Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Hoffmeister & Kühnel in Leipzig, Wien, etwa 20. September 1803, Autograph

Beethoven declares that the works he has promised the publisher Hoffmeister & Kühnel (opp. 44, 39, 43 and the arrangements opp. 41 and 42) are their property and promises to send them an official list of the works, confirming ownership. He accepts the price of 50 ducats. Instead of the Variations op. 44 Beethoven offers them other ones for piano (WoO 74), as he believes them to be better. In addition he points out that the arrangements op. 41 and op. 42 were not by him and may therefore not be published as such. Although he has looked over them and improved them, he still distances himself from the arrangement.

Finally, Beethoven complains about his uncertain position as a freelance musician: "just remember that everyone around me is employed, and knows for certain what they are living from, but oh my goodness, where does one employ such a parvum talentum com ego, at the imperial court?---"