Rentenvertrag zwischen Erzherzog Rudolph, Fürst Ferdinand Kinsky, Fürst Franz Joseph Lobkowitz und Ludwig van Beethoven, Wien, 1. März 1809, Abschrift

"I have also been invited to become music director for the King of Westphalia and I might well accept", wrote Beethoven on 1 November 1808 to Count Franz von Oppersdorff. The King of Westphalia, who lived in Kassel, was Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte. Jérôme had put together a large opera company at his court and needed a musical director for it. Beethoven was offered 600 gold ducats a year - a tempting offer. On 7 January 1809 Beethoven wrote to Leipzig that he would accept this offer. In Vienna talk abounded. In particular Beethoven's friend Ignaz von Gleichenstein began to vehemently fight for Beethoven to remain in Vienna. How could the great composer be persuaded to stay? A counter-offer had to be made. Three noble patrons joined forces and after several rounds of negotiations agreed to pay Beethoven a sum of 4000 florins annually (each contributing different amounts). The Princes Lobkowitz and Kinsky and Archduke Rudolph drew up the following "annuity agreement" with Beethoven. Beethoven was to receive the money every six months, until he "received an appointment yielding the equivalent of the above sum". In return Beethoven was bound to "make his domicile in Vienna where the producers of this document reside, or in a city in one of the other hereditary countries of his Austrian Imperial Majesty, and he shall only temporarily absent himself should business or art make this necessary."