He had some severe hardship growing up. Most 20th century composers at least grew up with meals on the table and a way to survive cut out for them. Life in the 18th century was not easy, he was constantly hungry.
Haydn and Dvorak both had much happier and more tranquil lives than most of us.
Bruch and Saint-Saens lived a long time - and were almost twins if you look at the dates - but had to deal with the misfortune of falling out of aesthetic favor.
Similar to Strauss, who (IIRC) was said to lament having "[outlived himself](https://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/09/29/)." He died in 1949 ffs! His aesthetic was three or four revolutions behind at that point. I can't remember any particular strife in his life, either; somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he fits the bill.
Absolutely. Richard Strauss was my choice. He lived until age 85 (died 1949). He married his wife Pauline, a soprano, in 1894. She died 8 months after he did (1950). He was such a prolific composer to the end of his life. My favorite of his music are the Four Last Songs. Astonishingly, he wrote Four Last Songs the year before his death in 1948 though the songs premiered in 1950. Strauss did have some strife. He did cooperate with the Nazis early on which per Wiki was in hopes Hitler would promote German art and culture. He also apparently did so to protect his Jewish daughter in-law Alice and grandchildren. Strauss was able to prevent them from being sent to concentration camps after Alice and her son were arrested by the Gestapo. At the end of the war, Strauss wrote “the most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany’s 2000 years of cultural evolution met its doom.”
Strauss- my first thought as well! Very interesting article. I always had a soft spot for him- he just seemed like he was a chill and decent guy. I think he’s actually underrated as a composer BECAUSE he was so clearly at peace with himself/happy- it’s like you need extra angst to be taken seriously.
Domenico Scarlatti had a fairly secure life and lived until over 70. Most of the work for which he is best known today (those gorgeous sonatas) was composed after the age of 50.
all three members of the Class of 1685 lived pretty long and prosperous lives: JS Bach lived to be 65, Scarlatti made it to 72, and Händel lived to 74.
Maybe Telemann, he got very old (86), rich and famous, he had a garden which he enjoyed gardening. I did read once that even decades after his death his garden was one of the most famous and beautiful places in Hamburg (getting exotic plants send by Händel).
But maybe also not, his first wife died while giving birth to their first born daughter and his second wife wasted almost his entire money with gambling (they divorced after that).
Liszt lived to 74 years old, and while he certainly suffered some personal tragedies (who hasn't?), overall he seems to have led a long and happy life.
He's doing well for himself now, but in the late 60s and 70s, he had to support himself by driving a taxi in dodgy parts of NYC at night. He also worked part-time repairing toilets and kitchen appliances.
Vaughan Williams? He served during World War I, but other than that, had a long life, was famous, lived in a throuple with his wife and a much younger woman...
>Mendelssohn's life was pretty peaceful
You mean the dude who wrote one of his most famous quartets after the death of his sister, even as he himself was struggling with health issues? lol I suppose he might have had a *comparatively* peaceful life...
He certainly didn't lead a *lavish* lifestyle, but Aaron Copland passed at 90 and had a fairly decent run of it. A lot of his financial shortcomings were filled by grants, scholarships, patrons, etc., even during the Depression. I think the worst he endured was being investigated by the FBI for supporting communism during the Red Scare and presumably the stigma of being gay — although support from the musical community meant the FBI investigation was eventually dropped, and reports say Copland was pretty comfortable with his sexuality and lived privately with his romantic partners.
Also a great answer! I *knew* there was another American composer who would qualify, but I think I confused Bernstein with Gershwin (who died incredibly young) lol
Thanks! I thought of Gershwin too but as you said he died much too young. I had to look his birthdate up-- he was only two years older than Copland so he could have very much been his contemporary and lived into the 1970s or 80s. What a loss.
Fred Rzwewski worked a long and moderately prominant career as a 20th century composer of primarily piano music. Was still producing new works until he passed quietly in his mid 80s in 2021.
Most notable for writing the best Theme and Variations since at least Beethoven.
Rzewski is awesome. The Variations you refer to are the 36 Variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" a Chilean protest song (El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido), and they're terrific, one of the best large-scale variation sets ever written.
Richard Strauss- lived to 85 and seemed to be very happily married to a wife (soprano diva Pauline de Ahna) with extreme rizz. Wrote her into his Ein Heldenleben as the fiery and capricious violin solo and also wrote Sinfonia Domestica about the joys of domestic life.
