It is well known that the relationship between Haydn and Beethoven was not an easy one. The blame falls almost entirely on Beethoven, but at the end he just made it right.
Haydn and Beethoven first met in 1790 in Bonn, when the old Master was on his way to London with Johann Peter Solomon, who arranged Haydn’s visit to Britain. They met again on the return journey in 1792, when it was agreed that young Beethoven would go to Vienna and learn from this undisputed composer champion of his time, Haydn.
At the end of that year this ill-fated cooperation had begun. Haydn, above from being busy composing, was enormously tired, just lost a very dear friend and had no great desire to tame a young lion. Beethoven on the other hand was young, arrogant and ungrateful. Leaving a drunk, abusive father behind he had trouble accepting any kind of authority. During the partnership Beethoven was not satisfied with the lessons nor the progress, thus secretly started taking lessons from Albrechtsberger and Salieri. Beethoven even pulled a financial scam on him, lying to both Haydn and the Elector of Bonn, who commissioned his study in Vienna. The tension went as far as it could, when Beethoven stated: I never learned anything from Haydn!
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Many years later in March 1808 came the gala of Haydn’s Creation, celebrating the composer’s 76. birthday. By this time the old Master was very ill and weak. A witness told “We found him holding a rosary in his hands, and I believe he passes almost the whole day in prayer.” He was almost toothless and invalid being able to play at the keyboard only the simplest tunes. Any day could have been his last.
This night was a big one, comparable to an Oscar gala. All the celebrities and members of the Vienna high society were present. Haydn got permission from his doctor to go to this celebration, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy sent his personal carriage to bring the Master to the event. Then, four men carried him into the hall sitting in an armchair. As people later noticed that he was shivering, they started taking off and to wrap him around with their elegant robes.
Antonio Salieri conducted and the whole event was extraordinary! Ecstatic applause broke out at the intermission, the deeply moved Haydn could no longer take the excitement and his doctor ordered him to go home.
As the bearers prepared to lift him up, the 38 years old and already matured Beethoven pushed through the crowd and approached his old Master. They faced each other for a moment and then he kissed the old man’s forehead, kissed his hands and knelt before him! What a moment!
It was time to make it right, it was time to forgive and to forget. It was time to give over the torch to the next generation…
