# Hobbies of the composers



## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Elgar liked to go to the races, Rossini dabbled in cooking (published a few cookbooks after retiring from music) and Stravinsky was friends with Marcel Duchamp (wonder if they played chess together, as it was the latter's favourite hobby?).

What were the hobbies or other non-musical pastimes of the composers?


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

Puccini was a avid fan of new technology he loved cars, planes, and all that new stuff that came out at the turn of the century. He was also very fond of hunting.

Verdi sometimes wrote down Farmer as his occupation, and he even served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies and later as a Senator in the Italian Congress.


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

Bernstien enjoyed male company. As did Tchaikovsky. A few liked a the casual drop of alcohol or... you know... hard core drugs.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Richard Strauss loved playing skat.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

Elgar liked all sorts of things, eg: *cycling* (his maps of the Malvern area still exist, and he traced the routes on them that he'd explored on his bike; and *chemistry* (there was one occasion, if I recall correctly, when he generated a big explosion in the shed in his garden and then tried to act as if nothing had happened....).


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

> Richard Strauss loved playing skat.


Dear god that could be read.... very... very.... VERY badly.

Percy Grainger had very interesting hobbies also.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2009)

Yagan Kiely said:


> Dear god that could be read.... very... very.... VERY badly.
> 
> Percy Grainger had very interesting hobbies also.


B...... H... Yagan, don't shatter too many Dreams


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Borodin's hobby was composing, being a chemist by trade.

Sibelius enjoyed oysters, booze and cigars. He *really* liked booze and cigars.

Prokofiev enjoyed chess. Shostakovich liked playing cards and watching soccer (football).

Mahler loved athletics, particularly walking/hiking and swimming.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Tapkaara said:


> Sibelius enjoyed oysters, booze and cigars. He *really* liked booze and cigars.


If we are going to get into composers' personal habits/addictions, I might add that Mussorgsky also liked to drink alcohol rather heavily, and Shostakovich was a chain smoker.


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

Oh, Elgarian you reminded me Borodin, not only was he a composer he was a major figure in Chemistry.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

JoeGreen said:


> Oh, Elgarian you reminded me Borodin, not only was he a composer he was a major figure in Chemistry.


Thanks, I didn't know that. I don't think Elgar rises even to the lowly heights of being a _minor_ figure in chemistry, though he did invent a 'sulphuretted hydrogen machine' for making hydrogen sulphide - which I believe was commercially manufactured. I don't think it changed the world significantly though.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Just found this info about Mozart's hobbies on the net (at ArtsAlive.ca):

"Mozart loved games of all sorts. He knew many card tricks and his other interests included billiards, bowling, charades, fencing, and horseback riding. He liked to keep dogs, cats, and birds as pets. He once owned a starling that could sing the main tune from the last movement of his own Piano Concerto No. 17."


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

since I am an avid chess fans, here the composers with very good chess skill :

Andre Phillidor (my avatar) was a chess player and composer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François-André_Danican_Philidor

Sergei Prokofiev can play to master level : 
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/prokofiev.html

Mark Taimanov, a chess profesional but a classical trained pianist, he has a recording.
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=320

Vassily Smyslov, a past chess champion also an opera singer.

and here an article on chess and music :
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/music.html


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