# Do nice composers ever finish first?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

After all this talk about weirdo composers, there were probably some who lived uncontroversial lives and were overall just nice normal people.

Who do you nominate as Mr. (or Ms.) Nice Guy (or Gal)?

Ravel? No...there's something fishy with that one...


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Zoltan Kodaly. Can't recall anyone having anything bad to say about him, nor have I heard about anything controversial about his private life nor any flaws or eccentricities in his character.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

I think Boulez is a nice guy operating in today's world pretty successfully. It might be one of society's great delusions to think one has to be an a**hole to be successful. You can be nice, eccentric, and ambitious at the same time.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

elgars ghost said:


> Zoltan Kodaly. Can't recall anyone having anything bad to say about him, nor have I heard about anything controversial about his private life nor any flaws or eccentricities in his character.


Yes, he wasn't only nice but a humanitarian. I'd kind of stick my neck out and say the most humanitarian of all composers. Well, those whose lives I'm aware of, of course. That's principally for his taking part in the resistance during WWII, and refusing to betray those in the act with him when questioned by the Gestapo. He had to go into hiding in the last few months of the war, his life being at risk.

After the war it wasn't easy for him, he was penniless and had to start from scratch, and he was also involved in the anti-Soviet uprising of 1956, chairing meetings that aimed to restore democracy that had briefly existed after the war. He had also refused to cave in to Stalinists who wanted him to rewrite the national anthem.

The only controversy I can think of is Kodaly marrying a music student who was very young (could have been his daughter) after his first wife died. But look, that's his private life, and however balanced a person is some people will pull him down, there is no shortage of those who like to gossip!

I think he did "finish first," by the end of his life in the 1960's, he was respected both at home and abroad as the greatest living Hungarian composer of his generation. I think it pays to hold steadfast to some sense of justice, even though that is a very hard road to follow. Kodaly had immense moral force, and that's the most powerful force of all.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Vesuvius said:


> I think Boulez is a nice guy operating in today's world pretty successfully.


Boulez used to heckle performances of new pieces that he didn't consider sufficiently modern, didn't he?

Messiaen seems like quite a nice guy.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

composers 'finish' when they draw the double bar.


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## mikey (Nov 26, 2013)

Bach lived pretty controversial free aside from a small stint in jail.
Mendelssohn was highly respected.
Haydn ditto.
Don't recall anything unusual about Strauss II.
Grieg
Dvorak


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

mikey said:


> Bach lived pretty controversial free aside from a small stint in jail.


Good on Bach. I couldn't find his mug shot! Unlike this guy...


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Beethoven lived a pretty blameless life until 1814, when he snapped and went roaming the streets of Vienna with an ax, whacking people seemingly at random. He was enraged that his 7th Symphony was preferred to his 8th. Despite the death toll, which was significant, the courts excused him, ruling that the 8th was indeed the greater symphony.

This ruling remains controversial, as might be imagined.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

mikey said:


> Bach lived pretty controversial free aside from a small stint in jail.


I don't know about that one. I read he had an infamous temper and was quite rude much of the time.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Good on Bach. I couldn't find his mug shot! Unlike this guy...


What happens in Boston, stays in Boston.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

As has been mentioned, Haydn was apparently a rather nice fellow. I hear the same about Hummel and Hovhaness. Perhaps if your surname starts with an H, you're okay.

Now Wagner wasn't merely nice. He was exceptionally nice. According to himself.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

mikey said:


> Bach lived pretty controversial free aside from a small stint in jail.


Ah, I see it's time to bring out my absolute favourite Bach story again!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Back in the Renaissance, Ockeghem seems to have been an overall good guy.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Manxfeeder said:


> Back in the Renaissance, Ockeghem seems to have been an overall good guy.


According to the Wiki, "details of his life are lacking". Perhaps no news is good news, eh?


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Boulez used to heckle performances of new pieces that he didn't consider sufficiently modern, didn't he?
> 
> Messiaen seems like quite a nice guy.


Well, how nice are we talking here? Everyone has their quirks.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Mendelssohn was a nice guy, and I'd say he's pretty up there. So for him, he won.


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## JohannesBrahms (Apr 22, 2013)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Mendelssohn was a nice guy, and I'd say he's pretty up there. So for him, he won.


Mendelssohn was a very decent man in general, but he was known for having an exceptionally bad temper. He apparently sometimes collapsed after fits of rage.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2013)

Well, while I get the idea from his writings (his own writings, it's true) that Berlioz was a pretty nice guy, I would feel much more comfortable talking about people I actually know, people I've actually met and associated with.

