Six Bagatelles for piano op. 126

The summer of 1822 proved to be extremely difficult for Beethoven financially. The costs for the upkeep of his nephew and servants as well as his household were high. His health was bad, so doctors' costs and a forthcoming stay in a spa consumed additional amounts of money. On top of this he had old debts with the publisher Steiner, who now demanded their repayment with interest. He had also incurred debts with his friend Franz Brentano in Frankfurt, having paid him an advance for acting as an agent for the Missa solemnis (which was neither finished nor even sold), and with the publisher Artaria in Vienna. In desperation he turned to his brother Johann, the family's 'financial genius', who was wealthy and very skilled in business matters. Johann came to Ludwig's rescue. He gave him cash and evidently stood security for him with Steiner, so that in the end Beethoven owed Johann 500 florins. But Johann had not become wealthy for sentimental reasons, and he knew his brother well. Unlike publishers and friends he did not heed Ludwig's assurances but instead demanded copyright for several of his works, including the Bagatelles that Beethoven wanted to sell to the publisher Peters (they later became his op. 119). As a result the inevitable occurred: the brothers argued and had it out through different publishers. Johann tried to sell the Bagatelles, and Ludwig tried to prevent this, thinking he was being cheated. Schemes and plots abounded, supposed intrigues were uncovered and hatched anew. Ludwig won: via his former pupil Ferdinand Ries, who lived in London, he sold the Bagatelles op. 119 to an English publisher. Once published they no longer had any business value for Johann. He did not, however, give up. To compensate Johann for the lost money, Ludwig had to provide a replacement. As he did not have any money, he provided compensation in the form of a new cycle, Six Bagatelles op. 126, which he composed in spring 1824. On 19 June 1824 he told his brother that they were ready for collection. (J.R.)