Book Review: Lives of the Musicians

Since I enjoyed Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Writers, I sought another similar volume. This time she delved into the fascinating biographies of twenty famous musicians in Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought). Written in 1993, this is the first book in this series of biography compilations. As in the other book, she presents oddities and tid-bits with flair.

I was intrigued to learn that Chopin shared some of Dickens' obsessive quirks and got ideas while walking. He was quite meticulous. He spent six weeks working on one page of music. Brahms was also intense. His first symphony was the product of ten years of devotion. Like other famous musicians and writers, he burned what he didn't like and started over. 

I enjoyed the section on Gilbert and Sullivan the most. It was full of new and interesting facts. I hadn't known about the friction between them. Nor did I realize that Sullivan wrote "Onward Christian Soldiers." Even more perplexing, someone kidnapped Gilbert when he was two and held him for ransom. 

Many of these famous musicians turned to their colleagues' music for comfort. When sad, Ives would play "Onward Christian Soldiers," until his melancholy lifted. Of course, some sought unconventional cures. Stravinsky relaxed by standing on his head. Crazy!

My library only has a few more of these titles, covering athletes, explorers, presidents, and scientists. I probably won't seek those out, but I may seek a neighboring library's copy of her Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought). The other inaccessible titles explore the lives of extraordinary women and pirates. Sadly, this author passed away a little over a year ago. No more interesting children's biographies from her entertaining pen!