THE YOUTHFUL BEETHOVEN’S TRICK ON A SINGER

Beethoven learned early that it pays to be on the same wavelength as your accompanist—and that accompanists have the power to humble you. When he was just fifteen, he was already the organist at the Electoral Chapel in Bonn. In the choir was a cocky singer who bragged he could sing anything and that no accompanist could ever throw him off.

Beethoven took that as a challenge. During a Holy Week service, he slipped in a clever modulation and quietly dropped the show‑off into a key where the bravado instantly collapsed. The singer complained straight to the Elector, and the result was wonderfully even-handed: both the singer and the fifteen‑year‑old organist were reprimanded. Hard to blame a teenager for testing his powers when someone practically dares him.