We saw in the last essay the birth of the opus. This time, we will look at its completion, and also at the long tortuous chain of events which led to their publication in England, practically before Artaria had them out the door in Vienna!
Possibly because we all want our heroes to be spotless in every regard, even though they rarely presume to present themselves as such, we tend to throw sand over any defalcation which attaches to them. Thus, Mozart's overtly, wildly obscene language and probable incestuous relationship with his cousin are referred to, if at all, as 'charming' and 'naughty', and Beethoven's violent temper and amazingly creative methods of getting the better of whoever he is opposed to, whether in personal or business relationships, are usually deemed the fault of the moron who made himself the target or else they are simply 'righteous'. And who even discusses the cause Schubert's terminal syphilis as anything more than a one-time experimental one-night-stand gone bad? And so, when it comes to Haydn's business relationships, depending on the presenter, they are either glossed over, or else held up for all to see the 'real Haydn'.
One of the things I have tried to do since the very outset of this series is to point out whenever some work or another of Haydn got published elsewhere, and he didn't even know about it, let alone make anything for his efforts. The reason I tried to do this is because it was certain a day of reckoning would come. Actually, several of them, but this is not going to be an ongoing indictment, rather, a one-time look at one particular case.
So let us keep on chronologically. We are in the middle of a series of letters with Artaria updating him on the status of the quartets. All of the footnotes at the end of each letter are by Robbins-Landon. My own few interjections within the letters are enclosed in square brackets. As we saw in the last letter, Haydn has finished the first four quartets. Given what else he has to do, he is flying right along! Here is the next in the series:
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. German]
Estoras, 10th June 1787.
Dearest friend !
Since I shall complete the 5th Quartet this week, I assure you that you shall receive both Quartets in good order by a week from tomorrow, and finally the 6th in a short time. I read in the paper today that my Seven Words is already at the engraver's. Please send me only one single copy. I understand that we shall soon have the honor of seeing you here: this would give me great pleasure.
Meanwhile I remain, most respectfully,
Your wholly obedient servant,
Josephus Haydn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. German]
Estoras, 21st June 1787
Nobly born, Most highly respected Sir !
I have revised and corrected the Seven Words, not only for full band but also for quartet and piano score; but I cannot send it today with the Hussars because the parcel is too large, and so I shall send you everything, together with the 4th and 5th Quartets, on Sunday at the latest, with the widowed Princess von Liechtenstein, or Count von Lamberg.
I am sorry that the Berliners have anticipated you, but you are to blame for it yourself, for they did not receive it from me [No one knows to which work(s) Haydn is referring here, although it is an interesting comment in light of what else is going on]. As for the dedication of the Quartets to His Majesty, the King of Prussia, I should prefer that you have it drawn up yourself by some intelligent person in Vienna, but brief and to the point. The Minister, Herr von Jacoby, could assist you best of all. You can ask him in my name, too, and I shall write to the worthy gentleman myself this coming Thursday. Meanwhile, you can announce the Quartets on your own subscription. If you want to have the first 3 Symphonies from me, please let me know.
Meanwhile I am, most respectfully,
Your wholly obedient servant,
Joseph Haydn.
So we see now, by June 21 the first five quartets are apparently ready to go. What can possibly derail the project at this point?
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. in German]
Estoras, I2th July 1787.
Well born, Most highly respected Sir !
I send you herewith the 6th Quartet. Lack of time prevented my having the 5th copied up to now, but I have composed it meanwhile. I would have gladly sent you the Quartet version of the Seven Words, but there was no opportunity yet; I hope, however, to find one soon.
