Kaspar Karl van Beethoven, Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 1. Juni 1802, Autograph

On behalf of his brother, whose business affairs he managed, Karl van Beethoven turns to the Leipzig publishing house Breitkopf & Härtel. Karl is worried that his letter of 22 April (HCB Br 295, BGA 85) has not arrived and therefore repeats his offer: for a large piano sonata 50 ducats, for three sonatas (also with accompaniment by another instrument) 130 ducats.

In 1803 Ludwig van Beethoven was already a respected and celebrated composer. Karl describes the request which is often directed at his brother that he should arrange his works (in times when there were no recordings, arrangements for almost any kind of instrumentation were a common means of reproducing works and had great sales potential). Karl admits his brother has found an able arranger (Franz Xaver Kleinheinz), whose work he will check before it is released. This is why these arrangements can claim to be authentic. Karl offers arrangements such as these for 18 ducats a piece. Should Härtel not be interested contrary to expectations, he asks him to be discreet.