Franz Clement
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Franz Joseph Clement (1780–1842) was an Austrian violinist, conductor of Vienna's Theater an der Wien and friend of Ludwig von Beethoven.
A talented violinist from a young age, he was known for his extraordinary ability to play complex pieces from memory after only briefly viewing them. He would alternate his virtuso performances with lighthearted showmanship, with such intermission antics as playing a sonata on one string with the violin upside-down.
Beethoven became acquainted with Clement in 1794 when he attended a performance in Vienna by the prodigy, then just 14.
Clement went on to commission the now famous Violin Concerto in D major from his friend for a 1806 performance. It is said that Beethoven worked on it up until shortly before the performance, and that Clement played the piece without rehearsing.
