User:Preston02smith/Daniel Steibelt

== Steibelt began to share his time between Paris and London, where his piano-playing attracted great attention. In 1797 he played in a concert of J. P. Salamon. In 1798 he produced his Concerto No. 3 in E containing a Storm Rondo characterized by extensive tremolos, which became very popular. In the following year Steibelt started on a professional tour in Germany; and, after playing with some success in Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, and Prague, he arrived at the end of March 1800 at Vienna, where he is reported to have challenged Beethoven to a trial of skill at the house of Count Moritz von Fries. The oft-quoted account by Ferdinand Ries was written 37 years later; Ries did not attend it and became only later a student and friend of Beethoven. The duel between Steibelt and Beethoven consisted of multiple rounds as different assessments of each players' skill. The first round was a prepared playing of someone else's composition. For this Beethoven played a Mozart composition, and Steibelt performed a Hadyn piece. The next round of compotition involved each player improvising over a theme supplied by their opponent. According to Ries, Beethoven won the first two rounds with ease. The third and final round secured Beethoven's victory. Each player was to sightread a newly written piece from their opponent. Steibelt was given Beethoven's Piano Sonata in Bb Major, Op. 22, which did earn him some considerable applause. However, Steibelt proceeded to bend the rules, and handed Beethoven a Sonata for Cello and Piano instead of just a Piano composition. This did not phase Beethoven at all, as he simply took the score, placed it upside down and read it backwards. He then began improvising on the inversed themes for about 30 minutes, causing Steibelt to furiously storm out before Beethoven had finished. Ries stated that Steibelt had “made it a condition that Beethoven was not to be invited where his own company was desired.” ==