# - Beethoven, Ludwig van.

to his publisher Moritz Schlesinger in Paris, the text in the hand of Beethoven's nephew Karl, assuring him that he will finally deliver the manuscript of his string quartet within a fortnight at the latest, saying that it was impossible to send it earlier; Beethoven also declines the terms of Schlesinger's proposal to publish his complete works, explaining that he has had most acceptable offers from others, adding that he cannot deal with the matter that day but, should the publisher and his lawyer wish to enter into negotiations, he would be pleased to conclude an agreement 



1 page, 4to (c.25.5 x 20cms), address-panel on verso in Karl's hand, endorsed by Tobias Haslinger ("Ludw: van Beethoven Alservorstadt in Schwarzspaningerhaus"), Vienna, 29 September 1826, some seal-tears, not affecting the text, trace of seal 

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...Ich benachrichtige Sie eiligst, daß die Abgabe des Quartetts bis jetzt unmöglich war, in längstens aber 14 Tagen erfolgen wird...

Unpublished: This letter is not in the Briefwechsel Gesamtausgabe.

Beethoven composed the last quartet in F major, Op.135, during the summer of 1826, nearly completing it by the end of September. It was at this point that he took the fateful journey to his brother's house at Gneixendorf, where he stayed for the next few weeks.  He finally reported completing the work in a letter to Haslinger on 13 October, subsequently explaining to Schlesinger that the last movement in particular had caused him great trouble and that it would certainly be his final quartet.

Beethoven had considered an complete edition of his work over many years with several publishers, including Tobias Haslinger, whose hand appears on the address-leaf, endorsing Beethoven's letter.