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Chapter Four
Summary
I now finished by juridical studies, and wrote a Farewell Song with chorus accompanied by eight-part winds, which was sung with feeling at the last evening meal arranged by the whole Collegium.
After completing my studies, as an unrestricted master of my time, I worked unceasingly on playing the pianoforte and on free fantasy, without thereby neglecting my afternoon studies, to which I devoted two hours each day, whereby I heard the lectures by Professor Rottenberger on anatomy, and by Professor Arnold on surgery; it was not that I wanted to link myself with medical science, but my goal was simply to have a well-rounded education. My brother, in the meantime, moved to another position, which forever separated him from Prague, and brought him to lower Austria in the vicinity of Vienna, so that I could confidently decide that I would soon see Vienna. Since by now I had studied in detail most of the theoretical works, I wished to devote myself to those very important investigations of harmony, in order, perhaps from so many various and often contradictory views on the subject, to found a solid system of harmony, based on natural laws; but though this is what I wanted, and I already felt that I was on the path that later brought me to my desired goal, I was now at an age where my fantasy was becoming more and more lively, and so my desire to compose increased more and more; and I also believed that in composing diligently I would become more secure in the practical part of composition, and thus would arrive at a more mature consideration of the subject, without which prior exercise such a scientific investigation in the area of music seemed pointless to me. I wrote ten variations for piano on a favorite theme from Winter's Unterbrochene Opferfeste, “Kind willst du ruhig schlafen”, which, in spite of its difficulty in performance not only pleased, but even sold very well. Soon thereafter appeared my second opus, Sechs Lieder with pianoforte accompaniment, including Hölty's Elegie an Röschen. Both works were published at my expense. The third opus is a cantata for one voice and chorus with accompaniment of full orchestra, which I wrote for the wedding celebration of Karoline Freiin von Kerpen.
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- Wenzel Johann Tomaschek (1774–1850)Autobiography, pp. 25 - 36Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2017