In 1792, at the age of 22, Beethoven left his native Bonn to seek his fortune in the imperial capital, Vienna, where had lessons with Haydn, Salieri and Albrechtsberger and gained fame as a virtuoso pianist.

The annual Artists’ Pension Society Ball was a renowned high-society occasion in the city and new dance music was written every year by the popular composers of the time, including Haydn, Kozeluch, Dittersdorf and Eybler. In 1795 Beethoven provided a set of 12 minuets and 12 German dances...