PECULIARITIES OF GREAT MUSICIANS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 72, 18 December 1920, Page 9

PECULIARITIES OF GREAT MUSICIANS

-'. Handel had, an... odd-4ab:it ■ o:f toss:mg , .Wets of manuscripts'fToin_tne taole a». ' . 'fast as he wrote, them:.' -The slightest. • Kain' in time was "of the utmost-import-, • fnceto Kim." 11iere oiily..ouo ! maif' living his copyist. Smith, who could,read 'nfe •manuscript. Handel W.* ' composing. bome of his sacied. . are . blotted with, tears. ■ Ho was "-Wind. ■ durinr the la6t. years of.i,his life... , •• - . Sohubert was marvellously- regular in ' lis attention to composition; A\ lien he was composing, his features worked, n.l eves flashed, antl.Jns limbs twitched. This • unnatural., exciteriient'held complete cou " 'trol 0! him .iiiitil.thn 'fev"" of! : tion passed away. . Ho seldom nude alterations 111 hi s score. , Gluck often had his servants carry his. , ■ piano outio til© lawn. His finest lnspua-. tions came to him . when' playing. m the garden. Several bottles of champagne were -placed- conveniently near him; His theory was that bright sunshine was tavourable to inspiration. ..aiid he always worked in it when possible. Wuck was • fifty years old before he wrote an opera of any : renown. .. . ■ Meyerbeer's, happiest inspirations came wheji the thunder roared, the winds ' howled and the rain-'dashed in deluging - : sheets-. down the window-panes of ■ his .study., " . • . ; Chopin, -unlike most musical gcnnisi*.,- ' - was a late riser. He practised so long at the 'pian'o. with his back unsupported, that';his spine was permanently uijiirwi. • He never composed except .wlieiv seated at the piano, and ho always had tho lights burned out when he was improvising. A, public audience unnerved lum to such an extent-that he could not pro- <• perly interpret the 'music beforu him. • Seaiedl in the .midst of a small select circle, lie easily extemporised and 1111 pro- , , ■ Tiiied.. He "talked" to his piano whenever he was melancholy; He 'thought more of his men-servant and his cat than he. did, of his intimate friends. ■■ Chopin-had a. superstitious.dread ot the figure : seven!'and' would- riot live in a ■ house bearing..that• number;-.-nor start- =/ upon a-journey on that date. • Beethoven- used the snuffer's for a toothpick.- It was one of his peculian- - • ties that he never allowed his servant ■ • to enter, his study. He insisted that this room should l remain, exactly as he left . it, no .matter: how deep the dust lay on ' ;• tiieprecious musical manuscripts. He seldom looked in'the glass when he' tied - -,-j his stock. Half, the time he forgot to brush-his hair. Every •morning', he carcV fully counted out seventeen beans from .. the colfee canister; these served for his ■ .1 breakfast. When he composed, lie would ' pour cold .wator over - his hands, and often people in rooms below his ivruld -. opmplnin of the water that soaked through his floor. . . Haydn arrayed himself at daybreak in- ) • full court dress— sword, wig, lace ruff and : silver buckle. He said he could never . writo so well as when diamond ring, which the Emperor of Austria had given to.him, was on .his finger. The paper on whioh> ho wrote must be of superfine quality, and-of the niostipsyu.i.slte whiteness. _ Many times his innate . love for practical joking got the better of him. One night in church ho cut '6tf the queue of one of the other .choriiter's wigs. For this offence lie was excelled. had his tomb made in tho garden of his house, so that at aiiy mo-- • merit he coiild. visit it. Ho sometimes in- .: sisted on having his guesls inspect this sepulchre, and at' the • dinner table- he took singular delight' in descanting on ~ the-, subject of death. Liszt sinoked' lrifge black cigars. When .giving lessons''he'walked up and down . the room, muttering •to himself, and ■ - emitting volumes of smoke by way of -ac- . . 'companiment to his remarks. He smolc-. Ed constantly -whilo lie worked.