und Haydn living at the Hamberger Haus, No.
992 (since demolished), and thither he went for his lessons. From
Beethoven's own notes of expenses we find that his first payment was
made to Haydn on December 12. The sum entered is 8 groschen (about
9 1/2 d.), which shows at least that Haydn was not extravagant in
his charges.

Master and Pupil

Beethoven's studies were in strict counterpoint, and the text-book was
that same "Gradus ad Parnassum" of Fux which Haydn had himself contended
with in the old days at St Stephen's. How many exercises Beethoven wrote
cannot be said, but 245 have been preserved, of which, according to
Nottebohm, Haydn corrected only forty-two. Much ink has been wasted in
discussing the relations of these distinguished composers. There is no
denying that Haydn neglected his young pupil, but one may find another
excuse for the neglect besides that of his increasing age and his
engrossing occupations. Beethoven was already a musical revolutionist:
Haydn was content to walk in the old ways. The two men belonged almost
to different centuries, and the disposition which the younger artist
had for "splendid experiments" must have seemed to the mature musician
little better than madness and licentious irregularity. "He will never
do anything in decent style," was Albrechtsberger's dictum after giving
Beethoven a series of lessons.

Haydn's opinion of Beethoven's future was not so dogmatically expressed;
but he must have been sorely puzzled by a pupil who looked upon even
consecutive fifths as an open question, and thought it a good thing to
"learn occasionally what is according to rule that one may hereafter
come to what is contrary to rule." It is said that Haydn persisted
in regarding Beethoven, not as a composer at all but as a pianoforte
player; and certainly Beethoven regarded Haydn as being behind the age.
That he was unjust to Haydn cannot be gainsaid. He even went so far as
to suspect Haydn of willfully trying to retard him in his studies, a
proceeding of which Haydn was altogether incapable. For many years he
continued to discharge splenetic remarks about his music, and he was
always annoyed at being called his pupil. "I never learned anything from
Haydn," he would say; "he never would correct my mistakes." When, the
day after the production of his ballet music to Prometheus, he met Haydn
in the street, the old man observed to him: "I heard your music last
night; I liked it very well." To which Be