Expert: David Froom - 1/29/2004

Question
Hello,
 Beethoven is said to have taken a few lessons from Mozart and M. is supposed to have said "Watch this one, he shall make a name for himself!" (smthg like that).  Is this true?   I have done some reading, incl cursory reading through much of Cooper's bio on LVB, and there is never a mention by LVB himself on these lessons.  Would he not  may have mentioned it somehwere in his voluminous extant letters and covnerstion books, leaflets, etc?  Someone surely would have aked him about this legendary meeting?  
 This leads into something just whimsical and silly.  If M and B had met, obviously that would certainly qualify as the 2 greateset composers to ever meet.  I know Wagner and Berlioz met many times.  Also Brahms and Wagner, and Brahms and Berlioz.  Haydn and LVB.  What is the greatest gathering of composers in one location (incl. a concert hall) in history?  

Thanks for your time!
Kev

Answer
Hi,

The story I remember is that B, as a teenager, was visiting Vienna, looking to set up lessons with Mozart.  He met him, Mozart said those famous words, B went back to Bonn to get his things together, and by the time he got back to Vienna, Mozart had died.  I think the story is in Thayer's biography, but I couldn't swear to that (I'm 90% certain).

M and B met, as did B and Schubert.  I think most of the important European composers of the 19th century met and interacted with each other.

As for great gatherings of these composers, you might look to special premieres -- like Richard Strauss's Salome -- or during any of the years at Bayreuth when Wagner was still alive.  Or, perhaps, funerals of any of these guys.

Hope I've helped,

David Froom