role that church music played in those
times, such precocity is remarkable. This connection with church music
bore good fruit in later years.

Neefe was soon after promoted, the Elector giving him charge of the
secular as well as the sacred music of the Court, upon which Beethoven
received his first appointment, that of cembalist of the orchestra. The
duty of the cembalist is to preside at the piano. Only a good musician
would be capable of filling such a position, as all the accompaniments
were played from the score. He held this for two years, afterward
playing viol in the orchestra for several years more. This work in the
orchestra was later of the greatest possible benefit to him in
composing. There was no salary at first, but the post had an important
bearing on his life, as he was obliged to attend all the rehearsals as
well as the performances of the opera, always taking an active part.
Before he reached the age of fifteen he was appointed second court
organist. During this year he studied the violin with Franz Ries, which
enabled him a few years later to play in the band.

It was in Beethoven's fifteenth year that he played the organ every
morning at the six o'clock mass in the Minorite church. For some years
before and during this period he was busy trying his hand at musical
composition, but nothing which he composed during his youth amounts to
much. He could improvise in a marvelous manner and he attracted much
attention by the exercise of this talent, becoming famous in this
connection long before he was known as a composer.

His creative talent unfolded itself slowly. He had high ideals and
worked faithfully toward their attainment. Failure to reach the level of
his aspirations did not dishearten him; rather it spurred him on to
greater effort.

The discerning intellect is always in advance of the creative. His
delight in Bach was great; he studied him to such purpose that, at
twelve years, he was able to play the greater part of the Well-tempered
Clavichord. His wonderful interpretation of Bach, later, on his arrival
in Vienna, immediately placed him in the front rank of _virtuosi_,
according to Huettenbrenner, Schubert's friend.

As a boy he was docile, shy and reserved, caring nothing for the
ordinary games of boys, or at least not participating in them to any
extent. At an age when other boys begin learning their games, he began
in composition, being forced to it, no doubt, by his father. He is sai