Ludwig van Beethoven, Rentenvertrag zwischen Erzherzog Rudolph, Fürst Ferdinand Kinsky, Fürst Franz Josef Lobkowitz und Ludwig van Beethoven, um Februar 1809, Konzept

The draft lays down Beethoven's conditions (with reference to "high and highest people", who had asked him to do so), which have to be met if he is to turn down the post of music director to the King of Westphalia. Firstly, a lifelong annuity of 4,000 florins (in return the patrons may share the credit for his works); secondly, the freedom to continue to undertake artistic journeys; thirdly the title and status of an imperial music director (in this case the pay can be deducted from the 4,000 florins); fourthly an annual academy for his benefit in the Theater an der Wien on a fixed date (in return he will also conduct an academy for the theatre's benefit, otherwise they will receive a new composition by him).