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It is hardly necessary to say who comes out best in these
passages at arms. Yet we must not be too hard on Beethoven. That
he recognized Haydn's genius as a composer no careful reader of
his biography can fail to see. As Pohl takes pains to point out,
he spoke highly of Haydn whenever opportunity offered, often
chose one of his themes when improvising in public, scored one
of his quartets for his own use, and lovingly preserved the
autograph of one of the English symphonies. That he came in the
end to realize his true greatness is amply proved by the story
already related which represents him as exclaiming on his
death-bed upon the fact of Haydn having been born in a common
peasant's cottage.
In the meantime, although Beethoven was dissatisfied with his
progress under Haydn, there was no open breach between the two.
It is true that the young musician sought another teacher--one
Schenck, a well-known Viennese composer--but this was done
without Haydn's knowledge, out of consideration, we may assume,
for his feelings. That master and pupil were still on the best of
terms may be gathered from their having been at Eisenstadt
together during the summer of 1793. In the January of the
following year Haydn set out on his second visit to England, and
Beethoven transferred himself to Albrechtsberger.
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