When was Beethoven's prime?

[Imagination]

I'm doing a project and it involves Beethoven, so if you could help me, I'm wondering when his prime for composing music was... in other words... when did he really get "famous"?

[Peter]

It's hard to imagine a time when Beethoven wasn't famous, but his reputation steadily increased during the 1790's and by the beginning of the 1800's he was a major figure on the international scene. Unlike Schubert and Bach who had to wait till after their deaths for full recognition, or Mozart who went out of fashion in the 19th century, Beethoven achieved full recognition in his lifetime which has not waned since.

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'Man know thyself'

[lysander]

As early as 1791 Beethoven's keyboard facility was talk of Bonn, the Rhineland, and wider German musical circles, as described by Carl Ludwig Junker:

"Then I heard also one of the greatest keyboard players - the dear, good Beethoven.... It is true that he did not make a public appearance, perhaps because the instrument here {in Mergentheim} was
not to his liking. It was a Spath instrument, and at Bonn he is accustomed to
play only the Steiner. However, as I
greatly preferred, I heard him extemporize;
indeed, I was even invited to propose a theme on which he would create variations. One can reckon the high virtuosity of this amiable, light hearted man from his inexhaustible wealth of ideas, from the quite individual style of expression in his playing, and from the great facility with which he plays. I could think of nothing that he lacks in artistic greatness. I have often heard Vogler on the fortepiano...heard him playby the hour altogether, and always marvelled at his astonishing facility; but Beethoven, besides his powers of execution, has greater eloquence, weightier ideas, and more expressive - in short, he is more of the heart - and is equally great, as an adagio or allegro player. All the members of this remarkable orchestra are his admirers, and are all ears when he plays. Yet he is modest and without pretenses.
His playing is so different from the usual styles of performance that it looks as if he has attained the height of perfection on which he now stands by a path of his own".

- Carl Ludwig Junker -
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Carl Czerny who was Beethoven's pupil said of him; No one equaled in the rapidity of his scales, double trill, skips, etc. not even Hummel. His bearing while playing was perfectly quiet, noble and beautiful.

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Beethoven continued his ascent throughout his life. He has not only scaled Olympian heights but seems actually to have created and scaled entirely new peaks of his own.

Lysander.

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[This message has been edited by lysander (edited June 01, 2003).]

[thuy]

Beethoven's acceptance into Viennese society by mid 1790's marked the beginning of his peak. He was readily accepted by a remorseful Vienna over the recent death of Mozart (1791). The nobles were now making sure that a composer, a protege of Haydn no less (and Haydn brought him to Vienna because of his own griefs over Mozart's death), would not again have to deal with money problems. So, in effect, Mozart paved the way for Beethoven's success. Mozart was a free-lance artist who had much disdain for the patronage system, much to the chagrin of his father. And, oh, what a price he paid.
But I digress... you wanted to know..?

You can tell whom I prefer so readily, right?

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Mozart rules

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by thuy:
Beethoven's acceptance into Viennese society by mid 1790's marked the beginning of his peak. He was readily accepted by a remorseful Vienna over the recent death of Mozart (1791). The nobles were now making sure that a composer, a protege of Haydn no less (and Haydn brought him to Vienna because of his own griefs over Mozart's death), would not again have to deal with money problems. So, in effect, Mozart paved the way for Beethoven's success. Mozart was a free-lance artist who had much disdain for the patronage system, much to the chagrin of his father. And, oh, what a price he paid.
But I digress... you wanted to know..?

You can tell whom I prefer so readily, right?

This brings up for me a question similar to one I asked recently on another thread, "Haydn at Mozart's Death". Do you have any details of the remorse in Vienna at Mozart's death? What was their general attitude toward him before his death, and then what was it afterward? Did they realize immediately what they'd lost or did it take them a few years? Any details or quotes appreciated.

- Chaszz

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"People become civilised, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt."

[spaceray]

Niemtschek,Mozart's first biographer,tells us:Mozart's enemies and vilifiers,particularly just before and after his death,became so wicked,and so loud in their slanders,that many an evil story about Mozart rose actually to the ears of the Monarch himself .These rumors and lies were so shameless and so shocking that the Monarch,who never heard the other side of the story,was enraged,not only were all sorts of shameful and exaggerated dissipations attributed to Mozart,but it was claimed that he had left debts of not less than 30,000 gulden-a sum that startled the Monarch.