Name that composer death

[KevinP]

I'm not optimistic I'll get a definite answer here, but I'll give it a shot.

Late 70s...possibly very early 80s...I'm watching the news before Carson came on. The anchor announced that a famous composer had died that day. Being a young musician, I was intrigued by this but the name meant nothing to me and I can't remember it now.

I'm pretty sure he was from Europe, but at that time of my life, I was young and untravelled so the world was pretty much the US and the non-US.

The anchor said the composer was known for his sense of humour and quips, one of which was, when asked about a certain woman, 'I knew her before she was a virgin.'

Not much to go on, I know. Any guesses?

[kishnevi]

Google says the quote was made by Oscar Levant in reference to Doris Day. He died in 1972.
But it also points to Groucho Marx (died 1977) and Milton Berle. But you wouldn't think of them as obscure musicians, and Berle died in 2002.

Were you watching Carson in 1972?

[Monsieur Croche]

Oscar Levant, indeed.

[KevinP]

Were you watching Carson in 1972?

When my mom would let me stay up with her. This is definitely later.

Clearly I'm misremembering something

I loved watching reruns of You Bet Your Life while Groucho was still alive and remember his death well (I've even watched  several this week on DVD).

Doris Day is still alive (news to me I much admit), so it's not her death I'm misremembering.

My best theory is that the news reported on a retrospective of Levant's work at the time. Maybe a fifth or tenth anniversary of his death.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Who was the chap that was killed in a War? Not Butterworth, someone else?

[Brian]

Who was the chap that was killed in a War? Not Butterworth, someone else?

Magnard? Webern? Butterworth did too.

[Mirror Image]

Who was the chap that was killed in a War? Not Butterworth, someone else?

Getting a bit obscure here: Cecil Coles?

[Mirror Image]

This may be an easy one (for some): this composer died from an infection brought on by a bug bite.

[Mahlerian]

This may be an easy one (for some): this composer died from an infection brought on by a bug bite.

Alban Berg, naturally.

[Mirror Image]

Alban Berg, naturally.

Absolutely. That poor guy.

[Brian]

This composer died peacefully and happily, at a fulfilling old age and surrounded by loved ones.

[Ken B]

This composer died peacefully and happily, at a fulfilling old age and surrounded by loved ones.

Haydn.
One hopes, Henning.
Boulez?

[North Star]

Who was the chap that was killed in a War? Not Butterworth, someone else?

William Lawes died in the English Civil War, serving in the King's Life Guards.

[PerfectWagnerite]

William Lawes died in the English Civil War, serving in the King's Life Guards.

I might have been thinking about Webern:

On 15 September 1945, back at his home during the Allied occupation of Austria, Webern was shot and killed by an American Army soldier following the arrest of his son-in-law for black market activities. This incident occurred when, three-quarters of an hour before a curfew was to have gone into effect, he stepped outside the house so as not to disturb his sleeping grandchildren, in order to enjoy a few draws on a cigar given him that evening by his son-in-law. The soldier responsible for his death was U. S. Army cook Pfc. Raymond Norwood Bell of North Carolina, who was overcome by remorse and died of alcoholism in 1955.[66]

[Ken B]

Getting a bit obscure here: Cecil Coles?

He is the only one aside from Butterworth I know of. Debussy died during but not in the war of course.

[Mirror Image]

He is the only one aside from Butterworth I know of. Debussy died during but not in the war of course.

Yeah, I can't think of any other Brit composers who died during WWI.

[Rons_talking]

I'm not optimistic I'll get a definite answer here, but I'll give it a shot.

Late 70s...possibly very early 80s...I'm watching the news before Carson came on. The anchor announced that a famous composer had died that day. Being a young musician, I was intrigued by this but the name meant nothing to me and I can't remember it now.

I'm pretty sure he was from Europe, but at that time of my life, I was young and untravelled so the world was pretty much the US and the non-US.

The anchor said the composer was known for his sense of humour and quips, one of which was, when asked about a certain woman, 'I knew her before she was a virgin.'

Not much to go on, I know. Any guesses?



The only reason Oscar Levant's passing was noteworthy was that he was under contract to MGM and appeared in several films with the big stars. Also, he had a radio show, "Information Please." As a pianist and part-time composer his name wouldn't have made the news...(he was American, a Gershwin specialist). He wrote two great books on his life in music.

[Brian]

Haydn.
One hopes, Henning.
Boulez?

I honestly didn't know. I was hoping somebody would be able to name one!

[Dedalus]

I heard this story some time ago so any detail may be wrong. So I remember being told that a long time ago, in baroque or perhaps even renaissance, conductors didn't use batons but big sticks that they beat on the ground or something to keep time. The story I remember is just that a conductor hit his toe with his conducting stick, it got infected, and he died like two weeks later.

I don't seem to remember this guy being a very important name but more of a grim but funny story. Really hits home the Hobbesian idea of life being nasty, brutal and short.

[DaveF]

I heard this story some time ago so any detail may be wrong.

I don't seem to remember this guy being a very important name but more of a grim but funny story. Really hits home the Hobbesian idea of life being nasty, brutal and short.

No, your details are quite right - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Lully

In the French Baroque, a very important name.  Regarding unusual ways to die, quite unique.  Ironic too that the piece he was conducting was written to celebrate the king's recovery from illness.