When I was a chorister, I had not received serious training in music theory and composition, which I perceived as a serious gap. To fill it, I worked my way through the counterpoint exercises in the text Gradus ad Parnassum by Johann Joseph Fux, and carefully studied the work of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
In 1749, I had matured physically to the point that I was no longer able to sing high choral parts. Later, I was dismissed from my job. I evidently spent one night homeless on a park bench, but was taken in by friends and began to pursue a career as a freelance musician. During this arduous period, which lasted ten years, I worked many different jobs, including valet–accompanist for the Italian composer Nicola Porpora.
