Beethoven thanks the Countess for her letter and the renewal of her friendship. (Beethoven and the Countess Erdödy had lost contact between 1810 and 1815. The Countess revived the old friendship in her letter; this letter, which Beethoven is now answering, has not survived.) He expresses his long harboured wish to see her and her "dear children" again and promises to send her music which has not yet been published as soon as it has been copied, including the Trio op. 97.
Beethoven apologizes for a (lost) letter from his brother Kaspar Karl in which the latter had presumably turned to the Countess with a request. His brother is an "unhappy, suffering person". At the time this letter was written, Kaspar Karl was already very ill and died in November of that same year.
Full of warmth and sympathy Beethoven enquires after the Countess' health and hopes that the coming spring will "have the best influence on your health" Anna Maria Erdödy had suffered since the birth of her first child and was bedridden most of the time.
