorary
member of the Royal Society of Sciences of Sweden, as well as of
Amsterdam, and also honorary citizen of Vienna. A short time ago a
certain Dr. Spiker took with him my last great Symphony with chorus to
Berlin; it is dedicated to the King, and I had to write the dedication
with my own hand. I had already sought permission through the Embassy
to be allowed to dedicate this work to the King, and it was granted. At
Dr. Spiker's instigation, I was obliged myself to hand over to him the
manuscript for the King, with the corrections in my own handwriting, as
it was to be placed in the Royal Library. Something has been said to me
about the red order of the Eagle, 2nd class; what will come of it, I do
not know, for I have never sought such tokens of honour; yet in these
times, they would not be unwelcome to me for many reasons.
Moreover, my motto is always: 'Nulla dies sine linea,' and if I ever
let the Muse sleep, it is only that she may awaken all the stronger. I
hope still to bring some great works into the world, and then, like an
old child, to end my earthly career amongst good men.
You will also soon receive some music from Schott Brothers of Mainz.
The portrait which you receive enclosed, is certainly an artistic
masterpiece, but it is not the last which has been taken of me. With
regard to tokens of honour, which I know will give you pleasure, I may
also mention that a medal was sent to me by the late King of France
with the inscription: '_Donné par le Roi a Monsieur Beethoven'_,
accompanied by a very obliging letter from the _premier gentilhomme du
Roi Duc de Châtres_.
My dear friend, for to-day, farewell. For the rest, the remembrance
of the past takes hold of me, and not without many tears will you
receive this letter. A beginning is now made, and you will soon get
another letter, and the more frequently you write, the more pleasure
will you give me. No inquiry is necessary on either side concerning our
friendship; and so, farewell. I beg you to kiss and embrace your dear
Lorchen and the children in my name, and at the same time to think of
me. God be with you all.
As always, your true friend who honours you,
BEETHOVEN.
IX.
To Dr. F. G. WEGELER in Bonn.
_Vienna, February_ 17, 1827.
Fortunately I received your second letter through Breuning. I am
still too weak to answer it, but you may believe me that everything
in it is welcome and desirable. My recovery, if I may call it so, is
very slow; a fourth operation is to be expected, although the doctors
do not say anything about it. I am patiently thinking that every evil
has sometimes its good. But now I am astonished to see from your last
letter that you have not received anything. From the present letter you
will perceive that I wrote to you already on the tenth of December last
year. With the portrait, it is the same, as you will see from the date
when you receive it. 'Frau Steffen said,'[87] in short, Stephen wished
to send you these things if some opportunity offered, but they remained
lying here up to this date; moreover until now, it was difficult to
send them back. You will now get the portrait by post, through Schott
and Co., who also send you the music. I should like to tell you still
much more, but I am too weak, thus I can only embrace you and your
Lorchen in spirit.
With true friendship and affection to you and yours, I am
Your old, true friend,
BEETHOVEN.
X.
To Sir G. SMART in London.
_March_ 6, 1827.
I do not doubt that you, dear Sir, have received through Herr Moscheles
my letter of the 22nd of February; but as I have found by chance among
my papers, S.'s address, I do not hesitate to write direct to you and
recall my request again to your mind.
Up to now I cannot look forward to an end of my terrible illness;
on the contrary, my sufferings, and with it, my cares, have still
increased. On the 29th of February I underwent my fourth operation,
and it may be, perhaps, my fate to undergo a fifth or even more. If
this continues, my illness will surely last till the middle of summer,
and what will then become of me? How shall I then manage to live till
I have recovered strength enough to gain my own living by my pen? In
short, I will not trouble you further with my complaints, and refer
only to my letter of the 22nd of February, asking you to use all your
influence to induce the Philharmonic Society to carry out their former
resolution concerning the concert for my benefit.
XI.
To I. MOSCHELES in London.
_Vienna, March_ 14, 1827.
My dear Moscheles.
Some days ago I found out through Herr Lewinger that you inquired
in a letter to him of the 10th of February regarding the state of my
illness, of which so many different rumours have been spread about.
Although I have no doubts whatever that my letter of the 24th of
February has arrived, which will explain everything you desire to know,
I can but thank you for your sympathy with my sad lot, and beseech you
to be solicitous about the request which you know of from my first
letter, and I am quite convinced that, in union with Sir Smart and
other of my friends, you will succeed in bringing about a favourable
result for me at the Philharmonic Society. I have once more written to
Sir Smart about it.
On the 27th of February I underwent the fourth operation, and there are
visible symptoms that I shall have to suffer a fifth. What does it tend
to, and what will become of me if it continues for some time longer? A
hard lot, indeed, has fallen upon me! However, I submit to the will of
fate, and only pray to God so to ordain it in His divine will, that I
may be protected from want as long as I have to endure death in life.
This will give me strength to bear my lot, however terrible it may be,
with humble submission to the will of the Most High.
Therefore, my dear Moscheles, I entrust once more my affair to you, and
remain with greatest respect ever
Your friend,
L. VAN BEETHOVEN.
Hummel is here and has called on me several times.
XII.
To I. MOSCHELES in London.
_Vienna, March_ 18, 1827.
With what emotion I read your letter of the 1st March is not to be
described in words. This magnanimity of the Philharmonic Society, with
which they anticipated my request, has touched my inmost heart. I,
therefore, ask you, dear Moscheles, to be the organ through which I
can express my most heartfelt thanks to the Philharmonic Society for
their sympathy and help. Tell these worthy men that if God restores me
to health, I shall try practically to show my gratitude by works, and
that I leave it to the Society to choose what I shall write for them. A
whole sketched Symphony (the 10th) is in my desk, also a new Overture,
or even something else. As regards the concert which the Philharmonic
Society has resolved on giving for my benefit, I beg the Society not
to give up this intention. In short, I shall try to fulfil any wish
expressed by the Society, and never have I undertaken a work with such
ardour as will now be displayed. May it only please God to restore
me soon again to health, and then I shall prove to these magnanimous
Englishmen that I know how to value their sympathy to me in my sad
condition.
I was compelled to accept the whole sum of 1,000 fl., since I was then
in the disagreeable position of having to draw out invested money.
Your noble behaviour I shall never forget, and I shall soon render my
thanks in particular to Sir Smart and Herr Stump. The metronomised
_Ninth Symphony_ please hand to the Philharmonic Society. Enclosed find
the markings.
Your most devoted friend,