Interesting Facts about Composers Thread

[Karl Henning]

Webern, wasn't he shot at the end of WWII by an American Soldier after the Soldier saw this figure light up a cigar after cerfew...bang, sniped.  Probably more to it than that.  Real shame.

That's it in a nutshell.  The soldier involved was wracked with remorse afterwards, IIRC. A 20^th-c. Greek tragedy.

[Karl Henning]

He is not a lumberjack! (But he's okay.)

I thank 'ee, friend!

[springrite]

Khachaturian got into composition almost by accident (or should we call it fate), as when he was in college the course he wanted to take was full, and instead he signed up for a music course...



And BTW, Karl Henning would have been a lumberjack had it not been for the kneecap injury in 11th grade...

[AnthonyAthletic]

I rather like this one, from two opposites of the scope.

After the enormous success of "Rhapsody in Blue" Gershwin, being already famous with his musicals, decided to devote himself seriously to classical music and asked Stravinsky to give him tutorage.

When they met...

Stravinsky asked: "Tell me, young friend, how much money do you make with your music?"

Gershwin mentioned a very impressive sum.

"Oh, then it would be better for me to take lessons from you!" was Stravinsky's reply.   

[Karl Henning]

And BTW, Karl Henning would have been a lumberjack had it not been for the kneecap injury in 11th grade...

. . . leaping from tree to tree . . . .

[springrite]

A different and far more popular version of the story have Ravel as the composer in question instead of Stravinsky and is the more likely true version

[springrite]

. . . leaping from tree to tree . . . .

Hardly a lumberjack if the only part of the song that you do with any regularity is "go to the ..."...

[Brahmsian]

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

[AnthonyAthletic]

A different and far more popular version of the story have Ravel as the composer in question instead of Stravinsky and is the more likely true version

I would have thought Ravel too, even if various googling tell the same story; with Ravel & Stravinsky saying the same thing to Gershwin.

[Karl Henning]

Gershwin and Schoenberg were tennis partners in LA.

[TheGSMoeller]

Gershwin and Schoenberg were tennis partners in LA.

Finally, a pleasant fact that doesn't involve tragedy. Although perhaps their tennis matches were tragic too watch. Schoenberg refused to play by the rules.

[Karl Henning]

Gershwin protested at Schoenberg's novel System of Playing Tennis Using Twelve Rackets.

[not edward]

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

I'll give a double addendum to this one:

Guess why it's Moses und Aron, not Moses und Aaron?

Schoenberg died on Friday the 13th (of July 1951).

[The new erato]

Gershwin protested at Schoenberg's novel System of Playing Tennis Using Twelve Rackets.

And according to someone, the result was a racket.

[Karl Henning]

Guess why it's Moses und Aron, not Moses und Aaron?

I know, but I'm giving someone else a chance . . . .

[The new erato]

Chausson died in a cycling accident.

And perhaps Schoenberg didn't take to Elvis Aaron Presley (though I need to check my dates here) 

[The new erato]

And I know too, it has to do with another fact mentioned in this thread.

[TheGSMoeller]

Only after Stravinsky suggested playing without the net.

John Cage would never even show up to play.

[Cato]

I'll give a double addendum to this one:

Guess why it's Moses und Aron, not Moses und Aaron?

Schoenberg died on Friday the 13th (of July 1951).

"Moses und Aron" has 12 letters, NOT the dreaded 13!

And because he died in 1951, he did not know anything about Elvis (q.v. below)

[The new erato]

In our modern age, spaces are letters too, so little Arnold was seriously out of line there.