Friedrich Starke (1774-1835) - Fotografie einer wohl von Wilhelm Sander angefertigten Lithographie

Friedrich Starke was a many-sided composer and musician. Beethoven liked to associate with him. Starke played various musical instruments, but in particular he was known as horn player. He went on numerous journeys - among others to Sankt Poelten, Klatovy, Bratislava and Vienna. He first met Ludwig van Beethoven in the Danubian metropolis. He frequently visited him in the "Pasqualati-Haus", and they played their musical instruments together. Several years later, Starke taught Beethoven's nephew Karl playing the piano.

In 1820, when Starke planned to publish the "Wiener Pianoforteschule" ("Viennese Piano School"), he asked Beethoven for a contribution. As a result, Beethoven revised several pieces of his earlier compositions and he composed five new bagatelles for piano (Op. 119, No. 7-11).(S.B.)