Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 28. März 1809, Autograph

The letter refers to the works opp. 67, 68, 69 and 70 which were being printed by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig. Beethoven sends some last small corrections for the Symphonies op. 67 and op. 68. He also sends the title for op. 68 (the corrections were made before publication). With regard to a correction in the Fifth Symphony to which the publisher had referred, he asks to be sent a proof and the engraver's model as he is not able to remember. Furthermore the correction the composer had wanted to be made to the title of the Cello Sonata op. 69 could not be included. Finally Beethoven identifies his two Trios op. 70 using musical incipits. Breitkopf and Härtel had apparently written to him about three trios, but Beethoven had only sent two. The composer presumes that Härtel's agent Wagner had played a prank and included a third trio.