[snip]
Meanwhile I am, most respectfully,
Your most obedient servant,
Joseph Haydn
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Well, since I didn't know better than to ask, apparently there is something which could derail the project (for Artaria anyway)…
[To WILLIAM FORSTER, LONDON. in French]
Estoras, 8th August 1787
Monsieur,
I hope that you will have received my last letter [28th June], and the music of the Seven Words. I would like to inform you that I have composed six Quartets [Opus 50!!] and six Symphonies [Paris], which I have not yet given to anyone. If you would like them, be good enough to let me know it at your earliest convenience. I will give you all twelve pieces for twenty-five guineas. I am, with all possible esteem,
Your most humble servant,
Joseph Haydn
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…which I have not yet given to anyone. Oh, Joe! If I estimate correctly, Forster will be the last person in all Europe to get the Paris symphonies, which, in the event, he bought. Well, Haydn can't be held (yet) for lying about Opus 50, he hadn't yet given them to anyone (in England!).
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. in German]
Estoras, 16th September 1787
Nobly born, Most highly respected Sir !
Because no safe opportunity presented itself, I could not send the enclosed Quartet [Op 50 #5] before. Now, thank God ! I am glad that I finished them at last.
Please send the proofs of the first [Quartets] of the series for correction as soon as possible.
I am, most respectfully,
Your wholly obedient servant,
Joseph Haydn [m.] pria.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[To WILLIAM FORSTER, LONDON. in French]
Estoras, 20th September 1787
Monsieur!
I received your letter with much pleasure. I would inform you that I have received five guineas from Mons. le General Jermingham, but you must see yourself that for music such as that of the Seven Words I deserve more; you could give me at least five guineas more. Meanwhile I send you the six Quartets [Opus 50], for which you will be kind enough to send me twenty guineas as soon as possible, as stipulated in the contract*. I shall not fail to send you the six Symphonies at the first opportunity. I await the favor of your early reply, and remain with all possible esteem, Monsieur,
Your most humble and obedient servant,
Joseph Haydn [m.p.] ria.
*Op. 50. Forster made Haydn sign a contract. The following interesting letter from Charles Jermingham throws some light on the negotiations:
"Sir/I received Your favour 21 inst. & send here enclosed a letter for Mr. Giuseppe Hayden to whom I have written very circumstantially & enclosed to him a procuration which he is to gett drawn up either in French, German, or Latin, & authenticated by two wittnesses & a publick notary, which gives it full force in all Countries; you may depend on it that what I have sent to Mr. Hayden is to the full as strong as the letter of Attorney you sent me in which there is nothing but a repetition of words."
Apparently, judging from the dates given, Haydn was unable to provide a copy to Artaria of #5 before now, because he had sent off the original to have it copied for Forster!
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. in German]
Estoras, 7th October 1787.
Mon tres cher Amy,
I shall send you the Quartets*, at the very first opportunity, and I shall be playing through them today; I cannot send them in the mail bag. I was astonished at your penultimate letter concerning the theft of the Quartets**. I assure you on my honor that they were not copied by my copyist***, who is a most honest fellow, whereas your copyist is a rascal, for he offered mine 8 gold ducats this Winter if he would give him the Seven Words. I am sorry not to be in Vienna myself so as to have him arrested: My plan would be to make Herr Lausch appear before Herr von Augusti, the mayor, and make him confess from whom he received the Quartets. Herr von Augusti is an old friend of mine and will certainly help you in this matter, as he did once before in just such an affair. Although you have everything copied on your own premises, you may be swindled all the same, because the rascals put a piece of paper a parte under the music, and thus by degrees they secretly copy the part they have in front of them. I am sorry that this misfortune happened to you. In future I shall take the precaution of sending my own copyist up to you.
I am, most respectfully,
Your wholly obedient servant,
Haydn.
*The proofs of Op. 50.
** L. LAUSCH, a well-known Viennese music copyist who sold MS. copies of the newest works of Haydn, Mozart, etc., seems to have bribed someone to get the Quartets (Op. 50) which Artaria was in the process of publishing. Apparently Artaria felt that the sale of these copies, even though in MS, was detrimental to his business.
