Haydn, Joseph.

commenting on Müller's piano score of The Seasons, praising his talent and energy in carrying out this difficult task, stating that his arrangement is easy and convincing, especially in the last fugue, asking him, however, to carry out the changes he has requested, pointing out that, on account of the fast tempo, the storm in Part II is not playable as it stands, and enclosing a [now lost] suggested revision, explaining that he is too old and too weak to go through such a long work in any great detail ("...ich bin zu alt und zu schwach, als dass ich ein so grosses Werk so genau untersuchen sol[l]te..."), expressing his view that his critics should take this into account, noting that "nothing is perfect in this world, but this is just between you and me'" [trans.], 1 page, 4to (23.5 x 19cm), integral autograph address panel, Vienna, 11 December 1801, seal tears and a few other tiny tears repaired [Kinsky 17; Landon, v, pp.88-9]



 

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A fine letter from near the end of Haydn's long life to the composer and Leipzig Kapellmeister August Eberhard Müller (1767-1817), concerning his late masterpiece the oratorio The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten). 

The enclosed sheet of corrections to Müller's keyboard score, referred to in the letter, is now lost, but is known to have included a trenchant criticism of van Swieten's adapted libretto ("NB! This whole passage, with its imitation of the frogs was not my idea; I was compelled to write this Frenchified rubbish"). Haydn later famously described the effort of composing The Seasons as having "broken [his] back". Müller's keyboard arrangement, with which, however, Haydn professed to be very content, appeared early the next year, in 1802, a few weeks before the score. This letter was formerly in the celebrated collection of Louis Koch.