the delicate child was six years old, a violin was
put into his hand, and if his progress on it was thought to be too
slow by his impatient father, he was treated to raps and blows by way
of incentive to work yet harder. His teachers, too, were continually
changing, as the comedians had to travel about from place to place.
After awhile he was taken in hand by Michael Haydn, a brother of the
great Josef. Michael was a famous musician himself and seldom gave
lessons to any one. But he was interested in Carl and took charge of
his musical education for some time.

It was not long before Carl Maria's genius began definitely to show
itself, for he started to write for the lyric stage. Two comic operas
appeared, "The Dumb Girl of the Forest," and "Peter Schmoll and his
Neighbors." They were both performed, but neither made a hit.

When Carl was seventeen, the father decided he should go to Vienna,
for there he would meet all the great musicians of the time. The
boy was at the most impressionable age: he was lively, witty, with
pleasant manners and amiable disposition; he soon became a favorite in
the highest musical circles. It was a gay life and the inexperienced
youth yielded to its allurements. In the meantime he did some serious
studying under the famous Abbe Vogler. The following year the Abbe
recommended him to the conductorship of the Breslau Opera House. This
was a very difficult post for a boy of eighteen, and he encountered
much jealousy and opposition from the older musicians, who did not
relish finding themselves under the leadership of such a youth. A year
served to disgust him with the work and he resigned. During the year
he had found time to compose most of his opera "Rubezahl."

For the next few years there were many "ups and downs" in Carl's life.
From Breslau he went to Carlsruhe, and entered the service of Prince
Eugene. For about a year he was a brilliant figure at the Court. Then
war clouds gathered and the gay Court life came to an end. Music
under the present conditions could no longer support him, as the whole
social state of Germany had altered. The young composer was forced to
earn his livelihood in some way, and now became private secretary to
Prince Ludwig of Wurtemburg, whose Court was held at Stuttgart. The
gay, dissolute life at the Court was full of temptation for our young
composer, yet he found considerable time for composition; his opera
"Sylvana" was the result, besides several smaller