Franz Sylwester was a crippled down-and-out down-timer musician who was victimized by a rival for his prestigious post as first violinist of the Cathedral of Mainz. His left (fingering) hand was deliberately and maliciously mutilated by his rival, leaving Sylwester permanently unable to play the violin again. Sylwester was reduced to eking out an existence writing correspondence for the illiterate. He later became the first conductor of the Magdeburg Symphony Orchestra, thereby becoming the first modern conductor of the first modern orchestra.