Beethoven agrees to come to Vienna for the first performance of his String Quartet op. 132, as this will be easiest for all those concerned. He says that he has spoken with Schlesinger. The latter has agreed to pay for the quartet as soon as he is given it.
As far as the preparations for the performance of op. 132 are concerned, Beethoven asks his nephew to fix a date and to inform those involved. In addition Karl should see that the debts which Beethoven has with Peters in Leipzig are settled immediately when the payment for the string quartet is made.
Beethoven continues that he has just received a letter from his nephew, which changes the situation: the day for the performance has been fixed. Beethoven is concerned that Schlesinger might back out of buying it and therefore stresses that he will definitely come to the city on Friday.
Maurice Schlesinger, son of the Berlin publisher Adolph Martin Schlesinger, had already come to Vienna in 1819 to get into contact with Beethoven and to possibly draw up contracts for publication of some works. In 1825, himself now the owner of a music publishing house in Paris, Maurice Schlesinger came to Vienna once again to buy quartets from Beethoven. Schlesinger did indeed acquire the String Quartet op. 132 (Beethoven's concern that Schlesinger might back out of buying it was unfounded). The quartet was performed by the Schuppanzigh Quartet at a private concert on 9.11.1825 for a few invited guests. In September there had already been rehearsals at which Schlesinger had been present.
