Beethoven had other cares, troubles and anxieties in the coming year—to which these reminiscences in strictness belong and serve as a sort of introduction—not known to Spohr. Theirs was not the confidential intercourse which lays bare the heart of friend to friend. As Varnhagen last year, so Theodor Körner this and the next informs us that Beethoven’s desire again to try his fortune on the operatic stage was in no wise abated. On June 6th the youthful poet writes: “If Weinlig does not intend soon to compose my Alfred, let him send it back to me; I would then, having bettered my knowledge of the theatre and especially of opera texts, strike out several things, inasmuch as it is much too long, and give it to the Kärnthner Theatre, as I am everlastingly plagued for opera texts by Beethoven, Weigl, Gyrowetz, etc.” On February 10, 1813, he writes: “Beethoven has asked me for ‘The Return of Ulysses.’ If Gluck were alive, that would be a subject for his Muse.”
The ascertained compositions of 1812 were:
I. “Sinfonie. L. v. Beethoven, 1812, 13ten Mai.” A major, Op. 92.
II. “Trio in einem Satze.” B-flat. “Wien am 2ten Juni 1812. Für seine kleine Freundin Max. Brentano zu ihrer Aufmunterung im Clavierspielen.”
III. “Sinfonia—Linz im Monath October 1812.” F major, Op. 93.
IV. Three Equali for four trombones. “Linz den 2ten 9ber 1812.”
V. Sonata for Pianoforte and Violin. G major, Op. 96.
VI. Irish airs nearly or quite completed for Thomson, and
VII. Welsh airs probably continued.