Interrupted Mass – Antonio Lucio Vivaldi

Because of his red hair, famous Venetian Baroque composer and priest Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was nicknamed The Red Priest (il Prete Rosso).

Although he managed successfully to balance his occupations, as a priest and as a musician, on one occasion Vivaldi found himself before the ecclesiastical court.

Why?

Because he felt a sudden wave of inspiration while holding a Mass, and he interrupted it and went to take a paper and a pen.  At the dismay of other priests and believers who came to attend mass, he had to immediately write down his musical thoughts.

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Sensitive sense of hearing – Camille Saint-Saens

When he was a boy, the parents of famous French composer Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) took him to a concert. Before that, little Camille heard only single performances of piano and violin, but on that occasion he was listening a real symphony concert.

Later, in his memoires, Camille Saint-Saens wrote:

“The impression of the orchestra was entirely different and I listened with delight to a passage played by a quartet, when, suddenly, came a blast from the brass instruments—the trumpets, trombones and cymbals. I broke into loud cries, “Make them stop. They prevent my hearing the music.” They had to take me out.”

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Entertainer - Fritz Kreisler

Famous Austrian-born violinist and composer Friedrich 'Fritz' Kreisler (1875 –1962) was once asked by some rich American woman if he would be interested to perform at her party. For a certain fee, of course. Virtuoso answered with “yes”.

- “So, your performance at my party, how much will it cost me?” – asked the rich woman.

- “$5000.” – Kreisler answered.

- “Excellent!” – said the hostess. “But, I want you to know that I do not expect from you to chat with my guest and entertain them after your performance.”

- “Even better.” – said Kreisler. “In that case I will charge you with $2000”.

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Insurance – Leopold Godowsky, Jr.

Leopold Godowsky Jr. (1900-1983), American violinist,  inventor of first practical color transparency film (Kodachrome) and son of the famous pianist and composer of the same name, once asked his sister to drive his children, three-year-old twins, to his home.

“Please drive carefully”, Leopold warned his sister, “as I have two violins worth fifty thousand dollars in the luggage compartment”.

“You're so insensitive!” – his sister said. “Which am I supposed to watch first, the twins or the fiddles?”

“The twins, of course” – said Godowsky. “The violins are very well insured”.

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Wrong setup – George Enescu

Famous Romanian violinist, composer, pianist, conductor and teacher George Enescu (1881-1955) was once asked by a distinguished fellow compatriot to take care of musical career of his son, who had ambitions to become a violinist.

Unfortunately, that boy was not musically gifted but since Enescu owed a big favor to his friend, he agreed to do it.

He tried really hard to teach the boy how to play, but his efforts were without much success. Through his contacts he even managed to arrange him a debut concert in the Gavo Concert Hall in Paris.

Since he didn’t have the courage to ask of some pianist to accompany the unskilled violinist on the stage, Enesku took on himself that ungrateful task.

Before the concert, he asked the audience if there is anyone willing to assist him by turning pages for him while he is following the violinist. Alfred Cortot, at that time the most famous pianist in France, volunteered immediately.

As might have been assumed, the concert was a disaster.

Two days later, daily newspaper Le Figaro published a review of the concert. The article was brief, but eloquent:

”Last night, at the Gavo Concert Hall, a curious event took place. It was a violin and piano recital at which the man who played the piano should have been playing the violin and the man turning the pages should have been playing the piano, while the man playing the violin should have been turning the pages!”

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The Prince – George Friedrich Handel

Famous German composer George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) spent many years as a composer and music teacher on the English court.

On one occasion, the Queen asked him what he thought of her son’s progress in learning to play cello, and when will her son become a true virtuoso.

Not knowing what to say about the performance of the future king, Handel said:

“Well, His Majesty is playing like a...prince!”

The Queen understood these words the way it suited her, so she decided that the Prince would perform in one part of Handel’s grand concert.

When Handel saw the future holder of the crown on the podium with a cello in his hands, he immediately disappeared from the concert hall.

