When the _Leonore_ overture was being rehearsed, one of the three bassoon players was missing. Prince Lobkowitz, a friend of Beethoven, jokingly tried to relieve his mind by saying, “It doesn’t make any difference, the first and second bassoon are here, don’t mind the third.” Beethoven nearly pranced with rage, and reaching the street later, where the Prince lived, he crossed the square to the gates of the Palace and stopped to shout at the entrance, “Donkey of a Lobkowitz!” and then passed on, raving to himself. But there was a warm, sweet streak in his nature for his friends loved him dearly, and he was very good to his nephew Carl, who lied to him and deceived him. Carl added to Beethoven’s unhappiness, for when he was lonely and in need of him, Carl never would come to him unless for money. Beethoven had a high regard for women and loved Countess Guicciardi, who refused many times to marry him, but he dedicated _The Moonlight Sonata_ and some of his songs to her. We see his great heart broken by his nephew, we see his sad letters begging him to come and take pity on his loneliness, we see him struggle to make money for him; and all Carl did was to accept all and give nothing. Finally this ungrateful boy was expelled from college because he failed in his examinations. This was such a disgrace that he attempted to commit suicide. As this was also looked upon as a crime he was given twenty-four hours to leave Vienna and so enlisted in the army. Nevertheless Beethoven made Carl his sole heir. Doesn’t this show him to be a really great person? BEETHOVEN THE PIANIST While at Vienna he met the great pianists and played far better than any of them. No one played with such expression, with such power or seemed worthy even to compete with him. Mozart and others had been charming players and composers, but Beethoven was powerful and deep, even most humorous when he wanted to be. He worked well during these years, and with his usual extreme care changed and rechanged the themes he found in his little sketch books into which, from boyhood he had put down his musical ideas. Those marvelous sketch books! What an example they are! They show infinite patience and “an infinite capacity for taking pains” which has been given by George Eliot as a definition of genius. THE THREE PERIODS At his first appearance as a pianist in Vienna he played his own C major Concerto in 1795. From 1795 to 1803 he wrote all the works from opus 1 to 50. In these were included symphonies 1 and 2, the first three piano concertos, and many sonatas for piano, trios and quartets, a septet and other less important works.