[119] Only the Bagatelles, Op. 119, had been published when this was written.
[120] Stumpff’s manuscript, which also covered the principal incidents of a trip through Germany, after his death came into the possession of his surviving partner, T. Martin, who permitted Thayer to transcribe all of it relating to Beethoven. Many of his observations parallel those made by Reichardt, Rochlitz, Schultz and other visitors, and their repetition here would add nothing to the story of Beethoven’s life and manners; besides, the account is too long to be inserted in full. The reader who wishes to read all of it is referred to the German edition of Thayer’s biography. Vol. V, page 122 et seq.
[121] The correspondence nowhere shows a modification of the stipulation that the Symphony was to be the exclusive property of the Society for 18 months. But Kirchhoffer, Ries’s representative, knew of the preparations for the Vienna performance.
[122] Dr. Deiters thinks Ries’s hesitation was due to fear of difficulties in the performance—a fear which was realized; it is more likely, however, as may be deduced from the context of the letter, that Ries felt that his London friends were not being treated fairly in the matter, Beethoven having entered upon an obligation with them to let them have exclusive possession of the Symphony for eighteen months after the time of delivery.
[123] Had he wholly forgotten the letter in which he offered Schlesinger the Mass in 1822 and said that it would grieve him very much if he could not give him “just this particular work”?
[124] The canons were those on Hoffmann and Schwenke.
[125] The remark is meaningless and was made only for the sake of a play on words—Rache and Rachen. Beethoven professed friendship to Haslinger to the end, though he lampooned him in private.
[126] The mark is Allegro con moto in the Complete Edition; Allo. commodo in others. Joachim’s edition gives the commodo in parenthesis.
[127] There are pitiful proofs in the Conversation Books that simple sums in addition were more than he could master and that on his deathbed he studied the mysteries of multiplication.
[128] Vol. II. p. 107 et seq.