13th. 12 English songs with pianoforte accompaniment and German text.1

For all of these works which H. Steiner may use as his property in all places except England, I have been wholly recompensed.

Vienna, April 29, 1815.

Whatever may have been the proposed interest of Karl van Beethoven in the contract, his failing health soon prevented him from performing any labor under it. The correspondence with Steiner and Co. indicates that the task of arranging the orchestral works for the pianoforte was performed by Haslinger and Anton Diabelli, with occasional assistance from Carl Czerny, under Beethoven's superintendence.

Diabelli, born near Salzburg in 1781, had now been for some years one of the more prolific composers of light and pleasing music, and one of the best and most popular teachers in Vienna. He was much employed by Steiner and Co., as copyist and corrector, and in this capacity enjoyed much of Beethoven's confidence, who also heartily liked him as a man. In the composer's comical military staff, he was the "General Profoss," and in the correspondence his name becomes "Diabolus"-for Beethoven could never resist the temptation to a play upon words. About the 1st of April Beethoven received a package which proved to be an opera text by Rudolph von Berge, sent to him with a letter by his old friend Amenda from Courland. While this letter was under way Beethoven received a visit from a friend of Amenda's who, on his departure from Vienna, carried with him a letter in which he said:

You are 1000 times in my mind with your patriarchial simplicityunfortunately for my good or that of others, fate denies my wishes in this respect, I can say that I live almost alone in this greatest city of Germany since I must live almost in estrangement from all persons whom I love or could love-on what kind of footing is music with you? Have you ever heard any of my great works there? Great say I-compared with the works of the Highest, everything is small!

The opera book sent by Amenda was entitled, "Bacchus,' Grand Lyric Opera in Three Acts." The libretto was preserved among Schindler's papers in the Royal Library in Berlin. It seems likely that Beethoven gave some thought to the opera and experimented with some themes. There are interesting notes on a work with a classical subject, the words apparently the beginning of an invocation to Pan, in a sketchbook of 1815, which

1No. 8, Op. 90; No. 4, "Tremate, empj, tremate," Op. 116; No. 8, Op. 97; No. 9, Op. 96; No. 10, "King Stephen," Op. 117; No. 11, “Namensfeier," Op. 115; No. 12, "Ruins of Athens," Op. 113.

SKETCHES FOR A "BACCHUS" OPERA

315

Nottebohm describes in his "Zweite Beethoveniana" (p. 329 et seq.) without saying whether they belong to Treitschke's "Romulus" or von Berge's "Bacchus." Dr. Riemann assumes without hesitation that the sketches were made for "Bacchus" and sees a premonition of Wagner's methods in the following:

boun - ti - ful

bountiful Pan

not quite so characteristic, it must be evolved out of the B. M. where the dance only intermittently

Corni

Throughout the opera probably dissonances, unresolved or very differently, as our refined music cannot be thought of in connection with those barbarous times.

On the approach of warm weather the Erdödys removed for the summer to Jedlersee, never to return to the Schottenbastei: and as Lichnowsky was dead, Beethoven had no inducement longer to remain in that vicinity and therefore departed from the Mölkerbastei-also never to return. The new lodging was in the third storey of a house then belonging to Count Lamberti, in the Sailerstätte, with a double number 1055, 1056, near which he had lived a dozen years before, having the same sunny aspect and the glorious view across the Glacis from the Karlkirche and the Belvidere Gardens, away across the Danube to the blue Carpathian mountains in the distance. In this house, about the first of June, Häring introduced to Beethoven the very fine English pianist and enthusiastic musician Charles Neate, who after five months' study with Winter in Munich had come to Vienna in the hope of obtaining instruction from the great symphonist. To his application, Beethoven replied in substance: "I cannot teach, but I will give you an introduction to my master, Förster" (which he did by letter), "and you may bring your compositions to me for my inspection, and I will examine and remark upon them." In consequence of this permission Neate saw him almost daily. Beethoven spent a part of this summer in Baden, and Neate took a room very near him. There the composer was in the habit of working all the forenoon, dining early at twelve or one o'clock, and, towards evening, walking with Neate-sometimes up the

1Dr. Riemann interprets Beethoven's "B. M." as standing for "Bacchus Motive."

Helenen-Thal, oftener through the fields. Neate, in the course of his long life—he was nearly eighty when he related these things to the author had never met a man who so enjoyed nature; he took intense delight in flowers, in the clouds, in everything"nature was like food to him, he seemed really to live in it." Walking in the fields, he would sit down on any green bank that offered a good seat, and give his thoughts free course. He was then full of the idea of going to England, but the death of his brother and adoption of his nephew put an end to the project. Neate remembered the boy as a very beautiful, intelligent lad. Beethoven, at that time, and as Neate knew him, was charmingly good-tempered to those whom he liked-but his dislikes were so strong, that to avoid speaking to persons to whom he was not well affected, he would actually increase his pace in the street to a run. At this time, his dark complexion was very ruddy and extremely animated. His abundant hair was in an admirable disorder. He was always laughing, when in good humor, which he for the most part was, as Neate saw him.

One day Neate spoke to him about the popularity of his Sonatas, Trios, etc., in England and added that his Septet was very much admired:-"That's damned stuff" (or "a damned thing"), said Beethoven, "I wish it were burned!" or words to this effect, to Neate's great discomfiture. Another time, walking in the fields near Baden, Neate spoke of the "Pastoral Symphony" and of Beethoven's power of painting pictures in music. Beethoven said: "I have always a picture in my mind, when I am composing, and work up to it."