And with those people, "nice" is in all cases both apt and woefully inadequate.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

I think it's inadequate for anyone. Nobody is simply "nice." It's a single swell in an ocean of waves.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Vesuvius said:


> Well, how nice are we talking here? Everyone has their quirks.


Are you referring to Boulez or Messiaen? I think heckling your colleagues is more jerk than quirk, personally.

Messiaen was described by his pupils as a kind man and an interested and talented teacher. The only thing I've heard against him is that he was a bit polemical in his youth (not so much, I think, as Boulez).


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Are you referring to Boulez or Messiaen? I think heckling your colleagues is more jerk than quirk, personally.
> 
> Messiaen was described by his pupils as a kind man and an interested and talented teacher. The only thing I've heard against him is that he was a bit polemical in his youth (not so much, I think, as Boulez).


I was talking about Boulez. I'm sure he was nice sometimes. He seemed like a swell chap in the interviews I've seen.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

How would any of us know whether a composer was nice unless we had known these chaps first hand?


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

hpowders said:


> How would any of us know whether a composer was nice unless we had known these chaps first hand?


Exactly. But people are liable to get offended if you keep being so reasonable. We're playing make-believe here.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Vesuvius said:


> I was talking about Boulez. I'm sure he was nice sometimes. He seemed like a swell chap in the interviews I've seen.


I'm sure Gesualdo was nice sometimes as well.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

ahammel said:


> I'm sure Gesualdo was nice sometimes as well.


But when he was bad he was horrid.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

ahammel said:


> I'm sure Gesualdo was nice sometimes as well.


So how frequent must niceness be expressed to be considered "nice," and who determines this?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Vesuvius said:


> Exactly. But people are liable to get offended if you keep being so reasonable. We're playing make-believe here.


Oh yeah. I forgot. Sorry. I will try not to let it happen again.


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Vesuvius said:


> So how frequent must niceness be expressed to be considered "nice," and who determines this?


Boulez is or was capable of being a bit of a jerk. You may use this information to enumerate your pinhead angels however you like.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

What does it mean, 'finish first'? If just that nice people can be great composers, then I nominate *Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber *for his sublime *Rosary Sonatas*. There is no evidence to suggest that he was anything other than an okay chap.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Boulez is or was capable of being a bit of a jerk. You may use this information to enumerate your pinhead angels however you like.


So you know Boulez personally?


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

hpowders said:


> So you know Boulez personally?


What does this have to do with anything? Besides what's documented, what do any of us have? Is Wagner demonized from current people's first hand accounts? Perhaps you've taken the devil's advocate a bit too far? After all, did any of us witness Beethoven writing the 9th symphony or Dante writing the Comedia?


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Schumann sounds like he was a pretty decent guy, aside from the insanity and all that.


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

Ingélou said:


> What does it mean, 'finish first'? If just that nice people can be great composers, then I nominate *Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber *for his sublime *Rosary Sonatas*. There is no evidence to suggest that he was anything other than an okay chap.


Once we had Biber now we had ''Bieber''...O tempora o mores how times have changed...On worse.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

JohannesBrahms said:


> Mendelssohn was a very decent man in general, but he was known for having an exceptionally bad temper. He apparently sometimes collapsed after fits of rage.


Haha! Probably his righteous rage burned out his mortal body. :tiphat:


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

ahammel said:


> Boulez is or was capable of being a bit of a jerk. You may use this information to enumerate your pinhead angels however you like.


Pinhead angels? You're not very nice, are you?

See where I'm getting at?


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

Vesuvius said:


> Pinhead angels? You're not very nice, are you?
> 
> See where I'm getting at?


I honestly have not the slightest idea.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Flamme said:


> Once we had Biber now we had ''Bieber''...O tempora o mores how times have changed...On worse.


That Biber guy may have been nice, but it didn't help him in the biz. Hardly moved any CDs at all! Now the Justin kid's doing OK, even though he's not very nice sometimes, trashing hotel rooms and stuff... 

If Biber ever did that, they missed it in Wikipedia.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

ahammel said:


> I honestly have not the slightest idea.


"Nice" is subjective. There, I spilled the beans... the mystery is over. You can enjoy your life now.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I suspect that Carl had Uncle Ludwig blocked on Twitter.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Couac Addict said:


> I suspect that Carl had Uncle Ludwig blocked on Twitter.


Carl named his only son "Ludwig van Beethoven."


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Carl named his only son "Ludwig van Beethoven."


...who married a concert pianist. How quickly do you think he played the "Beethoven card" in that romance?


