Beschreibung:

Beethoven, Ludwig van. HUMOROUS AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ("BEETHOVEN"), TO THE PUBLISHER C. F. PETERS, CONTAINING TWO AUTOGRAPH CANONS "SANKT PETRUS WAR EIN FELS" AND "BERNARDUS WAR EIN SANKT", WOO 175 enquiring what he and his wife are doing and whether he is well or unwell, asking that he be allowed to sing something for him, notating after this on two hand-drawn staves the music and words of the two canons "Sankt Petrus war ein Fels" and "Bernardus war ein Sankt", WoO 175 (six bars of music in all); on the verso, following the music, Beethoven asks after his young princes, and concludes by stating that if he is at home this afternoon around five o' clock he might call on him together with his state burden [i.e. his nephew Karl], 2 leaves, 4to (23 x 20.5cm), integral autograph address panel, traces of seal, tipped in to a loose bifolium containing (on 1v) a pencil transcription of the letter in an unidentified hand and (on 2r) a laid-down 2-page autograph letter to John Ella by Beethoven's biographer A. W. Thayer, dated London, 8 March 1861, elucidating the letter, nineteenth-century half roan gilt folder, with manuscript label to upper cover by John Ella ("Autograph - Letter & canone...pur: at Vienna 1846 by J. Ella"), no place or date [Vienna, c. February 1820], some paper loss to margins, slightly affecting the text in one place, old repairs and strengthening, splitting along hinge, creasing and light browning