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Devil and his apprentice – Georg Friedrich Handel and Francesca Cuzzoni

When capricious singer, soprano Francesca Cuzzoni (1696-1778), refused to sing the aria 'Falsa immagine' from Handel's opera "Ottone, re di Germania", Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) threatened her that he will fling her out of the window.

At first, the singer and composer began to argue fiercely, but then he thundered:

“Oh! Madame I know well that you are a real she-devil, but I hereby give you notice, me, that I am Beelzebub, the Chief of Devils."

Having said that, Handel grabbed her around the waist and carried her to the window, threatening that he will fling her out, if she doesn’t do what he says.

Francesca started begging for mercy.

She was now ready to sing the aria.

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Statue – Gioachino Rossini

Parisians, fans of the famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), were so enthusiastic about his operas that they decided to raise a statue with his image while he was still alive.

They collected twenty thousand francs and started to confer which sculptor should they hire to do it.

However, Rossini arrived at that moment and interrupted their argument with the following words:

"Give me the twenty thousand, and I'll stand on the pedestal myself!”

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Secret admirer – Gioachino Rossini

"Maestro, since I'm not able to write you what I can tell you in private, be in the theater 'La Scala' tonight, in a box number nine, during the performance of your opera. I will wait for you with impatience in my heart. Your secret admirer."

When the famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) received this letter, he immediately began to prepare himself for a date in the theater. He even put a wig to look younger.

As soon as he arrived at the theater, the theater manager told him, casually, that a beautiful lady, who just arrived in Milan, reserved the box number nine and that she is a French ambassador’s wife.

Gioachino's heart started pounding wildly. Otherwise, he was known as a man who doesn’t miss any opportunity for flirting. 

However, the curtain went up, the opera began, but no one came to the box. Rossini was sitting there, lonely and disappointed.

Finally, a doorman came and brought him an envelope. He opened it and found a letter that said:

"Maestro, His Excellency the Ambassador of France has long been a widower. So tonight, you'll be alone in the box. Your eternal admirer – April Fool’s joke. "

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Letter of recommendation – Giacomo Meyerbeer

In 1839, a young German composer went to Paris in search of glory.

In Paris he met a prominent musician Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) who kindly received him and patiently listened to all of his compositions. After that, Meyerbeer wrote a letter of recommendation to the Director of the Paris Opera.

In the letter, which was found many years later, Meyerbeer wrote: "Please take this imbecile off my hands!"

And do you know who was this so-called “imbecile”?

Richard Wagner, the famous German composer.

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False cheers – Giuseppe Verdi

Although he gained fame during his lifetime, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was not completely convinced that his entire work will survive the course of history, so he burned some of his early compositions.

In addition, when Italian patriots cheered “Verdi! Verdi!“ after he performed some opera, he usually refused to bow. Why?

- I know that they don't cheer for me, but for someone else to whom they do not dare in public! - Giuseppe Verdi used to say.

His surname was an acronym within the Risorgimento (Italian unification).  Verdi stood for Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia, Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy.

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Shame – Arnold Schoenberg

Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951), known as one of the creators of atonal music, was furious when Thomas Mann published his novel “Doctor Faustus”. Specifically, the main protagonist of the novel is Adrian Leverkühn, a composer who "sells his soul to the devil” to invent a new music technique like the one Arnold Schoenberg did...

After the publication of the novel, Schoenberg, in anger, wrote an open letter for the public in which he accused Thomas Mann of plagiarism. But Mann managed to defend himself and the novel by saying that Schoenberg had a great influence on him.

Nevertheless, the composer was convinced that Leverkühn, the hero of the novel, ruined his reputation in cultural circles, and complained about it for the rest of his life.

- If Thomas Mann only hinted to me that he intends to write a novel about a composer, in just a few hours I could have invented a completely different music technique, just for him! - Arnold Schoenberg used to say.

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Bird brain – Ethel Smyth

When Mrs. Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), composer and famous English feminist, was invited to dinner by writer Virginia Woolf and her husband, she decided to come to their home – on a bicycle.