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## mikey (Nov 26, 2013)

violadude said:


> I don't know about that one. I read he had an infamous temper and was quite rude much of the time.





JohannesBrahms said:


> Mendelssohn was a very decent man in general, but he was known for having an exceptionally bad temper. He apparently sometimes collapsed after fits of rage.


These don't exactly make them 'weirdos', it's a pretty normal human flaw. Compared to people with serious issues like Gesualdo or Wagner...


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

scratchgolf said:


> What does this have to do with anything? Besides what's documented, what do any of us have? Is Wagner demonized from current people's first hand accounts? Perhaps you've taken the devil's advocate a bit too far? After all, did any of us witness Beethoven writing the 9th symphony or Dante writing the Comedia?


Say what?? How can anyone make claims that composer X was a "pretty nice guy" or "thoroughly obnoxious" unless you are/were a friend or acquaintance of that composer? I wouldn't believe what some folks have written for posterity. Many had vested interests in either praising or denigrating certain composers.

When someone writes "Boulez could be a bit of a jerk", I'm assuming the writer knows Boulez quite well and I would like to hear more.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

It's even hard to believe first-hand accounts... with all the nonsense people spill these days. Let alone second-hand.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Dvorak seems to have been a nice, down to earth guy , and unusual for a composer, modest and humble.
He considered himself to be something of simple Czech peasant .


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

This is a good question. Most great composers had well-known personality quirks or were known to be arrogant.

Here are some guesses:

Gershwin
Grieg
Dvorak

I'm guessing because I never heard of anyone complaining about their personalities in any way, nor have I heard of them putting anyone else down. I may be mistaken.



KenOC said:


> After all this talk about weirdo composers, there were probably some who lived uncontroversial lives and were overall just nice normal people.
> 
> Who do you nominate as Mr. (or Ms.) Nice Guy (or Gal)?
> 
> Ravel? No...there's something fishy with that one...


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> I suspect that Carl had Uncle Ludwig blocked on Twitter.


And Uncle Ludwig himself unfriended his sister-in-law on Facebook, after her gazillionth post about how mush she misses her son.


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## mikey (Nov 26, 2013)

brianvds said:


> And Uncle Ludwig himself unfriended his sister-in-law on Facebook, after her gazillionth post about how mush she misses her son.


And Brahms entered into this


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

*Rachmaninov* can be described as a nice guy, I'd describe him as a gentleman, and as a person who seldom if ever held grudges. He was also willing to lend a helping hand to musicians who where in financial straits. Recently reading a book about him informed me of these aspects of his life.

On one ocassion, pianist-composer Medtner had a successful concert tour of the USA in 1932, but he was swindled because the promoter gave him a cheque that bounced. Medtner's wife wrote to Rachmaninov asking for help in instigating legal action. Rachmaninov did more than that, he paid Medtner's entire fee of $2,500 out of his own pocket.

Bear in mind that Rachmaninov and Medtner where competitors and artistically at odds with one another, but there was mutual respect there even if somewhat guarded. Rachmaninov's relationship with Stravinsky was similar in some respects. Even Stravinsky's famous quote saying that Rachmaninov was a six and a half foot scowl shows some truth, maybe some whimsy. Rachmaninov was indeed tall and rarely smiled. His commanding presence on stage was noted by many. When Stravinsky and Rachmaninov met during WWII in the USA they talked little of music, but they had other more human concerns in common. Both had relatives in occupied Europe, inclding children.

Rachmaninov also had an artistically and personally challenging relationship with Scriabin. Even though it was tested many times, after Scriabin's premature death Rachmaninov played a series of tribute recitals for his colleague. They had studied together under Taneyev and Arensky, but gone separate ways. Rachmaninov at one point almost lost his temper during conducting a performance of Scriabin's piano concerto with the composer at the piano. Scriabin had refused to cooperate at the rehearsal and came to the performance drunk. After that, Rachmaninov dished it out to his colleague, but it was rare for Rachmaninov to do this.

Once he left Russia and settled down in Switzerland, Rachmaninov set up a publishing company specifically devoted to books on Russian music. In Rachmaninov's early days in Russia, the critic Leonid Sabaneyev had been one of his most outspoken critics. Nevertheless, Rachmaninov's company commissioned and published a book on Taneyev written by Sabaneyev.

Its sad that Rachmaninov's low on ego approach is not common amongst classical composers, particularly during the era when he lived. Time and time again he had things dished out to him, especially by those pushing certain ideologies of "progress." They trashed him and elevated Scriabin to the level of a god, for example. But Rachmaninov avoided getting into the politics of music and never made things personal, and I really admire that quality in him.



ahammel said:


> Boulez is or was capable of being a bit of a jerk. You may use this information to enumerate your pinhead angels however you like.


