It would be interesting to know which classical composers still have living descendants. Obviously the composer must have had progeny in the first place. For instance, Mendelssohn had four children but who is alive now from his blood line and possessing some of his genetic material? Obtaining this information from the web seems to be very difficult.
Quote from: Ten thumbs on November 19, 2007, 07:53:11 AM
It would be interesting to know which classical composers still have living descendants. Obviously the composer must have had progeny in the first place. For instance, Mendelssohn had four children but who is alive now from his blood line and possessing some of his genetic material? Obtaining this information from the web seems to be very difficult.
Interesting you mention Mendelssohn - BBC Music magazine ran an article on one of his descendants about a year ago. Try searching old features on their website. ;)
there is a girl on Facebook, who claimed to be the descendant of Gustav Mahler.
Quote from: GBJGZW on November 19, 2007, 08:44:00 AM
there is a girl on Facebook, who claimed to be the descendant of Gustav Mahler.
Not impossible. I think I've seen mention of Mahler's descendants in an article, at some point.
Concerning the general topic, I hope I don't need to mention Wolfgang Wagner, or Maxim Shostakovich. ;) ;D
Quote from: Renfield on November 19, 2007, 12:30:16 PM
Concerning the general topic, I hope I don't need to mention Wolfgang Wagner, or Maxim Shostakovich. ;) ;D
Good call, sir. ;)
Schoenberg's children are alive and well and living in the US. His son is a math teacher. :)
Quote from: Corey on November 19, 2007, 01:25:03 PM
Schoenberg's children are alive and well and living in the US. His son is a math teacher. :)
Hah, unsurprisingly! ;D
Quote from: Renfield on November 19, 2007, 12:30:16 PM
Concerning the general topic, I hope I don't need to mention Wolfgang Wagner, or Maxim Shostakovich. ;) ;D
I was sure the Wagners were alive and well.
I have a piano selection of Fanny Mendelssohn made by her great-granddaughter, Fanny Kistner-Hensel in 1986. However, I don't know how old she was then, whether or not she's still alive or has children of her own. Obviously one does not wish to intrude on people's private lives.
The Wagner family still run the Bayreuth festival.
Author Richard Bach claims to be a direct descendent of Johann Sebastian. With all the kids Bach had, I imagine there are quite few out there.
I worked once with a woman who was a direct descendant of Mahler. As one might expect, a large portion of the family was killed by the Nazis. Her branch of the family settled in the NY area in the 1930's
Mahler has living relations, but no living direct descendants (as in children, grandchildren ...)
Poulenc's daughter was still alive last I read several years ago.
A few years ago I was in email contact with Peter Bartok, the son of Bela Bartok. He helped me find a copy of the two-piano score for the 1st PC (I was trying to order it, but kept getting replies from the distributor saying it wasn't for sale in the US). I also told him how much I loved the book he had written about his father, which was outstanding.
Stravinsky's grandson John is a sports writer, son of Stravinsky's pianist son Soulima.
A few years ago, I worked with one of Adrian Boult's great-grandsons (with the surname Boult, natch). Once he found out I liked classical music, he showed me his framed, signed LP copy of Boult's recording of "Tchaikovsky Spectaculars." Okay, Boult wasn't a composer, but he's close enough.
Quote from: Todd on July 21, 2015, 06:50:05 PM
A few years ago, I worked with one of Adrian Boult's great-grandsons (with the surname Boult, natch). Once he found out I liked classical music, he showed me his framed, signed LP copy of Boult's recording of "Tchaikovsky Spectaculars." Okay, Boult wasn't a composer, but he's close enough.
Stretching it even further, the receptionist in my doctor's office has the last name Bergonzi. Turns out she was a cousin of the tenor and knew him.
Quote from: Scion7 on July 21, 2015, 03:43:10 PM
Mahler has living relations, but no living direct descendants (as in children, grandchildren ...)
Yes, indeed. In fact, I'm one - although in about the most ridiculously distant way possible, as this screen grab shows. If one goes to these lengths, probably most of us are related to quite a few composers, though.
(what makes me laugh is the fact that no one, anywhere, has uploaded a picture of Uncle Gustav - or Gussie, as I knew him ;D - onto that genealogy site. Maybe they are hard to find.)
(although having said that, coincidentally the little clip art blank face they use when there is no photo uploaded is not a million miles away from Gussie, as the simple addition of a pair of glasses shows ;D)
Quote from: ZauberdrachenNr.7 on July 21, 2015, 03:50:22 PM
Poulenc's daughter was still alive last I read several years ago.
Indeed, Poulenc may have had a brief afair with a woman. Does anybody know if this has been documented?
P.
Quote from: Scion7 on July 21, 2015, 03:43:10 PM
Mahler has living relations, but no living direct descendants (as in children, grandchildren ...)
Mahler's granddaughter Marina (the child of his daughter Anna and her husband Anatole Fistoulari) is still very much alive!
Among descendant of Jaufre Rudel I am one of them from Town of Blaya Occitania France
8)