Since she was supposed to travel about 30 kilometers on a bike, to reach the house of Leonard Wolf, she decided to wear a tweed suit, which was not very “elegant”.

Near the house of her hosts, it occurred to her that she is maybe inappropriately dressed, because Woolfs have invited and other distinguished guests. Ethel Smyth was almost convinced that she was supposed to wear a dress and a corset.


She entered into a local rural store and asked if maybe they have corsets. Unfortunately, they didn’t.

Then, in the corner of the store, she saw a birdcage...

Half an hour later, Virginia Woolf noticed that something unusual was happening in her backyard. When she came out, she was astonished with what she saw.

Ethel Smyth was trying to get into a birdcage, instead of a corset, to reduce her waist a little bit.

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Tempest! – Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), famous German composer, was asked once why is his Sonata Op.31 No.2 in D minor named "The Tempest Sonata ".

Beethoven, who was known as closed and unfriendly man, replied:

- You want to know why is this is sonata called "The Tempest "? Then read attentively Shakespeare’s Tempest!

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Always respect your host – Sergei Rachmaninoff and Arthur Rubinstein

On one occasion, famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982), hosted a dinner in honor of his esteemed colleague and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943).

As it was expected, everyone was talking about music.

During dinner, Russian composer pointed out that, in his opinion, Grieg’s Piano Concerto is the most beautiful piano concerto ever written.

 

- How fortunate! - Arthur Rubinstein added happily - I just made a record of me playing Grieg Piano Concerto!

Sergei Rachmaninoff received this news with enthusiasm. He asked from his host to play him that record. After that, with closed eyes, he listened with great care Rubinstein‘s interpretation of Grieg’s music. At some point, Rachmaninoff suddenly opened his eyes, as if he woke up, and exclaimed:

- Rubinstein, you must have played it on a broken piano.

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Good memory is a bad thing – Ignacy Jan Paderewski

While they listened a farewell concert of the famous Polish pianist, composer and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), two musicians, in the audience, grumbled about him mercilessly:

- My God, this man can’t remember anything! Have you noticed just how many notes he forgot to play! - whispered the first.

- Poor man! - added another musician. – It is not so bad that he has forgotten some things. The things he remembers are played awful.

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Fear - Arnold Schoenberg!

Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg (13 September 1874 – 13 July 1951) suffered from triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number thirteen.

This artist (father of atonal music, as he was called) was convinced that he would die on the thirteenth day of the month, so on each such day he stayed at home, taking care of what he drank and what he eats, and sometimes he did not even get up out of bed...

 

This was the case and on 13 July 1951.

Convinced that his end was near, Schoenberg was just loafing on that day. Late that night, his wife finally said that the clock struck midnight and that it was 14 July, and went to bring him some tea.  When she returned to the room, she found her husband dead.

He died, however, on 13 July. The clock in the bedroom was not accurate. When she found him, it was 5 minutes until midnight.

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Criterion: Ludwig van Beethoven!

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), German composer, fired his house cleaner, without thinking twice, when he learned that she had lied to him.

A friend who recommended this maid, tried to persuade the composer that he is making a big mistake and that that woman was fair and worthy, and that she did not lie to him with the intention to harm him.

 

 

-He who lies does not have a pure heart - Beethoven explained to his friend. -And he, who does not have a pure heart, cannot make a pure soup!

Otherwise, Beethoven's diary was full of notes about cooks who fled from his home like a devil from a cross ...

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Much Better!

When a friend of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) came to visit this famous opera composer, he found him, as usual - playing the piano.

Rossini's friend, who was  a conductor, was surprised when he saw that on the piano was the score of Wagner's opera "Tannhauser", but turned upside down.

"Maestro, how is it that you play with the notes turned upside down," asked the conductor.

"I tried it in another way, but it sounded terrible. Now I have turned them upside down. This way it is much bearable! ", cheerfully replied Rossini.

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