Beethoven Box: LVB’s Enemies
Choose your enemies well. Choose your competition thoroughly.
The story of Ludwig van Beethoven meeting and competing against Daniel Steibelt is classical music lore. The story goes something like this; a young and talented Beethoven was invited to a fancy event in Vienna wherein his music would be featured. But well before he arrived at the venue, he became aware of that the super popular and talented, Daniel Steibelt would be there too. No doubt Beethoven was to some extent intimidated, knowing that this famous talented virtuoso would play at the event. And knowing what we know about Beethoven, he probably had a chip on his shoulder about it.
Well when he got to the venue, Steibelt took a piece by Beethoven and started to improvise on it, which was an insult, probably intended, but taken sorely by Beethoven. LVB, offended, angry pissed off, stood up, and walked out of the room.
It was the talk of Vienna for weeks. So as the story goes, a showdown was set between Steibelt and Beethoven for weeks later in a similar venue.
Fast forward to the second meeting of Daniel Steibelt and Ludwig von Beethoven.
At the second meeting, Steibelt was invited to conduct a string Quartet. He performed his piece.. And when it was finished, Beethoven rose from his seat, walked to the stage, sat at the piano. He plucked up a score of the string Quartet. Mockingly turned it upside down and banged out the clef notes of the upside down string Quartet. ~~~~~~He went on to improvise on Steibelt’s upside down music. Then went on to performed music that had never been imagined by the Viennese. He went on and on for more than an hour. It has said that Daniel Steibelt was so embarrassed that he stood up walked out of the room left left Vienna and went back to Russia to live in musical exile. Beethoven became the champion of Vienna and the new prince of classical music.
He had chosen his enemy well.
He chose the best because in championing the best he then became BEETHOVEN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z989y0QvL0
And the music that he wrote based on his improvisation was amazing….