Carl Maria von Weber an Barham Livius in London
Dresden, Donnerstag, 30. Juni 1825

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Direct Context

Preceding

Following

Sir!

I have received in due timeΔ your honored letter of the 14th of this month, and hasten to inform you of a little confusion which has resulted byΔ your own arrangements. Instead of requiringΔ me, via rectaΔEuryanthe”, you have adressed yourΔ demands to Mr Simrok at Bonn, and only after the answer of this very honestΔ man, you have had the goodness to advise him to require Euryanthe from me*. This he has now done in a letter of the 9th JuneΔ, in which he writes me that the Sum of one hundred Pounds Sterling — which I have received of Mr BassengeΔ without Knowing the Sender — was remitted to me at your Request byΔ Mr Kemble. — In consequence of all this I have announcedΔ to Mr Kemble the receipt of this Sum and that I shall send him “Euryanthe” by Mr Simrok.      Now, I am obliged to tell him the contrary; and this is not my fault, but onlyΔ the consequenceΔ of your contradictory Dispositions.

I can not conceal my dear Sir, that I am very sorry, to see your works correspond not withΔ all the Kind things which you have lavished uponΔ me Δ by wordΔ of mouth as well as now in your honored Letter. But I mayΔ be in the wrong, and some things resulte perhaps more fromΔ a certain pleasingΔ confusion which often accompanies lively minds in mattersΔ of bussiness, and I am perhaps too severeΔ relativelyΔ to those who name themselvesΔ friends of me.      I hope you will not be out of humour on account ofΔ my sincerity, which will only exhibitΔ my wayΔ, “few words, and accuracyΔ in bussiness.” — —. 

AccordingΔ to your Request, I shall deliver in a few days the text and the Partition of “Euryantheand also the little Ballet of “PreciosaΔ — to Mr Bassenge for Mr Hawes in London.      Whilest I am acknowledging with thanks that this honored gentlemanΔ is determinedΔ to have Euryanthe performed in its perfect and entire state*, I must own, that I can not promise to myselfΔ any success of it, after all I was told — also by yourself — of the taste of the publicΔ in London.

With regard to your wishes to purchase any manuscripts of mineΔ which have not yet been published in Germany, I can not do so, evenΔ with the best will, not having any of them.      Yet must I remark hereat, that none of my Partitions have been printed, and that consequentely all those who have not received them by me, are not entitled to theirΔ possession. |

You write me. “the Theatres have reaped an abundant harvest from your labours, and those of your translators — and every body has been delig[h]ted an[d]Δ profitted but the composers and the poor authors,Δ who have been at most overlooked pp.”

Was I not entitled to hope that you my dear Sir would fight Δ my causeΔ? and does it agreeΔ with the renowned brittish Rightcousness and generousity to overlook entirely such an object? and is Δ not it naturalΔ thatΔ the composer finds himself stillΔ more Δ grieved than overreached by it?Δ and is not itΔ pardonable that he confess his feelings? — — But — let us pass over it — —. My health is yet so bad, that I am obliged to go the 3rd July to the Bath of Ems near CoblenzΔ, where I shall remain till the middle of August. there your letters can find me.

I beg you, to tell Mr Planché manyΔ kind things from my part, and that I am occupied with nothing, than withΔ his beautiful Poetry.

I hope to see you the next Season in London, and there we can come better to an explanation by word of mouth, than by the weak surrogate of writting, the more so on my parteΔ in a foreign language.
MistressΔ Weber returns you your good wishes with thanks and I am with esteem
Sir your most obedient
Servant
CMvonWeberΔ.

Editorial

Summary

Klage über Livius’ Verhalten und Bestellung der Euryanthe bei Simrock; bestätigt Geldempfang; will die Oper und ein Ballett zu Preciosa schnell liefern; kann keinen Erfolg der Oper versprechen; Livius’ Wunsch, unpublizierte Werke Webers zu erwerben, kann er nicht erfüllen; beklagt, dass Livius sich nicht für seine Rechte in London einsetze; erwähnt Kur in Ems

Incipit

I have received in due time your honored letter

Responsibilities

Übertragung
Eveline Bartlitz; Joachim Veit

Tradition in 2 Text Sources

  • 1. Text Source: Washington, D.C. (US), The Library of Congress, Music Division (US-Wc)
    Shelf mark: ML95.W394

