# Classical music "hook-ups"...



## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Musical hook-ups or musicians with romantic partners also involved in the music industry in some way.

I'm esp. interested if these hook-ups produced tangible results in terms of music being written for a composer's partner, etc.

Here's some off the top of my head, based on memory of what I've read, feel free to add to or correct what I'm saying.

*Mozart, R. Strauss, Grieg *- All of their wives were singers, I think professional. They did write music with their other half firmly in mind. I think that Mozart wrote one of the soprano parts in his _Great Mass in C_ for his wife to sing.

*Barber & Menotti *- Two composers of Modern times who were in a same-sex relationship. I have read that Barber consulted Menotti when writing one of (or a few) of his operas, as the latter was mainly an opera composer. Another one like this was between choreographer* Merce Cunningham *and composer *John Cage*.

*Robert & Clara Schumann *- The obvious and most famous hook-up in classical music history. I know this did produce works from Robert's pen reflecting on his love for Clara, eg. her name is musically encrypted in his _Symphony #4_.

*Bela Bartok *gave concerts in New York in his final years with his second wife, *Ditta*, a pianist (she had been a piano student of the composer). I think they played his _Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion_, but I think that it had been composed before they were married?

In the Classical Era, composers *J. L. Dussek *and *Louis Spohr *both had wives who were harpists, and thus wrote some of the most significant music involving that instrument of that period.

So I'd like to open up discussion about these and others you know, esp. the pieces of music which you like & know that resulted from these hook-ups. I suppose these guys were lucky to have partners who knew what the art of music was about, unlike Haydn whose decidedly un-musical wife apparently used his manuscripts as hair curlers!...


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Sid James said:


> *Barber & Menotti *- Two composers of Modern times who were in a same-sex relationship. I have read that Barber consulted Menotti when writing one of (or a few) of his operas, as the latter was mainly an opera composer. Another one like this was between choreographer* Merce Cunningham *and composer *John Cage*.


Also note Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, the former writing a lot with the latter in mind.



Sid James said:


> *Robert & Clara Schumann *- The obvious and most famous hook-up in classical music history. I know this did produce works from Robert's pen reflecting on his love for Clara, eg. her name is musically encrypted in his _Symphony #4_.


And don't forget the Brahms/Clara mess!


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## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

I believe Menotti actually wrote the libretti for 2 of Barber's operas. 

Other notable examples are J.S. Bach and Anna Magdalena, who copied a lot of her husbands work. And Gustav and Alma Mahler, the latter becoming the formers assistant and editor. 

If we're talking about 'hook-ups' in the more literal sense, in that it was a 'one time' thing or a brief fling, there are plenty of those as well: Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto for a then lover.

And then there are the pieces written as a result of a hookup, but the lover not necessarily being a musician: i.e. Brahms Sextet, Haydn Piano Sonata in Eb, Janacek String Quartet #2... 

It's tough to think of contemporary composer/performer spouses though...


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Polednice said:


> Also note Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, the former writing a lot with the latter in mind.


I was going to mention them, too. Britten wrote a _lot_ of wonderful music for Pears to sing, including many songs and leading roles in some of his operas (such as the fittingly named Peter Quince in _Turn of the Screw_ and the title character of _Peter Grimes_). A very fruitful collaboration indeed. There are videos on youtube of the two of them performing together, with Pears singing and Britten at the piano.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Meaghan said:


> I was going to mention them, too. Britten wrote a _lot_ of wonderful music for Pears to sing, including many songs and leading roles in some of his operas (such as the fittingly named Peter Quince in _Turn of the Screw_ and the title character of _Peter Grimes_). A very fruitful collaboration indeed. There are videos on youtube of the two of them performing together, with Pears singing and Britten at the piano.


You were doing great there until you got to 'fruitful'. That reminded me of a chamber music group (based in New York?).

[the usual disclaimers apply]

 > > :devil:


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Nix said:


> I believe Menotti actually wrote the libretti for 2 of Barber's operas...


Rings a bell.



> ...Other notable examples are J.S. Bach and Anna Magdalena, who copied a lot of her husbands work...


