Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-07-11
MASTERS OF MUSIC.
THE GREAT COMPOSERS AND THEIR
PECULIAR METHODS OF WORK.

Eccentric Habits. as a Rule, Are
LinLed with Glsi. Phase OF Genius.
Haydn's Dress Suit and sapphire |
Ring and BecthOVen's Wild walks.
Ali the great musical composers had |
their own peculiar ideas and manner |
Of working. They had their peculiar
traits. their moods. their eccentric haD-
lis. such as are generally said to mark
,he genius. In Musical Education NJ.
Lavienac tells of their peculiarities.
Haydn was Il very early riser" he
writes, "and yet he never worked eX-
cept in full dress, in whNh he was
like Button. He began by shaving
himself carefully, powdered himself
and put on his finger certain ring
sapphire, l believe, surrounded with
hrilliants. which had been given him
by the great Frederick unless it was
Prince Estcrhazy. That DONE he shut
himself up in Il quiet room and wrote
for several consecutive hours, five OF
six. without stopping.
Mozart the gentle and pious Mo-
Fart. was sometimes less particular
md composed 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 ana
smoking a pipe and composing III ms
head.
"RoSsini composed almost constantly
and i'm all ways. rarely at the piano,
most often in the evening or at night,
and. like Mozart. often found inspira-
ton in carriage or post chaiSe. In
the irregular joltinSS of these vehicles
ho perceived rhythm. and of these
rhvthms melodies were born. There IL
no doubt that he would have found
1hem i'm the trepidation of the railroad
If ne had dared to try, but he had Such
q dread of this mode of locomouon that
no one was ever able TO induce him to
set foot in car.
"Gluck composed violently geSticu-
latins. walking up and down and act
ing all his characters. often III the open
mir. on tie lawn. in garden.
beethoven also undoubtedly found
n powerful auxiliary to inspiration III
motion and walking Whatever the
season. every day after dinner which
was ut / o'clock, according TO the Wen
nese custom. he set out for walk,
md with big strides twice made the
circuit of the city of Vienna. Neither
rold nor heat nor rain nor hail was able
TO stop him. Then it was that his heat
If fancy attained its full ardOr. lie
vould enter restaurant. sit down for
an instant and ask the stupehed waiter
for the bill. without having ordered
ANYTHING. His clumsinesS was pro
digious. He usually broke every thing
he touched. Not a single piece OF 1uf-
niture in his house. and any article or
value less than anything else was safe
from lis attacks. and many times his
ink Dot fell into the piano by which he
WAS working. which. religiously pre-
served in the museum at Bonn, still
retains its indolible traces. Although
he had always lived in the midst of the
high Viennase aristocracy, in which
drawing room dances were held III
high honor. he never succeeded in dane
ing in time.
"Herold composed While walking,
humming or singing, often in the
CHAMPS Elysees. and often passed his
best friends by without recognizing
them.
"Gounod composed especially at the
table. or at least in his head. When he
wrote. everything was absolutely clear
in his brain His manuscripts prove
this.
"Wacner liked to write standing up
before a large table desk like the cash
desks in the shops. His scores were
written without erasures, in a superb
calligraphic hand, admirable for lis
clearness and frmness and worthy OF
professional copyist.
"Berlioz. who played no instruments
but the guitar, flute and fageolet nee
essarily worked at the table.
"Franck who was the head OF a
school. scarcely composed at all TIL
after . o'clock in the evening.
"NIeyerbeer wrote in regular man
ner in the evening, and his servant HAD
orders to drag him away from the
piano at the stroke Of midnight. Schu-
mann would not admit that any one
could write otherwise than at table
NIendelssohn made much use OF the
piano and preferred to work III the
morning. Auber generally worked al
night and very late. till > or 3 O'Clock
in the morning in order to avoid out
side noises.
"Halevy had table piano that nae
been made for him by Pleyel From
time TO time he would draw out his key
board. strike few chords on it, ano
then push it back like simple drawer
and continue TO write.
"Boieldieu also wrote at the piano
Felcien David. not being much OF
uianis-. sometimes sought the aid OF
his violin. Adolphe Adam almost al
WAYS worked at his grand piano, the
right hand side Of whose keyboard
was stained with innumerable splashe'
Of ink. lie played eight, ten or twelve
bars. and then wrote them down. Bize
worked especially in the evening anC
still more at night; he often made us'
Of piano bureau by pleyel, like Gou
nod and Halevy."
His Guess.
"Whcre were they married."
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