Archduke Rudolph

As the son of the Emperor Leopold II, Rudolph was in a position of authority and patronage. Over a twenty year period, the Archduke was a student of Beethoven and helped to keep Beethoven in residence in Vienna. Though Beethoven did not care for courtly life or the pressures and regularity of lessons, the Archduke did not convince the maestro of anything, but, chose to yield to the idiosyncracies of his teacher. Together with Prince Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz, Rudolph was able to pay Beethoven a yearly annuity if he remained in Vienna. Accordingly, Beethoven's "Mass in D" is dedicated to the Archduke as were numerous other compositions. Rudolph composed forty different variations on a theme by Beethoven as well as a clarinet sonata. ~ Keith Johnson