the affectionate familiarity which these
ladies permitted him. Taking into account the extreme sensibility of the
artistic temperament and the sentimental character of the Germans, it is
still surprising to meet with a letter to the Countess Erdoedy, which he
begins: "Liebe, liebe, liebe, liebe, liebe Graefin" ("Dear, dear, dear,
dear, dear Countess"), although the letter itself is simple enough and
ends: "Ihr wahrer Freund und Verehrer." He begins another letter to this
lady in a strain courtly and dignified, in marked contrast to the
excessive warmth of the previous example: "Alles Gute und Schoene meiner
lieben, verehrten, mir theure Freundin, von ihrem wahren und verehrenden
Freund." The Countess Erdoedy, who is described as being witty,
cultivated and beautiful, exercised a very strong fascination on the
susceptible heart of our master, and on her side, she seems to have been
powerfully drawn to him. The friendship lasted many years. Music, the
bond that united them, sanctified their intimacy and kept it always on a
high level. Beethoven lived at her house for a time. He used to allude
to her as his father confessor. Madame Erdoedy erected in honor of
Beethoven, in the park of one of her seats in Hungary, a temple, the
entrance to which is decorated with a characteristic inscription
expressing her homage to the great composer. Later in life she was
banished and died in Munich.

The Baroness Ertmann was also a good friend to Beethoven. He called on
her frequently and her ability to interpret his works acceptably must
have cemented the friendship between them. Others with whom he came in
contact were the Countess Babette de Keglivics (Princess Odeschalchi),
and Julia Guicciardi, who became the Countess Gallenberg, and to whom he
dedicated the Sonata Fantasia, which is called the language of
resignation.

These people on the whole were quite democratic in their relations
toward artists. There was a very elaborate ceremonial at court, but
elsewhere, cultivated people met on common ground. Ries relates an
incident illustrating the cameraderie existing between Beethoven and the
aristocratic ladies of his circle. In this instance. Princess
Lichnowsky, who was a Countess Thun, and connected with some of the best
families in Europe, was the central figure. One evening at Count
Browne's, Ries was asked to play a sonata with which he was not
familiar. Ries preferring to play something else, begged to be excused
from playing