was dissolved. Waldstein's Light Infantry never saw action, but it did help the local militia to put out a fire in a biscuit bakery on the Isle of Wight. For the next few years, Waldstein spent much of his time in London, although he returned to Germany from time to time. On 23 July 1797, Maximilian Francis wrote, "For over a year neither the order nor his creditors have heard anything from Ferdinand von Waldstein, I wish him much money and intelligence". While in London, he took part in amateur theatricals (for select invited audiences), and is reported to have given creditable performances. From 1809, Ferdinand lived in Vienna or on his Bohemian estates. He withdrew from the Order in 1811. On 9 May 1812, Ferdinand married the wealthy Countess Isabella Rzewuska and organised numerous festivities on the sidelines of the Vienna Congress. After several unfortunate financial transactions, however, he became impoverished, and died in 1823 in Vienna. Patron Waldstein, a fairly good pianist and composer, took an active part in the public life of Bonn. In the literary circles of professor Eulogius Schneider he noticed the young Ludwig van Beethoven around 1790 and he became one of his early patrons. Beethoven's Ritterballet, WoO 1, first performed on 6 March 1791, was attributed to Waldstein until it was discovered later that Beethoven had ghost-written it for his patron. In 1791/92 Beethoven finished a score entitled Eight variations for piano four hands on a theme by Count Waldstein. It was Waldstein who recommended young Beethoven to Joseph Haydn and arranged a scholarship for him. His entry in Beethoven's friendship book on the composer's departure for Vienna in November 1792 remains famous: In 1804 Beethoven dedicated his Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, known as the Waldstein, to him. However, it seems that both men hardly had contact with one another at that time. Notes References 1762 births 1823 deaths Bohemian nobility Counts of Germany Teutonic Knights Musicians from Vienna Fredinand Ernst Gabriel