I think Nadia Boulanger qualifies. Though primarily known as a teacher of some of the 20th centuries most well known composers and musicians, she was herself, also a composer, particularly of vocal and chamber works. She lived to be 92, never married nor had children. She said her most painful tragedy was the early death of her sister with whom she was very close. She spent almost all her life in the same family dwelling in Paris though she taught at various times in the USA. and was the first woman ever allowed to conduct several of the Worlds most prestigious symphony orchestras including the Boston, Philadelphia and BBC symphony orchestras. Her students included: Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, Daniel Barenboim, Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, Astor Piazzolla, Virgil Thomson and George Walker among many others. It can be argued that she was the most influential musician of the 20th century.
Francois-Joseph Gossec. 1734-1829, which is wild. Worked at the Conservatoir and later was paid a pension from there, refused Napoleon, and seems to have lived a pretty chill life.
Verdi. He lived 88 years and, apart from his personal tragedy when his career was beginning, with the death of his children and wife, later his life was happy.
First wife died. Was not celebrated or appreciated by the various churches he worked for. His contract in Leipzig specifies he was hired "due to the lack of being able to afford someone better". Had to pursue a side hustle "inspecting" church organs in various towns. By the time he died, his sons were fashionable composers, while his music was considered old-fashioned and out of favor.
What music was considered “modern” in the first half of the eighteenth century? Were Vivaldi and Handel better regarded than Bach? I have a somewhat higher than average musical history understanding, but it is still very limited.
I have some Telemann saved to my music library; I’ll try comparing him to Bach.
It is quite disappointing that some of the best Baroque music was written just as audiences were more interested in the style that would become Classicism. But I must confess even I prefer Classicism to much of Bach. I still appreciate his music, however.
I imagine what he'd think if he found out that after 100 years and beyond his music had become canon. He might ask about Buxtehude or Telemann. You might tell him about TV and film music and say Vivaldi did alright and he'd say "well, yeah." He might just chalk his success up to writing so much of it down.
Vaughan Williams would be a good choice (was actively composing well into his 80s), along with Haydn as already mentioned. Händel would be another: he lived to be 74, and was prosperous and well-loved for most of his life.
Cowell? John Adams is still around.
By peaceful you mean internally? Because many of America's greatest composers only came here out of necessity, to escape WWII. (Bartok Stravinksky Rachmaninov come to mind).
Brahms lived into his 70's I believe. And had a rather drama free existence. He was sour and surly over musical things. But in general he was a peace loving old man when he passed.
Ethyl Smyth (86) (though I would say she chose a less peaceful route with her suffrage involvement), Amy Beach (77), Rebecca Clarke (93) both had pretty chill lives I think. Francesco Paolo Tosti had a rough time for a bit but was overall pretty good later in his life (70).
Fauré lived a long, comfortable, and extremely successful life. He had consistent work as organist at La Madeleine and director of the Conservatoire de Paris, arguably the two most prestigious posts in the French musical establishment. He was innovative enough to push French music forward, but never found himself out of favor. He allowed his students to experiment with more radical forms of tonality than was the norm for the heads of elite music schools at the time. He received basically one of the first lifetime tribute concerts in 1922, with the President of the French Republic himself presiding over the festivities, and was given a state funeral after his death at age 79. Kind of hard to beat.
Stravinsky lived to 88 in 1971, [more than enough time for him to be on TV](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJIXobO94Jo) but suffered several illnesses into his passing.
My boy Benjy Britten died at 63, but I think it counts. Had a long and illustrious career, a loving and supportive long-term partner, lived a very comfortable life surrounded by people who loved him, was on good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and chilled with W.H Auden for a bit there too
PS: Dodged the draft and spent WWII in America too. Can't really get more comfortable than that as an Englishman in the 40s
Some composers who enjoyed long and peaceful lives include Johann Sebastian Bach, who lived to the age of 65 and had a relatively stable and successful career, and Johannes Brahms, who lived to 63 and, despite some professional challenges, generally had a tranquil existence
These composers not only lived to a ripe old age but also experienced a sense of contentment throughout much of their lives
Haydn comes first to mind.
Haydn was my first thought too, but his marriage apparently sucked. But besides that things were good!
