rom Tobias
             Pfeifer who stayed with Luwig's family; a relative, one Franz Rovantini,
             gave the boy lessons on the violin and viola.
             In 1779, a musician arrived in Bonn who was to be Beethoven's first
             important teacherâ€"Christian Gottlob Neefe, who came as the musical director
             of a theatrical company. The point at which Neefe began to instruct Ludwig
             is not known, but in February of 1781, Neefe succeeded to the post of court
             organist that evidently required an assistant, and by June of 1782,
             Beethoven was acting as deputy in Neefe's absence (Marek, 178). According
             to Neefe, young Ludwig ". . . has the most promising talent. He plays the
             piano very skillfully and with power (and) reads at sight very well. . . He
             would surely become a second Mozart if he continues as he has begun. . . "
             In 1789, due to the drinking habits of his father, Ludwig took the
             unprecedented step of placing himself, at the age of nineteen, at the head
             of his family by petitioning for half of his father's salary to e
             ...