He was a loose cannon in his younger days, definitely. He talked about the reasons for this in the interview below. He was fighting the fight for Modernism back in the heady post-war days. But since the 1970s he has become establishment, maybe it came with hitting middle age (or more likely that kind of hard line Modernist ideology had by then become largely a spent force?), not surprisingly he became more mature and acted with more restraint. Its not an unusual thing, I suppose.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...erre-Boulez-I-was-a-bully-Im-not-ashamed.html


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

*Alexander Glazunov* is worth mentioning. After he became Director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, he did what he could to safeguard that institution and its students, including sacrificing his salary and turning it into a scholarship, protecting Jewish students ("We don't keep count" he infamously said in reply when an official questioned him on the Jewish quotas), and declined a more comfortable living in order to help keep the Conservatory going. In some ways, I was surprised that the institution was not named after him (and still do I confess).

A great blog by our fellow member Huilunsoittaja goes into Glazunov's devotion to the Conservatory and the impact he made on his students, including Shostakovich, in greater detail. Here's the link. 
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/huilunsoittaja/1261-who-man-hommage-glazunov.html

It is a must read in my humble opinion.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

I suppose composing is a very competitive arena, and it might seem quite ruthless competition with the need to promote your own work and perhaps demean that of others. Unless you start with, or assume quickly, a relatively privileged position and are immune from some of the struggles others have to go through perhaps you can't seem squeaky clean.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Handel appears to have been a generous hearted guy. I have read he left his fortune to charity.


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## Anterix (Jan 24, 2010)

I heard about Liszt being a good person. That he helped other composer's and pianist's careers. I don't know if this qualifies.


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## Minona (Mar 25, 2013)

Come on, we all know from our elderly relatives that 'niceness' is only relative to the times. Someone can be racist and yet nice. Did Haydn care about slavery? Did Mozart? Beethoven showed kindness to George Bridgetower, and yet he probably wasn't a nice guy to know overall.

If you could meet them, you'd probably be suddenly shocked by something they say about, women, other races or gays. So... yes, my uncles is really nice in nearly every way. But he thinks gays are disgusting.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

some guy said:


> Well, while I get the idea from his writings (his own writings, it's true) that Berlioz was a pretty nice guy, I would feel much more comfortable talking about people I actually know, people I've actually met and associated with.
> 
> And with those people, "nice" is in all cases both apt and woefully inadequate.


Berlioz? Nice?

Poor Hector - I'm sure he would have exploded at being labelled 'nice' .... and his writing certainly pulled no punches. For example, he made the following comment on a contemporary's opera: "Pathetic, ridiculous, feeble, worthless; this little fool did not fear that the shadow of Shakespeare might come and trouble him during his sleep; he would richly deserve it".

No, I don't think he aspired to 'niceness' - people who speak their mind and hold strong opinions are seldom regarded as 'nice' - whatever that means


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## Minona (Mar 25, 2013)

Also, you get those people who do their best for people, but don't appear to be nice. They understand that you can kill someone with kindness too.


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

composers are usually at least a bit crazy and cracked, thats the reason we compose, how else will people listen to us?


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I'm resurrecting this thread because no one has mentioned Takemitsu yet and from what I've seen he seems like a really nice, polite and humble guy, very sweet.

Maybe someone knows better though...


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

violadude said:


> I'm resurrecting this thread because no one has mentioned Takemitsu yet and from what I've seen he seems like a really nice, polite and humble guy, very sweet.
> 
> Maybe someone knows better though...


John Adams compared him to a Buddhist monk (I think, though I can't remember where...). He seems like the type who wouldn't want to hurt anyone, very humble and soft-spoken, not unlike his foremost contemporary influence, Messiaen.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Haydn is generally known to have been a nice and deeply religious person, although he was a proud man and didn't let himself be 'pushed' by anyone. The story about his failed marriage and other love affairs sometimes make me wonder what Haydn was really like. If he was truly religious, how could he have had extra-marital relationships?

Apparently, Haydn was not very well-educated in things other than music; his writings often contained spelling mistakes, for example. This is due in part to the general state of the education system in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of his birth. 

I would imagine Haydn to have been a spontaneous person; very ambivalent, probably. A guy who likes doing unexpected, new and often humourous things. He was also very organized and had a rigid daily work ethic. What was Haydn like? How do all these pieces fit together?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> Haydn is generally known to have been a nice and deeply religious person, although he was a proud man and didn't let himself be 'pushed' by anyone. The story about his failed marriage and other love affairs sometimes make me wonder what Haydn was really like. If he was truly religious, how could he have had extra-marital relationships?


