<BR>Wagner was a devoted animal lover and for a while was a vegitarian. However, in typical Wagnerian style, after only a few weeks he recanted, saying 'How can I produce any decent ideas as long as I'm only stuffing myself with grass".
<BR>Bach was much admired in his time as a gifted organist, but he was not thought of as great composer until after a revival of his music in the 19th century. German composer Felix Mendelssohn was a champion of Bach's music at this time.
<BR>Bach was married twice and had a total of 20 children. Several of them were composers and musicians and Bach proudly stated that his family could easily form an impressive vocal and instrumental ensemble. ~ Contributed by Harry Smith.
<BR>The 20 year old Bach walked over 200 miles to the city of Lubeck to hear musical services performed by the Danish organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Bach's interest in succeeding Buxtehude in his post waned quickly when Bach discovered he would have to marry Buxtehude's daughter to close the deal.
<BR>Bach is the German word for brook or stream. Beethoven once wrote to a friend that his name ought not to be Bach, but Ocean, because of his infinite harmonies and inexhaustible wealth of combinations and harmonies.
<BR>No record of Beethoven's exact date of birth has been ever been found. Musicologists often refer to his date of baptism instead.
<BR>Beethoven was the first of the great composers to get an income from the publication of his music.
<BR>Beethoven wrote his last five string quartets after he was totally deaf. They were the only compositions he wrote during the last three years of his life. ~ Contributed by Harry Smith.
<BR>Beethoven believed that creativity and individuality and not social position defined a person's character. He once said his nobility was here and here, as he pointed to his head and heart.
<BR>The quality of Beethoven's symphonies gave many composers terrible cases of writer's block. Brahms took almost 20 years to complete his first symphony. When it was first performed a critic called it 'Beethoven's Tenth'.
Text Gear