*Dr. Martin Jarvis *of Darwin Uni here Down Under has written a book arguing that his study of the manuscripts of a number of J.S. Bach's works (eg. the solo violin sonatas and partitas) shows that Anna Magdalena most likely composed them, not only copied them.

Some experts in the field of manuscript study, forensics agree with Dr. Jarvis, others dispute his claims. I went to a lecture of his about this last year and he said there are a lot of questions and mysteries surrounding this other famous hook-up of classical music history.



> ...If we're talking about 'hook-ups' in the more literal sense, in that it was a 'one time' thing or a brief fling, there are plenty of those as well: Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto for a then lover...


I wasn't aware of that, this is one of my favourite works by him.



> ...And then there are the pieces written as a result of a hookup, but the lover not necessarily being a musician...


This is the real stuff of art in many respects.



> ...Janacek String Quartet #2...


I think his muse during his fifties onwards, Kamila Stosslova, was more a friend than a lover. As far as I know, it's unclear, one of them said they had a physical relationship, the other denied it. They were both married, but not necessarily "happily."



> ...It's tough to think of contemporary composer/performer spouses though...


Yeah, I can't think of any right now. Cage and Cunningham have passed away, as have *Olivier Messiaen *and his second wife, the pianist *Yvonne Loriod *(she died in her nineties last year). She was a great interpreter of her husband's work. I just heard a movement from his _Quatour pour la fin du temps _with her at the piano last week, it's on youtube, but only that movement (I think the recording is currently out of print, but judging from that bit, it was like benchmark standard). Anyway, people who know Messiaen's output more can maybe elaborate what he actually composed for Yvonne.



Polednice said:


> ...
> And don't forget the Brahms/Clara mess!


Yes, Brahms' _Piano Quartet #3_ commemorates the late Robert, as well as containing a love song in the slow movement for Clara. I reaquainted myself with it recently, on disc and live, and I think it's one of his finest works of such a crowded field of gems. So moving and dark, he just wrote it 110 per cent from the heart. He was not in a good headspace at this time, definitely, but he was brave enough to show himself in that work, it's so autobiographical and personal...


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> You were doing great there until you got to 'fruitful'. That reminded me of a chamber music group (based in New York?).
> 
> [the usual disclaimers apply]
> 
> > > :devil:


Do not get.
(Is it that the use of "fruitful" is cliche? I think it's fitting, though.)


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Meaghan said:


> Do not get.
> (Is it that the use of "fruitful" is cliche? I think it's fitting, though.)


"Do not get". In that case you are forgiven. Or possibly you have admitted that your turn of phrase was innocent, in which case... I dunno what.

Hmm. I have already given Polednice carte blanche, now he has ammo. Fire away, Gridley!


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> "Do not get". In that case you are forgiven. Or possibly you have admitted that your turn of phrase was innocent, in which case... I dunno what.
> 
> Hmm. I have already given Polednice carte blanche, now he has ammo. Fire away, Gridley!


Oh, now I think I get it... Oops/haha. Offensive pun not intended (I promise).


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^ Hilltroll, your utterances are more abstruse to me sometimes than trying to solve the cryptic crossword!!! :lol:


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

A much less positive musical marriage: Gustav and Alma Mahler. He basically put an end to her composition (though he later reversed his stance on this, apparently after Freud told him he was being a bit of a jerk) and she cheated on him all over the place. She did inspire some good music by him, though.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Meaghan said:


> A much less positive musical marriage: Gustav and Alma Mahler. He basically put an end to her composition (though he later reversed his stance on this, apparently after Freud told him he was being a bit of a jerk) and she cheated on him all over the place. She did inspire some good music by him, though.


Yeah, life keeps intruding on music don't it? We Classical music folk have some connection to the Country music folk after all. Classical just gives us more options than variations on "_Your Cheatin' Heart_".


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I suppose we could count Previn with his violin concerto "Anne Sophie."


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Ernest J Moeran, one of life's most unfairly neglected composers, married cellist Peers Coetmore and composed his fantastic cello concerto (and cello sonata) for her.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Hilltroll72 said:


> "Do not get". In that case you are forgiven. Or possibly you have admitted that your turn of phrase was innocent, in which case... I dunno what.
> 
> Hmm. I have already given Polednice carte blanche, now he has ammo. Fire away, Gridley!


