At the turn of the 19th century, Vienna became a welcoming host of a growing phenomenon of virtuoso guitarists and composers such as Wenzel Matiekga, Vincent Schuster, Anton Diabelli, Mauro Giuliani, and others. All took part in Vienna’s mainstream musical activity, raising the level of guitar performance and composition to new heights. Concerts in the Imperial City took place in salons, public gardens, and concert halls, attended by all classes of society. All were fascinated by what was then a significant rise in guitar performance and virtuosity. Ludwig van Beethoven never composed directly for guitar; as a young man he had written for mandolin accompanied by fortepiano, but its similarity in tuning to the violin did not pose any challenges in learning a new instrument. While the guitar enjoyed a tremendous upsurge in popularity, Beethoven probably never appreciated it due to his encroaching deafness. As Beethoven moved in the highest Vien...