***Probably Johann or Joseph Elssler Jr.
So, even while Haydn is making his own little deals on the side, there are still further machinations in the works which will take money, not only out of Artaria's pocket, but also out of his own. One of the more interesting items in this letter is right in the first sentence; Haydn proofs his works by playing them, no doubt using members of the orchestra. So eminently practical, although no easy solution for most composers who didn't have a band-full of musicians at their disposal! But I digress…
And now it is late November, and the cat is trying his hardest to get out of the bag. Artaria hasn't even published yet, still working on the engraving. But then, this:
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. German]
Estoras, 22nd November 1787
Nobly born, Most highly respected Sir!
I regret that it was not till today that I had a safe opportunity by which I could return to you the corrected Quartets and Symphonies [Opus 50 and 'Paris', still]. Concerning the lie of Herr Bartolozzi, … I don't know whether I should laugh or be angry, since I am grateful to the Lord when I am able to complete my works once in my handwriting; these are boastful and wild imaginings, and such falsifications attempt to belittle my credit. In the end I won't publish anything at all.
Meanwhile I am, Sir, most respectfully,
Your wholly obedient servant,
Josephus Haydn
Probably GAETANO BARTOLOZZI, the well-known artist and engraver, who lived in London and with whom Haydn later became friends. Bartolozzi must have informed Artaria of Forster's forthcoming edition of the new Quartets, and said that Haydn had sent a second autograph to London. Forster had received parts, of course. [which would not be an autograph, therefore Haydn was being obliquely truthful!]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. in German]
Estoras, 27th November 1787.
Nobly born, Most highly respected Sir !
You will forgive me, good Sir, that I have been unable to answer you sooner, for want of a good opportunity. You want me to give you a certificate for the 6 Quartets: I enclose it herewith. It is not true, however, that I gave a separate certificate to Herr Forster, giving him the sole rights to these works ; but it is true that I sent one to him after the Quartets had already been engraved. It's your own fault, because you could have sent the Quartets to Herr Langmann* 3 months ago, and at the same time given him the sole rights. But your having held them back derives from your own great selfishness : no one can blame me for attempting to secure some profit for myself, after the pieces have been engraved: for I am not properly recompensed for my works, and have a greater right to get this profit than the other dealers. Therefore you will see that the contracts between us are more carefully drawn up, and that I am sufficiently remunerated. If you lose GENERALLY because of this, however, I shall find a way to compensate you in another way. Meanwhile I remain, with the greatest esteem, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
Joseph Haydn.
*LONGMAN & BRODERIP, Artaria's London associates, later published many of Haydn's late pianoforte trios, etc.
There you go, Artaria, take that!. What an amazing letter! It really does bear a few readings to get the full measure of Haydn's chutzpah here. "I didn't give him sole rights, but I did give him rights in England"…"It's your own fault since you could have given your English partner copies a long time ago"…"So YOU are the selfish one"…"I don't make enough money from my work, so I have a greater right to make a profit than any dealers have"…"Next time, you should be more careful drawing up the contract…" !!!!!
Is there a moral to this story? Is it the Heroic Starving Artist fighting the Machine? Or the Con Man extraordinaire, making every possible Kreutzer for his efforts? As I mentioned previously, without copyright laws, none of this was even illegal, although by any standards there were ethics issues involved. It is probable that twenty+ years of seeing his work make good money for every publisher from Paris to Moscow, none of which ended up in his pocket, had grated harder than we might have expected, hard enough even for a generally fair and honest man to simply adopt a no-holds-barred attitude when it came to selling his work. As an interesting sidelight and perhaps commentary to this entire affair, I will point out one fact to put it all in perspective: there is no sign at all to show us that the business relationship between Artaria and Haydn was in any way damaged by this: by all appearances, it was business as usual from this point forward. Anyway, as I mentioned at the beginning, this was neither the first or last episode of this nature, but it is the only time I am going to write about it at length. It is what it is.
Next time, Concertos for the King.
Thanks for reading!