It was the same with his music, which was intrusted to Czerny.
The youth inherited some musical talent and under favoring conditions
might have achieved something as a musician. When the instruction began,
Beethoven was in the habit of calling at Czerny's house nearly every day
with his nephew. On these occasions the master would frequently
improvise on the piano, to Czerny's great enjoyment. Czerny, through his
devotion to Beethoven, paid particular attention to Karl, and the boy
made rapid progress. He accompanied his uncle on visits to other houses,
by the latter's desire, with the object of forming his taste and
stimulating his ambition for the art.
From the start Beethoven planned a fine career for his nephew. "The boy
must be an artist or a savant that he may lead a noble life," he said
once. On another occasion, when the youth was about eighteen years of
age, he said, on introducing him to a visitor, "you can ask him a riddle
in Greek if you like." "My wishes and efforts have no other aim than
that the boy may receive the best possible education," he wrote when
contending in the Court of Appeals for possession of the boy, "as his
capacity warrants the indulgence of the best hopes for his future, and
that the expectation, which his father built upon my fraternal love may
be fulfilled.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178