Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What did Mozart reportedly say after hearing Ludwig van Beethoven improvise?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, lithograph after an 1819 portrait by Ferdinand Schimon, c. 1870.
According to tradition, after hearing the young Ludwig van Beethoven improvise during his first visit to Vienna in 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart reportedly told friends, "This young man will make a great name for himself in the world."12
It is important to note, however, that no reliable historical account of this specific meeting survives, and the story is considered part of the tradition surrounding Beethoven's early life rather than a verified historical fact.1