Ferdinand Ries studied under Ludwig van Beethoven after arriving penniless in Vienna in early 1803 with a letter of introduction from Carl Cannabich. Beethoven accepted him as a pupil and closely supervised his training, giving him piano instruction and sending him to Johann Georg Albrechtsberger for harmony and composition. Between 1801 and 1805, under Beethoven’s guidance, Ries improved as a pianist, and Beethoven also recommended him for positions, including at the court of Count Browne in Baden and later with Prince Lichnowsky. Ries was one of only two pupils Beethoven taught during these years, the other being Carl Czerny.
Beethoven took great care of Ries, helping him obtain work as a piano tutor in aristocratic households and providing him with opportunities such as performing Beethoven’s C minor Piano Concerto, Op. 37, in his public debut in July 1804, where Ries was even permitted to write his own cadenza. Ries spent summers with Beethoven in 1803 and 1804 in Baden bei Wien and Döbling, furthering their close teacher-student relationship. Beethoven’s influence shaped Ries’ early career, and Ries later co-authored a collection of reminiscences about his teacher, documenting their relationship.
