Beethoven studied counterpoint and related disciplines under Johann Georg Albrechtsberger in Vienna after becoming dissatisfied with the limited attention he received from Joseph Haydn. Recommended by Haydn, he turned to Albrechtsberger for rigorous instruction in harmony, counterpoint, and fugue, disciplines in which Albrechtsberger was regarded as one of the foremost authorities of his era.
During this period of study, Beethoven was exposed to the teacher’s strict, methodical approach, which shaped aspects of his later compositional technique. Although Albrechtsberger once voiced frustration with Beethoven’s unconventional tendencies, the instruction provided a solid technical foundation from which Beethoven developed his mature style, and he later acknowledged the value of the patience and diligence that the lessons demanded.
