Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-06-24
MASTERS OF MUSIC.
The GREAT COMPOSERS AND THEIR
PECULIAR METHODS OF WORK.

PECULIAR METHODS OF WORK.
Eccentric Habits. n "a Rule. Are
Linked with This Phase OF Genius
Haydn'- Dres. suit and sapphire
Ring and Beethoven'- wild walks
All the great musical composers had
their own peculiar ideas and manner
OF working They had their peculiar
traits. their moods. their eccentric hab-
its. such as are generally said 10 mark
the genius. I'm Musical Education" NJ.
Lavignac tells OF their peculiarities.
Haydn was very early riser" he
writes, and yet he never worked ex-
eept I'm full dress. i'm which he was
like Button lie began by shaving
himself carefully, powdered himself
and put on his finger a certain ring. a
sapphire, / believe. surrounded with
brilliants. which had been given him
by the great Frederick. unless il was
Prince Esterhazy That done. he shut
himself up in a quiet room and wrote
for several consecutive hours. five or
six. without stopping
Mozart. the gentle and piOus Mo
and composed a little everywhere and
under all conditions. Happily the
ideas came often enough and pursued
him even into the restaurants OF Wen
ma. Prague and Munich. where he was
very fond OF playing billiards and
smoking a pipe and composing in his
head
"ROSSiui composed almost constantly
and i'm all ways rarely at the piano.
most often i'm the evening or at night.
and. like Mozart. often found iuspiri-
ton in carriage or post chaise In
the irregular jOlungs Of these vehicles
he perceived rhythm. and OF these
rhythms melodies were born. There is
no doubt that he would have found
them in the trcpidation of the railroad
if he had dared to try. but he had sucI
q dread OF this mode Of locomotion that
no One was ever able 10 induce him e
/ set foot ina car.
"Gluck composed violently gesticu
laung. walking up and down and act
/ inS all his characters. often i'm the opci
| air. on the lawn. in q garden.
beethoven also undoubtedly fOuu,
a powerful auxiliary Co inspiration ii
motion and walking. Whatever th
season. every day after dinner. wlici
was at O'Clock. according 90 the Wen
| nese custom. he set out for a walk
| and with big strides twice made III,
circuit OF the city OK Vienna. Neithe
cold nor heat nor rain nor hail was abb
90 stop him. Then it was that his hea
81 fancy attained its FUN ar,kr. II,
/ would enter restaurant. sit down fo
/ an instant and ask the stuDeicd waite
/ for The bui without having ordcrc,
/ anything. His ciumsiucss was pro
I digious. lie usually broke evcrythin.
/ he touched. Not single piece OF fur
/ niturc in his house. and any article o.
value less than anything else. was SAT-
/ from his attacks and many times hi
ink pot fell into the piano by which Do
/ was working which. religiously pre-
I served I'm the museum at Bonn. still
/ retains its indeliblc traces. ALTHOUGH
/ he had always lived in the midst OF ID
/ high Niennose aristocracy. in whic
drawing room dances were held IL
high honor. he never succeeded in dan,
ing in time
"Herold composed while walking
humming or singing. often In Oh
Champs Elysces. and often passed hi
best friends by without rcco-uizin
them
"Gounod composed especially az "a
table. or AT least I'm his head Whom D
/ wrote. everything was absolutely clca
in his brain. His manuscripts prov
/ this
Wagner liked 10 write standing NJ
before "a large table desk like the casl
/ desks in the shops His scores ver,
/ written without ensures. iu q superb
I caliierauhic hand. admirable Tor 10,
/ clearueSS and drmncss and worthy OF
I a professional copyist.
"Beriioz who played no instrument.
but the guitar. flute and fageolct. nee
/ cSSarily worked no the table.
"Frauck. who was the head OF q
school scarcely composed az an tl
+ after O'Clock in the evening.
"Mcyerbecr wrote I'm q regular man
ncr i'm The evening. and his servant had
I orders To drag him away from III,
T piano at the stroke OF midnight. Schu
mann would not admit THAI any on,
/ could write otherwise than at Il table
/ MendclsSohn made much use OF III,
plano and preferred 20 work in III,
/ morning. Aubcr generally worked "a
/ night and very late. tiu - or O'Clock
/ IN the morning. in order 10 avoid out
/ side noises
"Halevy had table piano that Ia,
been made for him by Pleyel From
time 10 time lie would draw out his key
board. strike few chords on il. ans
then push il back like a simple drawe
I and continue 10 write.
"Boieldieu also wrote ut the piano
Felicien David. not being much Of
pianist sometimes sought the aid q
his violin Adolphe Adam almost a
ways worked at his grand piano. tn
right hand side OF whose keyboar
WAS stained with innumerable SplaSht
OF ink. He played eight. ten or tvvelv
bars, and then wrote them down BIZ,
worked especially i'm tie evening an
still more ut night; he often made MS
OF piano bureau by plcyel, like Goa
nod and Halevy."