Most Reverend Archbishop and Elector,
Most gracious Lord, Lord.
Your Electoral Grace having graciously been pleased to submit for my humble report the humble petition of Your Highness’s court musician Joann Ries that his daughter be appointed to the place in the court music of Your Highness made vacant by the discharged soprano Lentner sub Litt. A.
Humbly obeying Your gracious command I submit an impartial report that for about a year the daughter of the court musician Ries has frequented the “Duc sahl” (doxal) and sung the soprano part and that to my satisfaction.
But now that my son Joannes van Beethoven has already for 13 years sung soprano, contralto and tenor in every emergency that has arisen on the “Duc sahl,” is also capable on the violin, wherefore Your Reverend Electoral Grace 27 Novembris 1762 granted the accompanying decree graciously bearing your own high sign manual sub Litt. B.
My humble and obedient but not anticipatory opinion is that the court singer Lentner’s vacated salary ad 300 fl. (: who went away without the gracious permission of Your Highness over a quarter of a year ago and reported to me in specie she was going without permission and would not return:) be graciously divided so that my son be decreed to receive 200 florins and the daughter of Court Musician Ries 100 fl.
Zu Ewr. Churfürst. gnaden beständige hulden und gnaden mich unterthänigst erlassendt in tieffester submission ersterbe.
Your Reverend Electoral Grace’s
most humble and obedient
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Chapel Master.
Johann van Beethoven’s Salary
Increase of salary of 100 rthr. for Court Musician Beethoven.
M. F.