Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein
Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein Joseph and Wartenberg (* March 24, 1762 in Vienna, † May 26, 1823 in Vienna) was privy in Bonn, Lieutenant General in the British Army, Commander of the Teutonic Order and a patron of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Biography
Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein came from the Bohemian noble family Waldstein - Wartenberg. He was the fourth son of Emanuel Philibert of Waldstein - Wartenberg and his wife Maria Anna Theresia of Liechtenstein. His older brothers were Joseph Karl Emanuel, Johann Friedrich Franz and Adam von Waldstein Wartenberg.
In 1787 he joined the German Order and became a novice in Ellingen. Since the beginning of 1788 Wallenstein was in Bonn, where he was beaten on 17 June 1788 by Elector Max Franz as Grand Master of the Order of Knights. A year later, he was "Real privy " and a member of the State Conference of the Order of Bonn. Two years later he earned a knight's seat in Godesberg, and thus became a member of the Electoral Cologne Country Stand shaft. From 1788 to 1792 was Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein in various diplomatic missions operate. In 1792 he was awarded the Commander of the Order in Virnsberg, in the Deutschordensballei francs. Beginning of 1794 was Waldstein in the wake of fleeing before the French electors in Vienna. With a memorandum, written on March 1, 1794 Waldstein tried to influence the elector politically. The accused him of " to have exceeded its powers when negotiating with imperial generals "
On June 3, 1795 Waldstein entered into an agreement with England on the establishment of a " regiment Mergentheim ". Since 1796, he was in London. On July 23, 1797, Elector wrote: " Ferdinand Waldstein can be more than a year of neither the Order nor his creditors hear something that I wish him a lot of money and wisdom ." There is evidence also that Waldstein with his regiment was temporarily in the West Indies. In 1807 he resigned his commission in England.
From 1809 lived Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein in Vienna or on his Bohemian estates. In 1811 he resigned from the Order. On May 9, 1812 married Waldstein Countess Isabella Rzewuska. After unfortunate financial actions he impoverished. Count of Waldstein died in Vienna in 1823.
His daughter Antonia Franciska Ludmilla Marie Clementine was married to Franz de Paula Deym of Střítež ( 1807-1872 ). His grandson was Francis Deym of Střítež.
Friend and patron of Ludwig van Beethoven
Waldstein participated in his Bonn intensively in social and cultural life of the residence and was open to new ideas. He was a member of the 1788 Bonn Reading Society and its director in 1794 and was one of the subscribers to the poems of the then professor in Bonn and later Jacobin Eulogius Schneider.
Waldstein was musical, a good piano player and he composed himself in Bonn, he formed a friendship with the family Breuning, where he came into contact with Beethoven -. Since at least one organized by him Ritterballett in 1791 A year earlier had Waldstein Beethoven the been commissioned to write music for a ballet knight. The score was completed in 1791 /92, entitled " Variations à quatre mains pour le piano sur une Thème de Monsieur le Comte de Waldstein par Louis van Beethoven" completed and printed in 1794.
Entry in Beethoven's Stud Book
Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein was the first and probably most important patron of Beethoven. He was the one who gave him the scholarship for his trip to Vienna in 1792. And when Beethoven in November 1792 left his native town, Waldstein wrote on October 29 in Beethoven's pedigree:
Although the composer in 1804 his Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op 53, which has become known as " Waldstein Sonata " in the history of music, Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein devoted, in its Vienna time the two had apparently no further contacts more. This is indicated by an entry Beethoven from December 1819: "The Count Waldstein was so near. Does he live here now? "