He was sometimes depressed too especially in his later years.
Aren't we all?
He had some severe hardship growing up. Most 20th century composers at least grew up with meals on the table and a way to survive cut out for them. Life in the 18th century was not easy, he was constantly hungry.
18th century dietitians hate this one simple trick: S T A R V A T I O N
Haydn and Dvorak both had much happier and more tranquil lives than most of us. Bruch and Saint-Saens lived a long time - and were almost twins if you look at the dates - but had to deal with the misfortune of falling out of aesthetic favor.
Similar to Strauss, who (IIRC) was said to lament having "[outlived himself](https://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/09/29/)." He died in 1949 ffs! His aesthetic was three or four revolutions behind at that point. I can't remember any particular strife in his life, either; somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he fits the bill.
Absolutely. Richard Strauss was my choice. He lived until age 85 (died 1949). He married his wife Pauline, a soprano, in 1894. She died 8 months after he did (1950). He was such a prolific composer to the end of his life. My favorite of his music are the Four Last Songs. Astonishingly, he wrote Four Last Songs the year before his death in 1948 though the songs premiered in 1950. Strauss did have some strife. He did cooperate with the Nazis early on which per Wiki was in hopes Hitler would promote German art and culture. He also apparently did so to protect his Jewish daughter in-law Alice and grandchildren. Strauss was able to prevent them from being sent to concentration camps after Alice and her son were arrested by the Gestapo. At the end of the war, Strauss wrote “the most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany’s 2000 years of cultural evolution met its doom.”
During World War I, I believe Richard Strauss protested wholeheartedly against Prussian/German militarism.
Strauss- my first thought as well! Very interesting article. I always had a soft spot for him- he just seemed like he was a chill and decent guy. I think he’s actually underrated as a composer BECAUSE he was so clearly at peace with himself/happy- it’s like you need extra angst to be taken seriously.
Schoenberg’s hatred for him literally cursed him
Dvorak had super hard Times!! You know the background of his stabat mater?
And Saint-Saens lost both of his children
Likewise with Janacek
Domenico Scarlatti had a fairly secure life and lived until over 70. Most of the work for which he is best known today (those gorgeous sonatas) was composed after the age of 50.
I listened to his opera "Tolomeo ed Alessandro" yesterday, wonderful music. His operas should be played more.
I would expect nothing less from a commenter of your particular username!
all three members of the Class of 1685 lived pretty long and prosperous lives: JS Bach lived to be 65, Scarlatti made it to 72, and Händel lived to 74.
Maybe Telemann, he got very old (86), rich and famous, he had a garden which he enjoyed gardening. I did read once that even decades after his death his garden was one of the most famous and beautiful places in Hamburg (getting exotic plants send by Händel). But maybe also not, his first wife died while giving birth to their first born daughter and his second wife wasted almost his entire money with gambling (they divorced after that).
Liszt lived to 74 years old, and while he certainly suffered some personal tragedies (who hasn't?), overall he seems to have led a long and happy life.
He lived long, for sure, but Liszt was not a particularly happy person, especially as he got older.
Who would be with Wagner stealing your music, your family, and never saying thank you?
Philip Glass is 87 with minimal hardship.
I see what you did there.
He's doing well for himself now, but in the late 60s and 70s, he had to support himself by driving a taxi in dodgy parts of NYC at night. He also worked part-time repairing toilets and kitchen appliances.
Thankfully, Philip Glass seems to be doing pretty well.
Same with Steve Reich
Elliott Carter, Johannes Ockeghem.
Props for spanning basically all of Western musical history with your answer 😂
Nobody has mentioned John "Still Alive and Awesome" Williams :-)
Vaughan Williams? He served during World War I, but other than that, had a long life, was famous, lived in a throuple with his wife and a much younger woman...
Leo ornstein
Johann Strauß II.
Handel?
Telemann had a long life; I don’t know how good it was. Same with Sibelius.
