323.

TO ZELTER.

Vienna, March 25, 1823.

SIR,—­

I avail myself of the present opportunity to send you my best wishes.  The bearer of this asked me to recommend her to you; her name is Cornega; she has a fine mezzo soprano, and is a very artistic singer, and has, moreover, been favorably received in several operas.

I have also specially considered your proposals about your Academy for Singing.  If the Mass is ever published, I will send you a copy free of all charge.  There is no doubt that it might be almost entirely executed a la capella; in which case, however, the work would have to be arranged accordingly; perhaps you have patience to do this.  Besides, there is already a movement in the work quite a la capella, and that style may be specially termed the true church style.  Thanks for your wish to be of service to me, but never would I accept anything whatever from so highly esteemed an artist as yourself.  I honor you, and only wish I could have an opportunity to prove this by my actions.

I am, with high consideration,

Your friend and servant,

BEETHOVEN.

324.

TO HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH.

The Spring of 1823.

YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS,—­

It must still be some days before I can wait on you again, as I am in the greatest hurry to send off the works that I named to your R.H. yesterday, for if they are not punctually dispatched, I might lose all profit.  Your R.H. can easily understand how much time is occupied in getting copies made, and looking through every part; indeed, it would not be easy to find a more troublesome task.  Your R.H. will, I am sure, gladly dispense with my detailing all the toil caused by this kind of thing, but I am compelled to allude to it candidly, though only in so far as is absolutely necessary to prevent your R.H. being misled with regard to me, knowing, alas! only too well what efforts are made to prejudice your R.H. against me.  But time will prove that I have been in all respects most faithful and attached to your R.H., and if my position were only as great as my zeal to serve your R.H., no happier man than myself would exist.

I am your R.H.’s faithful and obedient servant,

BEETHOVEN.

325.

TO SCHINDLER.

Imprimis.—­Papageno, not a word of what I said about Prussia.  No reliance is to be placed on it; Martin Luther’s table-talk alone can be compared to it.  I earnestly beg my brother also not to remove the padlock from his lips, and not to allow anything to transpire beyond the Selchwurst-Gasse.[1]

Finis.—­Inquire of that arch-churl Diabelli when the French copy of the Sonata in C minor [Op. 111] is to be published.  I stipulated to have five copies for myself, one of which is to be on fine paper, for the Cardinal [the Archduke Rudolph].  If he attempts any of his usual impertinence on this subject, I will sing him in person a bass aria in his warehouse which shall cause it and all the street (Graben) to ring![2]