For some years
before and during this period he was busy trying his hand at musical
composition, but nothing which he composed during his youth amounts to
much. He could improvise in a marvelous manner and he attracted much
attention by the exercise of this talent, becoming famous in this
connection long before he was known as a composer.
His creative talent unfolded itself slowly. He had high ideals and
worked faithfully toward their attainment. Failure to reach the level of
his aspirations did not dishearten him; rather it spurred him on to
greater effort.
The discerning intellect is always in advance of the creative. His
delight in Bach was great; he studied him to such purpose that, at
twelve years, he was able to play the greater part of the Well-tempered
Clavichord. His wonderful interpretation of Bach, later, on his arrival
in Vienna, immediately placed him in the front rank of _virtuosi_,
according to Huettenbrenner, Schubert's friend.
As a boy he was docile, shy and reserved, caring nothing for the
ordinary games of boys, or at least not participating in them to any
extent.
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