Beethoven and Count Waldstein

Despite having sponsored the young Beethoven's first trip to Vienna to meet Mozart, the Prince-Elector of Bonn — named Maximilian Francis, patron of Ludwig at the time — did not show, on Beethoven's return, any particular favouritism for the musician, who at his seventeen wanted to acquire a greater technical base by studying with the old masters who at that time were standing out in Vienna.

Back to Bonn - court organist
According to tradition, Mozart would have listened to him and prophesied that Beethoven would "make people talk". But the trip lasted just two months because upon learning of the death of his mother, Ludwig had to return to Bonn where he will remain for the next five years, waiting for the elector prince offered his support again, in a hypothetical second trip. Until this happens, Maximilian Francis will assign Ludwig a salary of 170 florins for his performance as the second organist of the court.

The Breuning
During this extended period, Ludwig succeeded in forging valuable friendships, including that of an intelligent and distinguished widow, Mrs. von Breuning. She welcomed him into her home as a music teacher to two of her four children. Thus, Ludwig will find a second home, more welcoming even than his own, not counting the interest his student Eleonora aroused in him.

Count von Waldstein
Through the circle of friends of the refined lady, young Beethoven will easily find well-off students. But his most beneficial contact came in 1778, when Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, a member of the Viennese aristocracy and music lover, settled in Bonn. The count readily joins Mme Breuning's circle, hears Beethoven and becomes his devoted admirer, the first aristocrat of a long future list.

Count Waldstein (1762 - 1823)

To Vienna, for good
On the death of Emperor Joseph II, in 1790, Count Waldstein invited Beethoven to compose a funerary ode, which is not finally represented due to the difficulties it entailed for the musicians. That same year, passing through Bonn on his way to London, Haydn listened to Beethoven and invited him to Vienna to take him as a pupil on his return. After Count Waldstein spoke to the precise people, on November 2, 1792, at six in the morning, Beethoven left for Vienna, from where he will never return.

His travel notebook — in the style of Chopin when he left Warsaw — received fourteen greetings and beatitudes, including one from Eleonora and one from a single aristocrat, Count Waldstein, who wrote:

"Dear Beethoven! You go to realise a long-desired wish: the genius of Mozart is still in mourning and weeps for the death of its disciple. (...) By incessant application, receive Mozart's spirit from Haydn's hands. Bonn, October 29, 1792. Your sincere friend, Waldstein"

Unfortunately, sincere friend Waldstein had a wretched life. Obsessed with creating his own army to fight the Napoleonic forces, he squandered his fortune and his wife's in such an undertaking. Aware of this, Beethoven dedicated to him the Sonata for piano opus 53, composed in 1804. The count, dismissed as a servant of the Empire, would die twenty years later in a home for the destitute, on the outskirts of Vienna. On the day of his death, a letter arrived informing him of the death of his elder brother — and that he was now to inherit the family fortune.

"Waldstein" Sonata, or "Aurora" Sonata, opus 53

Sonata No. 21 in C major, called "Waldstein" and also known as "Aurora", is performed here by Chilean maestro Claudio Arrau, on the occasion of the 1977 Beethovenfest, which is held in Bonn every year. At the time, maestro Arrau was 74 years old.

Originally, the sonata was in three movements but following comments suggesting that the sonata was too long, Beethoven eliminated the second movement, replacing it with a short introduction (12:20) at the final movement (15:55). The movement removed became later the famous Andante Favori, much sought after by the audience in the evenings of the time (and hence its name, suggested by Karl Czerny).