[CAUT] (no subject)

[Israel Stein]

At 11:00 AM 11/9/2007, Richard Brekne wrote:
>I beg your pardon.  Beethoven learned from his father for the first 
>years of his life, In 1787 he was sent to Vienna to further his 
>education by Prince Maximilian Franz among other things meeting and 
>being influenced by Mozart himself.  Again in 1792 he was sent by a 
>benifactor to Vienna to study there. To quote a short biography....
>
>    "At Vienna, the young musician took lessons with Haydn, then with
>    Albrechtsberger and Salieri.

Might be interesting to mention how Joe Haydn (and his brother 
Michael) became musicians and composers. They were from the lower 
classes, not from a musical family - and would have been apprenticed 
to some tradesman to learn a trade or craft if not for their 
beautiful voices as small boys. They were therefore taken into the 
Church educational system, taught vocal technique, how to play 
keyboards and strings, music theory, composition - and prepared for a 
career in music pretty much as one would be in a university or 
conservatory - except at a much younger age and in a much more 
intense manner. As they neared puberty, both had to make the decision 
on whether they wished to maintain their boyish voices and have 
assured careers as castrati sopranos, or forego the operation and 
seek work as musicians with courts or churches. They chose the 
latter. Had they not been lucky enough to have been taught music by 
the church, neither of them would have played or written one note...

Israel Stein