Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-07
THR0Es OF COMPOSITION.


character?
THROES OF COMPOSITION.
How Poets, Philosophers, and Musicians
Generated Great Thoughts.
Auber wrote on horseback; it was
not possible for him to write in any
other place than in Paris, however beau
tiful another residence might be, and
however many other attractions it might
offer.
Adam composed best when he lay,
with his clothes on, in bed, and showed
as great antipathy to oil landscapial
beauty Us love to his cats.
The same antipathy to all natural
beauty is charged to Donizetti, who
always slept when he went upon
Journey, when he should have given
his attention to the romantic scenery
of Switzerland and Italy.
Cimarosa could not write without
having lot of friends around him,
with whom he kept up active converse
ton about art matters.
Sacchini's train of thought was in
terrupted when his cats did not play
their antics upon his writing-desk.
Sarti could only become inspired in
. room without furniture and which
was dimly lighted.
Spontini could only compose in the
dark, and Meyerbeer composed best
during violent thunder-storms, under
the roof Of his house.
Salieri gained his inspiration while
he walked quickly through the streets
filed with human throng, meantime
eating great quantity of corrections.
Haydn, in order to compose, sat in a
soft armchair with his gaze directed to
Heaven.
Gluck composed in the open air best
in the glaring sunshine. He liked cham
payne by his work and gesticulated very
violently, as If he were an actor on the
boards.
Handel wandered in the church-yard,
and when he wishedto become inspired
he sat himself down in one corner Of it
which was shaded by weeping willows.
Paesiello composed in bed, and did
not leave it until he had finished a
whole operate scene or act.
Mehul was q great worshipper Of
flowers, and often fell into silent reve-
rie in observing them. He felt hap
piest in quiet garden.
Mozart gained his inspiration by
reading Homer, Dante, and Petrarch.
Verdi must have read passages from
Shakespeare, Goethe, Schiller, 0ssian
and Victor Hugo.
Schiller inspired his muse by the
smell Of rotten apples, which he KEEP
constantly in his desk; besides this
he liked to live amid surroundings cor
responding to the subject upon which
he worked.
Goethe loved to have plastic works
| Of art before him as he wrote. II il
known that in the creation of his Epi
gene he had the image of an antiqu,
female before him, in order to see
that which he made his heroine So,
would suit the features before him.
Jean Paul replenished his ideas Will
taking . walk, and drank q glass o
beer now and then on the way. Il
writing he loved the strong smell o
flowers.
Herr Won Kleist worked with grea
difficulty, and when he made poetry
was as II he had q conflict with an in
visible fiend.
| just the opposite was the case viii
Father Wieland. In making his poem
he trilled lively song, and sometime
would spring away from his work an
cut capsr in the air.
| Kotzebue, in the composing Of hi
dramas, was also actor. He himsel
acted single scenes in his study. II i
related that when Sand murdered hin
! his little son, as he saw him reel AM
then writhe upon the ground, cried +
his mother, "See, mamma, father play
comedy again!"
Burger, the immortal poet Of Sc Leo
nore," is said to have whistled stree
songs as he wrote his verso on paper
His conversation Is such moments
said to have been obscene.
| Holderlin was often found cryin
when he composed poems. Simila
Il -