The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-07-23
MASTERS OF MUSIC.
THE GREAT COMPOSERS AND THEIR
PECULIAR METHODS OF WORK.

Ring and BeetIiOven's 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 TO mark
the genius. "AIusical Education" NJ.
Lavignac tells of their peculiarties.
Haydn was very early riser" he
writes. 'and yet he never worked ex-
cept in full dress, in which he was
like Button. He began by shaving
himself carefully, powdered himself
and put on his finger certain ring, a
sapphire, I believe, surrounded with
brilliants, which had been given him
by the great Frederick. unless 1t was
Prince Esterhazy. That done, he shut
himself up in quiet room and wrote
for several consecutive hours, five or
six, without stopping.
Mozart, the gentle and pious Mo-
zart, was sometimes less particular
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 pipe and composing in his
head.
"Rosslnl composed almost constantly
and in all ways, rarely at the piano,
most often In the evening or at night,
and, like Mozart, often found inspira-
ton in a carriage or post chaise. In
the irregular joltings 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 trepidation of the railroad
IL he had dared to try, but he had such
n dread of this mode of locomotion that
no one was ever able to induce him to
set foot in n car.
"Gluck composed violently gesticu.
latlng, walking up and down and act
ing all his characters, often in the open
air, on the lawn, in a garden.
Beethoven also undoubtedly found
a powerful auxiliary to inspiration in
motion and walking. Whatever the
season, every day after dinner, which
nese custom, he set out for walk,
and with big strides twice made the
circuit of the city of Vienna. Neither
cold nor heat nor rain nor hail was able
to stop him. Then it was that his heat
Of fancy attained its full ardor. He
would enter a restaurant, sit down for
an instant and ask the stupefied waiter
for the bill, without having ordered
anything. His clumsiness was pro-
digious. He usually broke everything
he touched. Not a single piece of fur
niture in his. house, and any article of
value less than anything else, was safe
from his attacks, and many times his
ink pot fell into the piano by which he
was working, which, religiously pre-
served in the museum at Bonn, still
retains its indelible traces. Although
he had always lived in the midst of the
high Viennese aristocracy, In which
drawing room dances were held in
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.
"Wagner liked to write standing up
before large table desk like the cash
desks in the shops. His scores were
written without erasures, in a superb
calligraphic hand, admirable for its
clearness and firmness and worthy of
a professional cepyist.
"Berlioz, who played no instruments
but the guitar, flute and flageolet, nee
essarily worked at the table.
"Fran0i, who was the head of
school, scarcely composed at all till
after o'clock in the evening.
"Meyerbeer wrote in n 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.
Mendessohn made much use of the
piano and preferred to work in the
morning. Auber generally worked at
! night and very late. till or 3 o'clock
in the morning, in order to avoid out
| side noises.
"Halevy had table piano that had
been made for him by Pleyel. From
| time to time he would draw out his key
board, strike few chords on it, and
| then push it back like a simple drawer
| and continue to write.
"Boieldieu also wrote at the piano.
| Felicien David. not being much of a
pianist, 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 splashes
of ink. He played eight, ten or twelve
| bars and then wrote them down. Bizet
worked especially in the evening and
still more at night; he often made use
of a piano bureau by Pleyel, like Gou-
| nod and Halevy."