Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, Wien, 15. Oktober 1810, Autograph

Beethoven writes to his Leipzig publisher to discuss various corrections for his last works. He explains the changes he wants for the Quartet op. 74 to avoid a lack of clarity. Concerning the Flohlied op. 75,3 he asks for the text to be written out in full and asks for a copy so he can correct it.

He draws his publisher's attention to the fact that there are also a great many mistakes in Breitkopf & Härtel's edition of Haydn's Lieder. He also reminds him of the two redundant bars in his edition of his Fifth Symphony op. 67. Beethoven stresses that he is convinced that the publisher does his utmost to work without making mistakes, but considers it to be safer if he also checks the works himself - "it is also unpleasant for the author to know his work is not correct".

Regarding Egmont op. 84 he says that the last piece should be entitled "SiegesSimphonie" ("Victory Symphony"). This correction has been added in an unknown hand in the corrected copy which the publisher owned and which is now in the possession of the Beethoven-Haus, NE 64.

Beethoven also asks for this score to be sent to Goethe in Weimar once it has been engraved; a further copy would take too much time due to the lack of a good copyist.

Beethoven specifies the title and person to whom the Variations op. 76 are to be dedicated. Furthermore he announces the organ part for the Mass op. 86 as well as the missing trombone part for the Oratorio op. 85 are on their way. Beethoven wants to also have a German version of the text included in the mass (the original edition did in fact not only have the Latin text but also a German one).

He specifies the people to whom other works are to be dedicated as follows: the Opera (op. 72) should be dedicated to Stephan von Breuning. Op. 86 is for Nikolaus Zmeskall, the Lieder op. 75 for Princess Kinsky.

Beethoven asks for a new edition of the Lieder WoO 136 and WoO 137 (both had appeared in the spring of the same year). He expresses thanks for the 50 ducats payment and promises to send the last works (opp. 81a, 82 und 83) with the next post. Thus the remaining money is due. Instead of buying music to the value of 80 thalers, Beethoven asks to have 30 thalers paid out in C.M. and to only take scores to the value of 50 thalers (the publisher had offered to pay him in music instead of money) He asks for copies of the Leipziger Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung and for all the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, as well as the B-minor Mass and a copy of Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-tempered Klavier.

Once all his wishes have been granted, he will sign the bill for the rights. He asks for more time to consider the question of a complete edition. In a postscript on a separate page Beethoven stresses that it is a lie that Reissig, the writer of the text for WoO 137, had bought the composition from Beethoven, thus acquiring the rights to it. Beethoven emphasizes that he composed it as a favour and declares Breitkopf & Härtel to be the sole owner of the songs which were composed to texts by Reissig (WoO 137, op. 75,5 and 6).