Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven and Reicha became lifelong friends when they played in Reicha’s uncle’s orchestra. Neefe taught him as a teenager, as later did Albrechtsberger, Salieri and Haydn. Czerny became his own most noted pupil; Hummel was another. Moscheles had idolised him, later in life organising a fund for him, and translating his biography into English. Whether or not the boy Liszt was taken by Czerny to Beethoven, and kissed by him for the quality of his playing, is still disputed. Hiller visited the sick Beethoven with Hummel; both were pallbearers at his funeral, Hiller cutting the famous lock of hair from his head.