    Physical Description

    • 1 DBl. (3 b. S. einschl. Adr.)
    • Siegelrest
    • PSt: a) DRESDEN | 30. Jun. 25 b) ALLEMAGNE | PAR | FORBACH; c) Rundstempel: FPO | JY: 11 | 1825
    • durchgehend in lateinischer Schrift

    Provenance

    • Maggs Brothers Kat. 433 (Weihn. 1922), Nr. 3819

    Corresponding sources

    • Copy: Berlin (D), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung (D-B)
      Shelf mark: Weberiana Cl. II B, 2ß, Nr. 5, S. 892–894

      Physical Description

      • dt. Übers.
  • 2. Text Source: Draft: Berlin (D), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung (D-B)
    Shelf mark: Mus. ms. autogr. theor. C. M. v. Weber WFN 6 (XVII), Bl. 90b/v u. 91r

Text Constitution

  • “in due time”added above
  • by“from” crossed out and replaced with “by
  • ering“e” crossed out and replaced with “ering
  • via recta“directly” crossed out and replaced with “via recta
  • adressed your“directed your” crossed out and replaced with “adressed your
  • honest“gent” crossed out and replaced with “honest
  • This“Which” crossed out and replaced with “This
  • “has mad”crossed out
  • […]added above
  • “[…]”deleted text illegible
  • “which I has was receiving d. 12t of this month /:exinted:/”crossed out
  • “exinted”uncertain transcription
  • B“M” overwritten with “B
  • “of Mr Bassengeadded in the margin
  • by“fr” crossed out and replaced with “by
  • announced“written” crossed out and replaced with “announced
  • “only”added below
  • consequence“conseque” crossed out and replaced with “consequence
  • “not to see”crossed out
  • “not to see conform […]”crossed out
  • lavished upon“overfilled” crossed out and replaced with “lavished upon
  • “as well”crossed out
  • d“th” overwritten with “d
  • may“am” crossed out and replaced with “may
  • from“of” crossed out and replaced with “from
  • pleasingdeleted text illegible
  • accompagnies lively minds in matters“for to spirit animated Spirits in things” crossed out and replaced with “accompagnies lively minds in matters
  • “g”crossed out
  • severe“rigourous” crossed out and replaced with “severe
  • relatively“in face” crossed out and replaced with “relatively
  • themselves“thereselves” crossed out and replaced with “themselves
  • on account of“to on” crossed out and replaced with “on account of
  • exhibit“put down” crossed out and replaced with “exhibit
  • way“fashion” crossed out and replaced with “way
  • cy“tness in” crossed out and replaced with “cy
  • “ly”crossed out
  • gentleman“Sir” crossed out and replaced with “gentleman
  • is determined“will execute” crossed out and replaced with “is determined
  • to myself“me” crossed out and replaced with “to myself
  • c“k” overwritten with “c
  • “the taste of”added in the margin
  • “taste”crossed out
  • “of mine”added in the margin
  • so, even“in” crossed out and replaced with “so, even
  • their“its” crossed out and replaced with “their
  • “for the sake”crossed out
  • cause“sake” crossed out and replaced with “cause
  • does it agree“it comfortable the” crossed out and replaced with “does it agree
  • “it”crossed out
  • it natural if by it“per donable if” crossed out and replaced with “ it natural if by it
  • “if by it”crossed out
  • “that”added in the margin
  • “still”added above
  • “yet”crossed out
  • “near Coblenzadded in the margin
  • “… your letters can find me.”im Entwurf ursprünglich: there an find me your letters; durch Ziffern Reihenfolge umgestellt; danach: if you will honor me.
  • “if you will honor me.”crossed out
  • manydeleted text illegible
  • “with”added above
  • “so”added above
  • on my parte“for me sake” crossed out and replaced with “on my parte
  • Dresden June 30th 1825.Dresden 30th June 1825.” crossed out and replaced with “Dresden June 30th 1825.

Commentary

  • “… to require Euryanthe from me”Zum diesbezügichen Briefwechsel zwischen Livius und Simrock vgl. Simrocks Schreiben an Weber vom 9. Juni 1825.
  • “… its perfect and entire state”Eine Einstudierung kam nicht zustande; die Oper erklang in London erstmals 1833 vollständig; vgl. Weberiana 18, S. 145–149.