People don't always live up to their own ideals, no matter how deeply held.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Another church going hypocrite? What a shock!


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Beethoven lived a pretty blameless life until 1814, when he snapped and went roaming the streets of Vienna with an ax, whacking people seemingly at random. He was enraged that his 7th Symphony was preferred to his 8th. Despite the death toll, which was significant, the courts excused him, ruling that the 8th was indeed the greater symphony.
> 
> This ruling remains controversial, as might be imagined.


Prefer the 7th myself; I sure hope he's not coming for me. I think he's going to be deaf to my pleas for mercy.


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

I might also add, for whatever it may be worth (perhaps a rapid rush toward the 8th!), that Sartre was quite fond of the 7th.


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

I hope none will object to this tangent - how about ranking Delius not only as having one of the most difficult temperaments of all composers but one whose work seems most directly in opposition to his sour personality?


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## MaxB (Jan 3, 2013)

Shostakovitch seems to have been a tremendous humanitarian. William Byrd from what is known of his life was pretty straight (other than the trouble he ran into for being Catholic). Anton Bruckner didn't do much to go wrong anywhere and he was quite humble.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Brahms? And i don't believe that he hunted cats.

Schubert is also known for being a nice guy.


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

Ravndal said:


> Brahms? And i don't believe that he hunted cats.


I don't think Brahms counts as Mr. nice guy - not a monster, but bearish, gruff and inapproachable - didn't like his world intruded upon. Even Clara found him impenetrable.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Berlioznestpasmort said:


> I don't think Brahms counts as Mr. nice guy - not a monster, but bearish, gruff and inapproachable - didn't like his world intruded upon. Even Clara found him impenetrable.


Yes. I read that Brahms could be quite sarcastic. Sort of like me without the musical genius.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Berlioznestpasmort said:


> I don't think Brahms counts as Mr. nice guy - not a monster, but bearish, gruff and inapproachable - didn't like his world intruded upon. Even Clara found him impenetrable.


After reading a biography about him, i felt that he was a nice guy. He was very well liked by the schumann family. he WAS shy though.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Berlioznestpasmort said:


> Even Clara found him impenetrable.


And there was me thinking it was the other way around...


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

From all reports , Carl Nielsen was a very likeable fellow . He's been described as the kind of guy 
you'd like to have a beer with . A real fun guy with a droll sense of humor . You can hear this
in his music .


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Another church going hypocrite? What a shock!


As opposed to secular hypocrites ?


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Another church going hypocrite? What a shock!


Well, first of all, you have to consider how awful the relationship between Haydn and his wife was. Some sources I've read claimed that she burned his music, etc. So they basically didn't get along at all. Second of all, Haydn was a very honest musician and no hypocrite; he always stayed true to his own musical style. He also freely praised other less-known composers and tried to bring more exposure to them, even though this did not always succeed. I would definitely not throw around the terms 'hypocrite' and Haydn so loosely.


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## MrTortoise (Dec 25, 2008)

MaxB mentioned Bruckner, and I'll second that. From all accounts I have read he was humble and lead a very simple life.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

superhorn said:


> From all reports , Carl Nielsen was a very likeable fellow . He's been described as the kind of guy
> you'd like to have a beer with . A real fun guy with a droll sense of humor . You can hear this
> in his music .


About two decades ago at the Baird Music Library at SUNY at Buffalo, I came across a book of Nielsen that contains his pictures along with his quotations (proverbs), and I was amazed how philosophical he was about life, with such a keen sense of perspectives that you would not go wrong learning life lessons from him. He truly took all that life had to offer to him and made the best of it from what I gathered. His music reflects that true and true; how unpretentious or unassuming he was. He reminds me of my late grandmother.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Nikolay Myaskovsky comes to mind also. The "Musical Conscience of Moscow" he is often called, Myaskovsky dedicated close to 30 years teaching and guiding his students at the Moscow Conservatory. He was extremely elusive, evasive, and introspected, but very active in his teaching responsibilities. What a sin it was for him to go through the Zhdanov bs in 1948, with this great composer & pedagogue already mortally ill. Pretty much unforgivable. But he answered back, with his valedictory 27th Symphony, which is generally deemed his masterpiece.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Assuming it's all true about Nielsen's agreeable, ego-free nature then it makes Langgaard's green-eyed bitterness towards his success sound even more unedifying.


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