Neate conversed with him in German and had no difficulty in making him understand, when speaking into his left ear. He brought to Beethoven an order from the Philharmonic Society of London-obtained by the exertions of Ries-for three concert overtures, of which we shall hear more hereafter.2

The destruction of Rasoumowsky's palace suspended his quartets, and Linke, the violoncellist, passed the summer with the Erdödys at Jedlersee. This gave the impulse to Beethoven to write the principal works of this year: the two Sonatas for Pianoforte and Violoncello, Op. 102. The first bears his date: "To

The conversations with Neate took place in January, 1861. The writer was indebted to the late Henry F. Chorley, for the pecuniary means of making his very valuable researches in England, and one of the bitter consequences of the unavoidable delay in writing this work, is, that Chorley can never read it.-A. W. T.

"It is sufficient to say here, that instead of composing new ones as expected, he gave Neate the overtures to "King Stephen," the "Ruins of Athens" and the so-called "Namensfeier," and received for them 75 guineas.

OTTO JAHN'S RECOVERY OF LETTERS

317

wards the end of July"; the second: "Beginning of August." While he was employed upon them, Treitschke called upon him for a closing chorus, "Es ist vollbracht," to a little dramatic piece similar to the "Gute Nachricht," entitled "Die Ehrenpforten," and prepared to celebrate the second capitulation of Paris. It was performed July 15, 16 and 23; and, on the occasion of the Emperor's nameday, was revived "with appropriate changes" October 3rd and 4th; but (according to the theatre bills) with the chorus "Germania" substituted for "Es ist vollbracht."

This was the last year of Beethoven's personal intercourse with the Erdödys, a very interesting memorial of which, namely, a series of notes and letters, has been preserved and made public by the coolness and decision of Otto Jahn. Being in Munich in 1852, or about that time, he learned that this correspondence was in the hands-if our memory serve of the widow Brauchle, and obtained permission to read it in the presence of the possessor. Suddenly starting up he exclaimed (in effect): "I will copy this at the hotel," and before the lady, in her amazement and perplexity, could refuse or prevent, he was away, and made the only copy known to be in existence, except transcripts made from it.1 Several of these papers are only Beethoven's apologies for not coming to Jedlersee "to-day" or "to-morrow"-but all are interesting in the glimpse which they give of the affectionate intimacy which they show as existing between Beethoven and the family.

A letter to Brauchle is important from a biographical point of view. It reads:

I had scarcely returned before I found my brother making lamentable inquiries about the horses-please do me the favor to go to Enzersdorf about the horses, take horses at my expense in Jedlersee, I'll gladly recompense you. His sickness (my brother's) is accompanied by a sort of unrest-let us be of help where we can, I am obliged to act thus and not otherwise! I await a speedy fulfillment of my wishes and a friendly answer on the subject from you-do not spare expenses I'll willingly bear them. It is not worth while to let anyone suffer for the sake of a few dirty florins.

Neate and the Erdödys have carried us forward quite out of the strict order of time, to which we now return, beginning with letters to our old Bonn and London acquaintance, Johann Peter Salomon and others:

1Jahn related this incident to the writer, with much humor, in the Autumn of 1860. In 1867, he allowed Dr. Alfred Schöne to edit the correspondence for publication by Breitkopf and Härtel.

My respected countryman!

Vienna, June 1, 1815.

I have long hoped for the fulfillment of a wish to see you in person in London, to hear you, but the wish has always been frustrated by manifold hindrances- -and for the reason that I am not in a position to do so I hope you will not deny my request which is that you speak with some publisher there, and offer him the following works for me: a Grand Trio for pianoforte, violin and violoncello (80 ducats). Sonata for pianoforte and violin (60 ducats). Grand Symphony in A (one of my most excellent), smaller Symphony in F.-Quartet for 2 violins, viola and violoncello in F minor.-Grand Opera in score, 30 ducats-Cantata with choruses and solo voices 30 ducats. Score of the Battle of Vittoria on Wellington's victory, 80 ducats as also the pianoforte arrangement (if it has not, as I am assured already been published)-I have set down the honorarium of a few works which I think fair for England, but leave it to you in the case of these as well as the others, to do what you think best as to my pay. I hear, indeed, that Kramer is also a publisher1 but my pupil Ries wrote me recently that he had publicly expressed himself against my compositions, I hope for no other reason than the good of art, wherefore I have no objection to offer, but if Kramer wants any of these injurious works of art, he is just as agreeable to me as any other publisher. I only reserve to myself the privilege of also giving the same works to my local publisher so that the works will appear only in London and Vienna and simultaneously.

Perhaps you may be able to point out to me in what manner I may get from the Prince Regent at least the copyist's charges for the Battle Symphony on Wellington's Victory at the battle of Vittoria, which I gave him, for I have long ago abandoned all hope of ever getting anything more, I was not even vouchsafed an answer as to whether I might dedicate the work to the Prince Regent when I publish it, I hear even that the work has already been published in London in pianoforte arrangement, what a fate for an author!!! While the newspapers are full of reports concerning the success of this work as performed at the Drury Lane Theatre, the author is unable to show even a friendly line touching it, not even the expense of copying, besides all this, the loss of all profit, for if it is true that the pianoforte arrangement is already published, no German publisher will take it, it is probable that the pianoforte arrangement will soon appear in a reprint by a German publisher and I will lose honor and honorarium.

Your well-known noble character bids me hope that you will take an interest in the matter and show yourself active in my service; the wretched paper money of our country has already been reduced to the fifth part of its value, I was treated according to the scale, but after much urging the full standard with a considerable loss, but we have again reached a point where the currency is worth much less than one-fifth and I am confronted for the second time with the prospect that my salary will be reduced to nothing without recourse of any kind. My only earnings now come from my compositions, if I could count on their sale in England it would be very advantageous to me.

1J. B. Cramer was associated with John Addison under the style of Cramer and Co.