Archives: Anekdote

In 1837, a princess in Paris came up with a charity fundraiser with serious star power: sell a brand‑new piano piece written by six of the hottest virtuosos alive—and use the proceeds to help homeless Italian patriots in the city. The theme was a duet from Bellini’s *I Puritani*. The lineup was ridiculous: Liszt, Thalberg,…

If you’re compiling quotes from history’s most savage conductors, Hans von Bülow basically gives you a whole chapter. He had a special dislike for many tenors. About one he said: “Do you call that singing? I call it a disease.” During a *Lohengrin* rehearsal in Hanover he got so fed up that he threw his…

Paganini didn’t just have stage nerves—he had full‑on paranoia. He was proud, suspicious, and convinced that other violinists (jealous of his fame) might literally try to assassinate him. He even avoided England because he found it terrifying. But there was one thing stronger than fear: money. When invited to France, he hesitated—until he heard how…

Handel’s Italy era came with a nickname. The locals loved his playing so much they called him *il caro Sassone*—“the dear Saxon.” In Venice he entered a friendly rivalry with Domenico Scarlatti. They kept testing each other at the keyboard, and the verdict became a classic split decision: Scarlatti was the king of the harpsichord,…

Felix Mendelssohn had strong opinions, but he wasn’t the type to dunk on people for sport. One night he was at a performance of a Donizetti opera. Everyone around him knew Mendelssohn’s taste ran in a totally different direction, so they tried to flatter him by tearing Donizetti to shreds—loudly, competitively, and a little too…

Beethoven loved escaping the city for the countryside. In summer he’d rent a room outside Vienna so he could walk, think, and let ideas hit him in the woods. Once he moved to Mödling with a whole wagon of furniture and manuscripts. The plan was simple: the wagon follows, Beethoven walks ahead. But the moment…

Not many famous composers can say they literally fenced over an opera gig. But a young George Frideric Handel almost did. Early‑1700s opera was chaotic: the music director sat at a harpsichord on the stage, and important guests treated the stage like VIP seating—talking, commenting, and generally causing trouble. Handel was sharing duties with the…

Late in life, Niccolò Paganini became famous for two things: violin wizardry and extreme stinginess. Fans fought to get into his concerts, money poured in… and he still lived like he was broke. He ate too little to “save,” argued over medicine prices, and even refused to play charity concerts—which got him mocked in the…

Giacomo Meyerbeer liked to tell a story about Beethoven—one that captures how quickly talent can announce itself. Beethoven was not yet sixteen when he was invited by the von Breuning family in Bonn to spend an evening with a circle of musicians. Among them were the Kapellmeister Ries, the brothers Romberg, Count Waldstein, and other…

Hans von Bülow couldn’t resist a microphone—even in an era without microphones. At recitals and orchestral concerts he loved to make speeches, and he didn’t always keep them strictly musical. Sometimes he ventured into politics, not always safely. On one occasion he openly slighted the Emperor and voiced his disgust over the dismissal of Prince…