In order to be able to enter fully into the spirit of the music of great composers, it is necessary to know the history of their lives.  Beethoven’s is fairly well known.  But it may be worth while to refer, briefly, to the principal men and women to whom the master dedicated his pianoforte sonatas.

Of the thirty-two, as will be seen from the above table, eight have no dedication.

In the year 1792 Beethoven left Bonn and went to Vienna.  There he studied counterpoint under Haydn, yet the lessons proved unsatisfactory.  But the fame and influence of the veteran master no doubt prompted the young artist to dedicate to him the three sonatas, Op. 2.  The title-page of the oldest Vienna edition runs thus:—­

Trois Sonates pour le Clavecin Piano-forte composees
et dediees
A Mr. Joseph Haydn Docteur en musique par
Louis van Beethoven.

There was perhaps more of sarcasm than respect in the “Docteur en musique”; Beethoven is related to have said that he had taken some lessons from Haydn, but had never learnt anything from him.  Nevertheless he paid heed to his teacher’s music.  There are in the sonatas one or two reminiscences of Haydn, which seem to us curious enough to merit quotation.  One occurs in the sonata in C minor (Op. 10, No. 1).  We give the passage (transposed) from Haydn, and the one from Beethoven:—­

[Music illustration:  “Letter V,” Pohl, No. 58.[97] HAYDN.]

[Music illustration:  Op. 10, No. 1.  BEETHOVEN.]

And another—­

[Music illustration:  “In Native Worth” (Creation).  HAYDN.]

[Music illustration:  Op. 31, No. 1.  BEETHOVEN.]

While speaking of reminiscences, a curious one may be mentioned.  The theme of the slow movement of Beethoven’s sonata in A (Op. 2, No. 2) strongly resembles the theme of the slow movement of his own Trio in B flat (Op. 97):—­

[Music illustration:  Op. 2, No. 2.]

[Music illustration:  Trio, Op. 97. Andante.]

In Op. 111, again, the second subject of the Allegro recalls a phrase in the Presto of the Sonata in C sharp minor.

Haydn, as the most illustrious composer of that day, stands first; but the next name worthy of mention is Count Waldstein, a young nobleman who had been a guide, philosopher, and friend to Beethoven during the Bonn days.  The well-known entry in the young musician’s Album just before his departure for Vienna shows in what high esteem he was held by Waldstein.  Count Ferdinand Waldstein died in 1823.

Prince Charles Lichnowsky was one of the composer’s earliest patrons after the latter had settled in Vienna.  The Prince, descended from an old Polish family, was born in 1758, and, consequently, was, by twelve years, Beethoven’s senior.  He lived mostly in Vienna.  In 1789 he invited Mozart to accompany him to Berlin; and the King’s proposal to name the latter his capellmeister is supposed to have been suggested by