In 1822 Franz Schubert fared terribly when he handed his Variations For Four Hands dedicated to the master [Ludwig van Beethoven]. The shy and simultanously quiet son of the muse played a role displeasing to himself in his introduction, despite [Anton] Diabelli's entourage and translation of Schubert's feelings for the master. His courage, on which he held steadily on his way to the house, left him as soon as he was in the presence of the artist's majesty. As Beethoven voiced his wish that Schubert may write down the answers to his questions himself, his hand was nearly paralyzed.
Beethoven worked through the submitted musical piece and ran into a harmonical error. With mild words he pointed it out to the young man, but also tempered it with the remark that it wasn't a cardinal sin. Meanwhile Schubert, maybe especially because of this complaisant remark, lost his composure completely. Only after he had found his way out of the house he got his act together again and scolded himself in harsh words.
He never again found the courage to introduce himself to the master another time.
Source:
Schindler, Anton: Anton Schindler's Beethoven-Biographie: Neudruck herausgegeben von Dr. Alfred Christian Kalischer, Verlag Schuster & Löffler (1909) p.522 (available at the Internet Archive in original German)
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