Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Ignaz und Camille Pleyel in Paris, Wien, 26. April 1807

Beethoven writes to the Paris publisher Pleyel and offers him six works which he hopes to publish simultaneously in France, England and Germany. In so doing he hopes to sell more copies and therefore increase his profits. (Muzio Clementi had already acquired the works for Great Britain; the Viennese Kunst- und Industrie-Comptoir had acquired them for the German market; Pleyel did not however buy them.)

The following works are now up for sale: the Symphony no. 4 op. 60, the Coriolan Overture op. 62, the Concerto op. 61 in both versions (violin or piano), the Piano Concerto op. 58 as well as the String Quartets op. 59. He asks for total payment of 1,200 florins Augsburg Courant and explains how everything could be organized. In order to guarantee the publication dates, he names two dates - half the works are to appear on each one (compare with the letter with the same text sent to Simrock in Bonn, HCB Br 222, BGA 278).

When the same works were being published in three countries by three different publishers, publication dates had to be discussed to avoid possible financial losses. If one of the parties published the works early, this would negatively affect the sales of the others.

In the second part of the letter Beethoven turns to the Pleyels (father and son) in person. He asks after them, saying he would like to visit them but that this is not possible due to the war. He encourages Camille Pleyel not to waste his talent.