Josef Abbé Gelinek (1758-1825) - Kupferstich von Karl Traugott Riedel, vielleicht nach einer eigenen Zeichnung, Leipzig, 1802

Joseph Gelinek, Czech abbé and pianist, had moved about two years earlier to Vienna than Beethoven. He was regarded as an outstanding musician and he received very much recognition in the imperial city. However, at a competition of extemporization, Beethoven surpassed him just after having arrived in Vienna.

Gelinek initially liked the young musician from Bonn and he admired his compositions. He edited Beetoven´s first Piano Symphony in 1804, and in 1816, he composed several variations on the second movement of Beethoven"s Seventh Symphony. But apparently the two musicians had some issues, and eventually they had become alienated from each other. Also, Gelinek was unable to see anything attractive in many of Beethoven"s later works. (S.B.)