BEETHOVEN PUNISHED

Ferdinand Ries didn’t want to play a rarely-heard Beethoven sonata at a salon—especially with Beethoven sitting right there. But Beethoven shrugged: “You won’t play *that* badly.”

Ries played. When he slipped in the left hand, Beethoven lightly tapped him on the head—teacher mode, no mercy. Everyone laughed, including a princess nearby.

Later Beethoven performed. He made a noticeable mistake. The princess returned the favor with a not‑so‑gentle smack: *If students get a finger‑tap for wrong notes, the master gets the whole hand.*

Beethoven laughed first… then restarted and played the adagio like it belonged to another universe.