I still don't get it, I'm a bit slow today... Meaghan, tell me what's going on!


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Szymanowski's first Violin Concerto was written for close friend (possibly lover?) violinist Pawel Kochanski.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2011)

Not exactly musical, but Hector Berlioz wrote his Symphonie fantastiqe as an outlet for his unrequited love for the actress Harriet Smithson. They eventually married, but it ended badly.

Then, of course, there is also the relationship, and later marriage, between Cosima Liszt and Richard Wagner.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Leonard Bernstein and...um...er...oh... forget it!


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Ivo Pogorelich did marry his piano teacher Aliza Kezeradze. Not all classical music "hook-ups" are between people that BOTH happen to be extremely famous worldwide, in this case its one famous pianist with his teacher.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Stockhausen had a long term relationship with the clarinettist Suzanne Stephens which was exceptionally fruitful, to the point where Stephens "plays" Eve, one of the three main characters of _Licht_. Many other fine works were written for, and often moulded by, Stephens, such as _Harlekin_.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Alexander Borodin's wife, Ekaterina Protopova, was a pianist. He dedicated some of his compositions to her.


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Sid James said:


> Musical hook-ups or musicians with romantic partners also involved in the music industry in some way.
> 
> I'm esp. interested if these hook-ups produced tangible results in terms of music being written for a composer's partner, etc.


The many opera fans on this board will doubtless be aware of the marriage of itinerant conductor Richard Bonynge to superstar soprano Joan Sutherland.

Surely something of an eleemosynary relationship, that one. How many Bonynge-lead recording projects were made on account of the influence brought to bear by his wife??


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Alexander Tcherepnin married Chinese pianist Lee Hsien Ming, who I know nothing about.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

DrMike said:


> Not exactly musical, but Hector Berlioz wrote his Symphonie fantastiqe as an outlet for his unrequited love for the actress Harriet Smithson. They eventually married, but it ended badly.


Have you read the very detailed program for the Symphonie Fantastique? It's _crazy_. If I were Harriet Smithson, I wouldn't be like "Oh, he wrote a symphony about being in love me, how sweet, I think I'll marry him." I would have stayed as far away from the weirdo as possible. But this was the 19th century, and people then really went for stuff like that, I guess. Whatever floats your boat.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

I always thought Haydn's and Mozart's relationships were pretty funny, since they both got rejected by the women they initially loved and had to settle for hooking up with their younger relatives.. with very different results. Mozart gets 10 happy years with his sexy wife before he dies, and Haydn has to live in a sexless marriage for 40 years...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Ravellian said:


> I always thought Haydn's and Mozart's relationships were pretty funny, since they both got rejected by the women they initially loved and had to settle for hooking up with their younger relatives.. with very different results. Mozart gets 10 happy years with his sexy wife before he dies, and Haydn has to live in a sexless marriage for 40 years...


Mozart also loved making fart jokes.


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Kent Nagano and his wife, pianist Mari Kodama. Pinchas Zukerman`s ex and current wife (Eugenie and Amanda Forsyth) are both musicians (the former is a flutist, the latter is a world-class cellist and first chair of the NAC Orchetra in Ottawa, of which he`s music director. Ms Forsyth`s father, Malcolm who passed away earlier this year, wrote a powerful cello and orchestra piece "Elektra Rising" intended for her.

Most of the other hook-ups I can think of off the top of my head have been covered already.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Thanks guys. I did come across the Berlioz, Wagner, Stockhausen "hook ups" and of course Sutherland-Bonynge (I'm Australian, should have remembered, but opera is not usually on my radar). The others I didn't know about. I'd be interested in hearing Moeran's cello concerto, thank you* Art Rock*.

Another UK guy was *Arnold Bax *who had a longtime relationship with pianist *Harriet Cohen*. I think he left his wife for her? I'm pretty sure he wrote many of his piano works after he met her with her specifically in mind to play. He was one of the major composers of his time (UK between the wars was his peak period of activity) & he did compose many works involving the piano, but not a full concerto as I understand it (I think he did write some other similar things though, eg. a concertino)...


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