The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-22
ECCENTRIC MUSICIANS
Queer Habits of Certain Men Who At
tanned Fame As Composers

most eccentric musician" says l. F.
Rowbotham in The Strand Maya
zine"
"One of his eccentricities was to go
out for walks usually in the pouring
rain.
After playing the piano for hours
at stretch-his favorite diversion of
an afternoon-his hands often became
hot. He delighted to cool them by
the simple expedient of taking his
water jug and pouring cold water
over them till the basin was full.
This would have been we'll enough
had he not sometimes forgotten that
the basis was a highly necessary item
in this pastime. When intoxicated
with music inspiration he often seized
the water lug and walked about the
room, pouring the fluid first on one
hand, then on the other, ignoring the
fact or existence of a basin altogether
Wagner was also full of eccentrici-
ties. One of his most extraordinary
was to have his grave constructed
during his lifetime in the back gar
den of his house, at convenient dis
lance off and sufficiently concealed so
that if he were in the mood he might
go and have look at it.
For pure eccentricity Haydn. per-
haps, stands next to Beethoven in the
history of musicians. In order to
compose to his hearts satisfaction
Haydn fonnd it necessary to be up
with the lark, on the assumption that
while the birds were singing musical
ideas came most freely to his mind.
He first satisfied himself that every
article in the study, every knicknack
was in its proper place, and in per-
feet order, and then he sat down to
write. But the most extraordinary
thing we have not yet said. At this
early hour in the morning for the
purpose representing his studies, he
invariably donned full court dress,
with bobwig, sword, hat and ruffles.
In no other attire could he ben a line
so he averred. He must moreover,
have on his finger particular ring,
which he greatly prized-otherwise
such was his fidgety nature, not q
musical idea would come into his head.
"Meyerbeer courted inspiration by
a different method. The fresh morn
ing air, the songs of birds, were as
nothing to his saturnine spirit. But
the rumbling of thunder, the flashing
of lightning, the plash of a steady
downpour of rain, never failed to in
spire him with a rush of musical
thoughts. For the purpose of enjoy
ing this peculiar accompaniment and
source of inspiration to the full Mey-
erbeer had a chamber constructed for
himself at the top of his house, where
he could expose himself without re-
straint to the fury of the elements,
with nothing but a glass partition to
shield him from the weather
THE Italian composer Donizetti
courted inspiration by another means
quite as eccentric, but infinitely more
injurious. He was accustomed to i'm
mure himself in room, with a GUAM
tity of music paper, pen and ink and
three or four coffee pots FULL of coffee.
He began imbibIng these when he be-
gan to write, and continued till the
supply was exhausted. Then he order
ed in more, and when that was finish
ed another supply. The amount of
coffee which he drank was fabulous
yet, he deemed it entirely necessary
for his inspiration. AS the result of
such an extraordinary habit the once
handsome man contracted the yellow
colored complexion which we are apt
to associate with Chinese or Hin
doc, his lips were genarally jet black,
his nervous system broke down, and
this brought in its train the prema-
ture decay of his faculties.
THE eccentricity of Rossini was of
a very different type to this. He
wrote a great deal of music in bed
perhaps most of it. 1t was his habit
to have a roll of music paper and a
pencil always lying on table by his
bedside at night, so that in the morn
ing, without disturbing himself in the
least, and while still comfortably
tucked up in the bedclothes, he might
underta Ike the composition of an
opera.
Zone day after writing beautiful
duet in this manner, and almost COM
plotting it, the sheet of music unfortu-
nately rolled off the bed and continued
its dance to some distance on the
floor, quite beyond the composers
reach. What was to be done? To get
up and fetch it would totally disar-
range the bedclothes and spoil his
comfort for the rest of the morning.
He resolved there fore, rather than
disturb himself, to write new duet
altogether, and, having forgotten ex-
actly how the first one went, he in
vented an entirely new melody for