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

Before 1 November 1808 Beethoven had received a very lucrative offer from Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother and King of Westphalia, namely to become the principal royal musical director in Kassel. Probably at the instigation of Countess Erdödy Beethoven negotiated with Princes Kinsky, Lobkowitz and Archduke Rudolph at the beginning of 1809, concerning an annuity to prevent him from leaving Vienna. The negotiations were headed by his friend Ignaz von Gleichenstein. The annuity which was finally agreed upon guaranteed Beethoven the annual sum of 4,000 florins, which the noblemen divided up between them in different amounts. The only condition stipulated in the agreement is that Beethoven is to turn down the offer from Kassel and remain in Vienna.