This Quartett was the occasion of my becoming entangled in a literary feud, which was the first and also the last that I ever engaged in about my compositions. It had met with a particularly favourable reception among the Artists and lovers of art in Vienna, and I considered it, also, and with reason, as the best I had written up to that time. It was therefore the more mortifying to me that the reviewer in a Viennese Art-journal of the day could find nothing good whatever in it. I was more particularly hurt by the malicious manner in which he spoke of the theoretical handling of the first theme, of which I was proud; and which had excited the admiration of connoisseurs. Even now, after so long a period I recollect the words, which were nearly as follow: “This eternal rechewing of the theme in every voice and key, is to me just as if one had given an order to a stupid servant, that he cannot understand, and which one is obliged to repeat to him over and over again in every possible shape of expression. The composer appears to have considered his auditors in the same light as the stupid servant.”
I soon ascertained that the anonymous reviewer was Herr von Mosel, the composer of a lyric tragedy called “Salem”, of which I certainly had said very openly: “I never heard any thing so wearisome in all my life.” This opinion had unluckily reached the ears of the writer, and had excited his gall to this degree. Herr von Tost who was more proud of my compositions, particularly those he had in his portefolio than the composer himself, would not rest until I had written a replication to the criticism. What I said in reply, particularly in defence of the treatment of my theme, I now no longer remember, but I recollect, I was prodigal in side-thrusts at “Salem”. This was pouring oil on the fire, and so a disputation ensued, which would have been continued much longer, had not the censorship put a stop to it by forbidding the Editor of the journal to insert any thing more on the subject. As such quarrels were exceedingly unpleasant to me, I was very glad to be able to return to my harmless occupation of composing.
In the autumn of 1813, Dorette presented me with a son. Our joy at this increase to our family was unfortunately of short duration; for the boy soon became sickly and died, before he was three months old. His poor mother sought and found relief in her harp; she practised with me the new Rondo for my benefit-concert that was to take place in December. According to the musical journal, this concert took place in the small “Redouten-Saal”, and my brother Ferdinand made his début in a Violin Duet with me.
In the meantime, the great battle of Leipsic had been fought. The allied armies had crossed the Rhine, and it was hoped they would soon enter Paris. In Vienna great preparations were made to celebrate that entry, and the return of the Emperor and his victorious army. All the Theatres, had had incidental commemorative pieces written and composed, and the newly instituted Society of the friends of music of the Austrian Empire under the patronage of the Archduke Rudolph made preparations for a monster performance of Handel’s “Samson” in the Imperial Riding-school; for which Herr von Mosel increased the instrumentation. Other Societies undertook similar performances. This gave Herr von Tost the idea of making arrangements for a grand musical performance on the return of the Emperor, and he asked me if I would write a Cantata for the occasion, the subject of which should be the liberation of Germany. I willingly consented, but with the observation, that this subject in itself offered but few favourable passages to the composer, and that in order to obtain such, the text should be written by a good poet.
“Oh! there shall be no want of that” was the reply. “I will immediately go to Frau von Pichler, and have no doubt, that she will untertake to furnish you with the text.” And so she did. I consulted with the authoress upon the form and contents, and she then handed me a text-book, which in rich variety of domestic and warlike scenes presented a succession of favourable materials for composition.
I immediately set to work upon it, and finished this Cantata, which takes two hours to perform, in less than three months, from January to the middle of March 1814, in the midst of all my other numerous occupations.
Meanwhile Herr von Tost, had engaged the four best singers in Vienna for the soli-parts, viz Mesdames Buchwieser and Milder, and Messrs. Wild and Weinmüller, and for the choruses he purposed to combine the whole of the church-choirs and the chorus-singers of the theatre. The vocal parts were written and distributed, and I had already gone several times to Madame Milder, to assist her in practising her part; when, one morning Herr von Tost rushed into my room and exclaimed in despair: “I have just now had the great Redouten-Saal refused to me for our performance, under the idle pretence that it cannot be spared on account of the preparation for the Court-festivals! It is from sheer jealousy alone of the Musical Society, who will not allow any other grand performance in the Riding-school but their own. What is to be done? Since the destruction of the Apollo Saloon, there is no locale in Vienna except the “Great Redouten-Saal” fit for such a musical performance.”
At the moment, the thought occured to me of the Circus of Herr de Bach in the Prater. We immediately drove out there, to see whether the Riding-ring in the centre of the building would afford sufficient room to hold our orchestra and the personnel of the theatre. I thought it would, and promised myself an immense effect from the disposing of the body of assistants in the centre of the building. But unfortunately, this locale also, for some reason which I no longer recollect, was not to be had, and so the whole undertaking failed, to the great grief of Herr von Tost.
This Cantata shared the same fate as “Faust.” It was first produced long after I had left Vienna. I heard it for the first time in 1815 at the musical Festival at Frankenhausen, on the anniversary of the battle of Leipsic.