Readings

  • Text Source 1: London
    Text Source 2: No text present.
  • Text Source 1: in due time
    Text Source 2: in due time
  • Text Source 1: by
    Text Source 2: from by
  • Text Source 1: requiring
    Text Source 2: requireering
  • Text Source 1: via recta
    Text Source 2: directly via recta
  • Text Source 1: adressed your
    Text Source 2: directed your adressed your
  • Text Source 1: honest
    Text Source 2: gent honest
  • Text Source 1: This he has now done in a letter of the 9th June
    Text Source 2: Which This he has mad done […] in a letter which I has was receiving d. 12t of this month /:exinted:/ of the 9th June
  • Text Source 1: of Mr MBassenge
    Text Source 2: of Mr Bassenge
  • Text Source 1: by
    Text Source 2: from by
  • Text Source 1: announced
    Text Source 2: written announced
  • Text Source 1: only
    Text Source 2: only
  • Text Source 1: consequence
    Text Source 2: conseque consequence
  • Text Source 1: to see your works correspond not with
    Text Source 2: not to see your works not to see conform […] correspond not with
  • Text Source 1: lavished upon
    Text Source 2: overfilled lavished upon
  • Text Source 1: No text present.
    Text Source 2: as well
  • Text Source 1: worthd
    Text Source 2: word
  • Text Source 1: may
    Text Source 2: am may
  • Text Source 1: from
    Text Source 2: of from
  • Text Source 1: pleasing
    Text Source 2: […] pleasing
  • Text Source 1: accompanies lively minds in matters
    Text Source 2: for to spirit animated Spirits in things accompagnies lively minds in matters
  • Text Source 1: severe
    Text Source 2: rigourous severe
  • Text Source 1: relatively
    Text Source 2: in face relatively
  • Text Source 1: themselves
    Text Source 2: thereselves themselves
  • Text Source 1: on account of
    Text Source 2: to on on account of
  • Text Source 1: exhibit
    Text Source 2: put down exhibit
  • Text Source 1: way
    Text Source 2: fashion way
  • Text Source 1: accuracy
    Text Source 2: accuratness incy
  • Text Source 1: According
    Text Source 2: Accordingly
  • Text Source 1: and also the little Ballet of “Preciosa
    Text Source 2: and also the little Ballet of Preciosa
  • Text Source 1: gentleman
    Text Source 2: Sir gentleman
  • Text Source 1: is determined
    Text Source 2: will execute is determined
  • Text Source 1: to myself
    Text Source 2: me to myself
  • Text Source 1: the taste of the publikc
    Text Source 2: the taste of the public taste
  • Text Source 1: of mine
    Text Source 2: of mine
  • Text Source 1: so, even
    Text Source 2: in so, even
  • Text Source 1: their
    Text Source 2: its their
  • Text Source 1: and
    Text Source 2: and
  • Text Source 1: ,
    Text Source 2:
  • Text Source 1: No text present.
    Text Source 2: for the sake
  • Text Source 1: cause
    Text Source 2: sake cause
  • Text Source 1: does it agree
    Text Source 2: it comfortable the does it agree
  • Text Source 1: No text present.
    Text Source 2: it
  • Text Source 1: it natural
    Text Source 2: per donable if it natural if by it
  • Text Source 1: that
    Text Source 2: that
  • Text Source 1: still
    Text Source 2: still
  • Text Source 1: No text present.
    Text Source 2: yet
  • Text Source 1: ?
    Text Source 2: ,
  • Text Source 1: not it
    Text Source 2: it not
  • Text Source 1: near Coblenz
    Text Source 2: near Coblenz
  • Text Source 1: many
    Text Source 2: […] many
  • Text Source 1: with
    Text Source 2: with
  • Text Source 1: so on my parte
    Text Source 2: so for me sake on my parte
  • Text Source 1: Mistress
    Text Source 2: Mrs
  • Text Source 1: CMvonWeber
    Text Source 2: CMvW
  • Text Source 1: Dresden June 30th 1825.
    Text Source 2: Dresden 30th June 1825. Dresden June 30th 1825.

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