In a biting, ironic manner Beethoven asks why the publisher Diabelli wants a sonata from him of all people; he has a whole army of composers who are at his disposal at any time, "who can do it much better than I". If each one were to write one bar, a wonderful work would ensue. (Beethoven is referring to Diabelli's edition of 50 Variations on a Waltz by 50 Austrian, in particular Viennese composers, to whom Diabelli refers on the title page as "Artistic Society of the Fatherland". The year before Beethoven had himself written 33 Variations op. 120 on this theme and had apparently not been happy that he had been placed in a row with 50 others.)
Finally he asks Diabelli not to produce a pirate edition of the unauthorized piano reduction of op. 124, which Trautwein had published. The edition had caused a great deal of controversy.
