Brief Antonio Salieri und Paul Wranitzky an Ludwig van Beethoven, Wien, 10. Februar 1797

In their meeting on 20 January 1797 the Viennese Tonkünstler-Sozietät (Society of Musicians) decided that "those famous musicians who had afforded the Society great services or who might serve the Society in some manner in the future should be given free entrance tickets for all future Society academies, and these should be accompanied by a polite letter ad captandam benevolentiam [to win over good will]" (from the minutes of the meeting, according to the BGA).

This "polite letter" was written by the Secretary of the Society, Paul Wranitzky, and also signed by the Vice President, Antonio Salieri. Aside from Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Leopold Kozeluch, Joseph Weigl, Franz Xaver Süßmayer, Anton Wranitzky and Adalbert Gyrowetz also received similar letters with free tickets.

The Tonkünstler-Sozietät was amongst other things a kind of insurance society, which organized benefit concerts for the support of the widows and orphans of Viennese musicians. Works by Beethoven were also performed several times. Thus Beethoven gave his Viennese debut on 29.3.1795 with one of his first two piano concertos (op. 15 or op. 19) at an academy of the Tonkünstler-Sozietät.