Interesting Facts about Composers Thread

[The Six]

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf existed.

[Cato]

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf existed.

And I believe Herr Ditters von Dittersdorf dithered in his existence! 

Not that it would make any ditherenthe!   

[Florestan]

It is said that Karl Goldmark was extremely proud of having composed his opera "The Queen of Sheba" and never missed an opportunity to remind others of this. Now rumor has it that once he was travelling by train when a sumptuously dressed lady entered his compartment. Goldmark ceremoniously rose, kissed the lady's hand and said: Lady, allow me to introduce myself: I am Karl Goldmark, father of "The Queen of Sheba". To which the lady replied: My sincerest and most heartfelt congratulations, sir. Very few parents manage to marry their daughter that successfully.. 

Pietro Mascagni was once strolling in a small Italian city when he heard an organ grinder playing the Intermezzo from Cavaleria rusticana way too fast. He crossed the street, took the handle from the man and played in in the right tempo. Next day he saw the same organ grinder whose street organ was covered by a huge sheet inscribed: Giovanni Falapozza, Mascagni's pupil. 

In his old days Rossini was rather unwillingly induced to hear a "young, promising soprano". The girl sang a song whose refrain was "When he comes I'll be speechless". Halfway the performance Rossini shouted: "Let him come as quickly as possible!". 

[ElliotViola]

It is said that Karl Goldmark was extremely proud of having composed his opera "The Queen of Sheba" and never missed an opportunity to remind others of this. Now rumor has it that once he was travelling by train when a sumptuously dressed lady entered his compartment. Goldmark ceremoniously rose, kissed the lady's hand and said: Lady, allow me to introduce myself: I am Karl Goldmark, father of "The Queen of Sheba". To which the lady replied: My sincerest and most heartfelt congratulations, sir. Very few parents manage to marry their daughter that successfully.. 

Pietro Mascagni was once strolling in a small Italian city when he heard an organ grinder playing the Intermezzo from Cavaleria rusticana way too fast. He crossed the street, took the handle from the man and played in in the right tempo. Next day he saw the same organ grinder whose street organ was covered by a huge sheet inscribed: Giovanni Falapozza, Mascagni's pupil. 

In his old days Rossini was rather unwillingly induced to hear a "young, promising soprano". The girl sang a song whose refrain was "When he comes I'll be speechless". Halfway the performance Rossini shouted: "Let him come as quickly as possible!". 

All three of those are hilariously good. I'm surprised that I had never heard that one about Rossini though!

[Florestan]

Gluck was once in Paris when, looking too closely a shop window he accidentally broke one of the two windows. The shopkeeper told him that the window was worth 2 and a half francs. Gluck handed him a 5-franc banknote but the shopkeeper apologized he didn't have any change. "There's no need for change then", replied Gluck while breaking the other window with his stick. 

Hans von Bulow was strolling in Berlin lost in his thoughts when he accidentally hit a man passing by.
"Idiot!", shouted the man. The composer took off his hat and replied: "Glad to meet you, my name is von Bullow!" 

Giovanni Sgambati is reported to have been extremely sarcastic and because of that he made a lot of enemies among his circle . One day an offended younger composer told him: "Caro maestro, say what you will, it is I who will write a funeral march for you burial, not the other way around." To which Sgambati retorted: "It would be the first funeral ceremony in history to have the attendance booing!" 

[Florestan]

Not about a composer but can't help mentioning it.

G. B. Shaw was once asked by a lady about his opinion on her son's just having played the violin. "He strongly reminds me of Paderewski, Madam!" said he. "But, dear Mr. Shaw", the shocked lady answered, "Paderewski is not a violinist!". "Precisely, Madam", retorted Shaw calmly, "neither is your son." 

[mahler10th]

Sounds made up, but Schoenberg suffered from triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number 13.

That makes perfect sense, and reveals why he never got past 12 tones.  Or something.

[Karl Henning]

Johnny! Happy Burnsday!

[mahler10th]

Johnny! Happy Burnsday!

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.

...and so on, etc, this kind of thing...  I noticed that real Scots Haggis is banned in some US States because eaters are horrified that it contains sheeps lungs and gut...aye laddie...etc...

Thread Duty:
Frederic Lamond, Scottish pianist and composer was once accosted by Gestapo Officials in Eger - when they demanded to see his passport he said:  "Aye, you can see it, but you canny touch it."  He was then questioned on possible Aryan bloodlines when he told them:  "No.  I am a monkey."

[Cato]

The Incredible John of Scotland is big, bad, and back in action!

"Bad" in the sense of...

http://www.youtube.com/v/KnnHprUGKF0

[ibanezmonster]

Charles Valentin-Alkan died from being crushed under a toppling bookcase.

This thread is feeling somewhat Final Destination-ish... 

[aukhawk]

Well - this isn't going to help then ...

Stravinsky narrowly missed writing the jingle for the launch of colour TV in Britain (on BBC 2).  Picasso was to do the animated logo, and had agreed on condition that his friend Stravinsky would write the music.  Sadly for TV history, Stravinsky died while the deal was still being struck.

[DaveF]

A happier Stravinsky story: an exchange of telegrams between impresario Billy Rose, who had, improbably but truly, commissioned Scènes de Ballet, and Stravinsky:

ROSE: "Your score great success, but could be sensational success if you would authorize Robert Russell Bennett retouch orchestration."
STRAVINSKY: "Satisfied with great success."

[Lisztianwagner]

Bruckner was a great admirer of Wagner and he wanted to dedicate to him one of his symphonies; in 1873 he showed Wagner the scores of both his second and his third symphonies, asking him to pick the composition he preferred; the following day Bruckner visited Wagner to know which was his definitive answer, but they drank so much beer together that Bruckner forgot which symphony Wagner had chosen.

When someone asked Gustav Holst for an autograph, the composer handed cards prepared in advance where it was written: "I don't give autographs".

[Superhorn]

    Ralph Vaughan Williams was a grand nephew of none other than Charles Darwin on his mother's side !

[Mirror Image]

Delius wrote the first all-Black opera, Koanga, which predated Gershwin's Porgy and Bess by some thirty years. Koanga was complete in 1897. Porgy and Bess was completed in 1935.

[Mirror Image]

Bruckner was a great admirer of Wagner and he wanted to dedicate to him one of his symphonies; in 1873 he showed Wagner the scores of both his second and his third symphonies, asking him to pick the composition he preferred; the following day Bruckner visited Wagner to know which was his definitive answer, but they drank so much beer together that Bruckner forgot which symphony Wagner had chosen.

Wagner once said "Bruckner? He's my man!"

[PaulSC]

Grieg had a lakeside hut where he worked for many years. Whenever he was away, he would leave a handwritten note on his desk: "If anyone should break in here, please leave the musical scores, since they have no value to anyone except Edvard Grieg."

[BeBachSoon]

Mozart's entire family had a type of humour that was almost always related to scatology (e.g.faeces) 
Read examples of his humorous letters at http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A2oKmL4tIW5X42EAUJ5YuolQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEzNnBjZTZoBGNvbG8Dc2czBHBvcwM4BHZ0aWQDVEFTRzAxXzEEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1466864046/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.todayifoundout.com%2findex.php%2f2014%2f05%2fmozart-wrote-song-called-lick-arse-right-well-clean%2f/RK=0/RS=V1hMqnKW4f183qKiV4LYOZK6Xvo-

[Monsieur Croche]

Too lazy to read the whole thread to see if it has been mentioned:

Bartok practiced the piano, and composed, in the nude (when at home, lol.)