The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-07-21
FO|BLES OF MUSICIANS
Eccentric Moods and Manners of
the Great Composers.
THE MADNESS OF GENIUS.
Bsethoven's Strange Abstraction and
Queer habits - The Odd Contract
That Mozart insisted on Signing.
Msysrbssr Inspired by Thunder.


That Mozart insisted on Signing.
Msyerbssr inspired by Thunder.
When listening 10 the wonderful
strains Of Beethoven's immortal SYM
phonies and sonatas 1t Is difficult to
imagine that they could come from the
pen Of such an eccentric man. Though
musicians are, as a rule, men with
many -peculianties, Beethoven was
probah'v the most extraordinary Of
them ID.
he wrote his music In all sorts Of
places-when dining, walking or con-
versing with friend Often In the
midst Of crowded street he would
stop and write furiously for few
minutes on the back of letter or an
envelope, obliyious to the bustling
crowd about him. Some Of his great
est themes were composed when he
was walking along In the pouring rain,
for in the worst weather he was a
familiar figure In the streets Of vien-
ma, and, though often the object Of
much ridicule and many gibes, he was
profoundly inattenttve to his surround
ings, as his mind was wholly occupied
with his music. His friends were not
unaccustomed to have him break of
in the midst Of a conversation and be-
gin to write rapidly some motif which
had presented itself to him.
This great composer would play for
hours at q stretch, and In order to cool
his hands, which often became fever
ish, he would seize water jug and
walk about the room, pouring the wa
ter first on one hand and then on the
other, utterly ignoring the fact that
there was no receptacle to catch It.
This was the cause Of many Of his
hasty retreats from his lodgings, for
the slightest complaint would cause
him to give notice to quit, SO puerile
was he at times. As result he some
times was paying for no fewer than
three different lodgings at the same
time, which, after engaging for q
month, he had abruptly left In day.
Though Haydn ranks next to Bee
thoven on the List Of eccentric must
clans, still their pecuiiarities were very
unlike. Beethoven lived In the midst
Of disorder and confusion, while Haydn
averred that he could not compose a
line unless everything In bis study
was In Its exact place. Even every
ornament must be where It belonged.
He always rose early to write, for he
ouf &v,cr Hon uuhn1
the birds were singing In the dewy
morning hours. His most extraordi-
nary characteristic, however, was to
don his full court dress. with bob wig,
hat and ruffies, and put on his finger
certain ring before he wrote a line, for
he declared that he had not a musical
idea unless so attired
Mozart cannot be called eccentric In
the same sense as the two mentioned,
for they were very retiring-in fact
recluses-while he was to a great ex-
tent a man Of the world. To him,
however, must be credited one Of the
gtrangest documents that perhaps have
ever been written.
He became engaged to young wo-
man, and at the request Of his future
mother-in-law he drew up In the pres
ence of an attorney contract which
bound him to marry one of the wo-
mans daughters within three years,
the said daughter always having the
liberty to refuse the composer II she
wished to marry another. But in case
Mozart was unable to carry out his In
tention through lack Of the necessary
funds or through the woman's refusal
he pledged himself to support her in
the condition Of stranger, NO matter
where or how she lived. all her life.
This support was to be a fixed sum
paid quarterly or half yearly.
Wagner, too. was not exempt from
peculiar fancies. his mind seemed to
run to the grewsoms, and during his
lifetime he had his grave constructed.
1t was In the garden back Of his home,
and he would often go and look at it
that he might not forget its existence.
But the worst OF it was that he con-
stantly insisted that his friends should
remember 1t, too, and when he was en-
pertaining them at dinner he would
suddenly break of the conversation
and begin declaiming on eternity and
the grave.
"My friends" he would say, '.in the
midst Of life we are In death. Death is
a lot that we all must face, even SO
great a man as myself. l, too, must
die. / should like very much to show
you my grave. If you will allow me-"
And, starting from the dinner table,
be would lead the way, followed by
his guests, to the corner Of the garden
where his grave was, and there he
would give his companions further dis
sertations on eternity.
Meyerbeer gathered his thoughts
amid the rumble of thunder, the fash
of lightning and downpour of rain. In
order more fully to expose himself to
the stimulating effects of the elements
he had constructed for himself at the
top of his house a room whose sides
were entirely Of glass, and here he
would hasten at the approach Of
storm and amid its fury would have
rush of musical thoughts.
There Is a story about him to the
effect that once when entertaining
friends at dinner he heard a distant
rumble of thunder just as the soup
course was served, and to the astonish-
ment of his guests he fastened from
the room to his musical chamber and
left them to take care Of themselves
for the rest Of the evening.
The Italian composer Donizett court
ed inspiration by a means which prov
ed SO Injurious that it caused the pre-
mature decay of his faculties. He was
accustomed to shut himself In room
with a quantity of music paper, pens
and ink and three or four pots OF
strong coffee. He would then begin to
write and drink, and when this supply
of coffee was exhausted he would
order more and continue to drink it as
long as he wrote.
He asserted that the coffee was nee
essary for his inspiration. The result
of this pernicious habit was yellow,
parchment-like complexion. with lips
almost jet black and a nervous system
which soon caused his breakdown and
death.
Rossini was perhaps the LATEST of all
musicians whose names are famous.
He would rarely rise until midday, and
often when he woke and the weather
was dull or the muse did not inspire
him to write he would turn over again
and after directions to his servant to
be called the following day would sleep
blissfully for another twenty-four
hours.
He did most of his writing In bed,
and before retiring for the night he
would place music paper and pencil
AhnA hln xrn11ld MT