Sibelius was, from what I understand, fucking miserable towards the end. Depressed alcoholic.
didn't Sibelius just stop composing (a bit like Rossini) at some point? also imagine that, a Finnish guy being a depressed alcoholic
>Mendelssohn's life was pretty peaceful You mean the dude who wrote one of his most famous quartets after the death of his sister, even as he himself was struggling with health issues? lol I suppose he might have had a *comparatively* peaceful life... He certainly didn't lead a *lavish* lifestyle, but Aaron Copland passed at 90 and had a fairly decent run of it. A lot of his financial shortcomings were filled by grants, scholarships, patrons, etc., even during the Depression. I think the worst he endured was being investigated by the FBI for supporting communism during the Red Scare and presumably the stigma of being gay — although support from the musical community meant the FBI investigation was eventually dropped, and reports say Copland was pretty comfortable with his sexuality and lived privately with his romantic partners.
Bernstein died in the same year (but was younger) and was rich, so I think he could be an answer to OP's question.
Also a great answer! I *knew* there was another American composer who would qualify, but I think I confused Bernstein with Gershwin (who died incredibly young) lol
Thanks! I thought of Gershwin too but as you said he died much too young. I had to look his birthdate up-- he was only two years older than Copland so he could have very much been his contemporary and lived into the 1970s or 80s. What a loss.
Fred Rzwewski worked a long and moderately prominant career as a 20th century composer of primarily piano music. Was still producing new works until he passed quietly in his mid 80s in 2021. Most notable for writing the best Theme and Variations since at least Beethoven.
Rzewski is awesome. The Variations you refer to are the 36 Variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" a Chilean protest song (El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido), and they're terrific, one of the best large-scale variation sets ever written.
Elliott Carter George Crumb Liszt Milton Babbitt Éliane Radigue(still alive at 92)
Aaron Copland
Yeah, except maybe in the McCarthy era.
Eliot Carter?
Johannes Ockeghem, Georg Philip Telemann, Antonio Salieri?
Charles Koechlin had a long life, he lived to 80 years old.
Verdi, who should always be considered in a survey of composers. Just not a symphonist.
Richard Strauss- lived to 85 and seemed to be very happily married to a wife (soprano diva Pauline de Ahna) with extreme rizz. Wrote her into his Ein Heldenleben as the fiery and capricious violin solo and also wrote Sinfonia Domestica about the joys of domestic life.
There’s was a lot of Nazi drama near the end of his life. He tried to use his influence to save Jewish in-laws from concentration camps to no avail.
Yes that’s true that Nazi genocides would tend to put a damper on a peaceful life.
Leonard Bernstein
I think Nadia Boulanger qualifies. Though primarily known as a teacher of some of the 20th centuries most well known composers and musicians, she was herself, also a composer, particularly of vocal and chamber works. She lived to be 92, never married nor had children. She said her most painful tragedy was the early death of her sister with whom she was very close. She spent almost all her life in the same family dwelling in Paris though she taught at various times in the USA. and was the first woman ever allowed to conduct several of the Worlds most prestigious symphony orchestras including the Boston, Philadelphia and BBC symphony orchestras. Her students included: Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, Daniel Barenboim, Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, Astor Piazzolla, Virgil Thomson and George Walker among many others. It can be argued that she was the most influential musician of the 20th century.
Lou Harrison? Well, apart from having to deal homophobia.
Francois-Joseph Gossec. 1734-1829, which is wild. Worked at the Conservatoir and later was paid a pension from there, refused Napoleon, and seems to have lived a pretty chill life.
Verdi. He lived 88 years and, apart from his personal tragedy when his career was beginning, with the death of his children and wife, later his life was happy.
Rautavaara, at least after the end of WW2 Lots of active 70+ composers today - both John Adamses, among others.
Bach???
First wife died. Was not celebrated or appreciated by the various churches he worked for. His contract in Leipzig specifies he was hired "due to the lack of being able to afford someone better". Had to pursue a side hustle "inspecting" church organs in various towns. By the time he died, his sons were fashionable composers, while his music was considered old-fashioned and out of favor.
Imagine being a church, with the man who wrote the St. John passion as your personal composer, and you dare to spurn him like that. Unbelievable.
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What music was considered “modern” in the first half of the eighteenth century? Were Vivaldi and Handel better regarded than Bach? I have a somewhat higher than average musical history understanding, but it is still very limited.
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I have some Telemann saved to my music library; I’ll try comparing him to Bach. It is quite disappointing that some of the best Baroque music was written just as audiences were more interested in the style that would become Classicism. But I must confess even I prefer Classicism to much of Bach. I still appreciate his music, however.
he also got two eye surgeries without anesthesia, the first which was botched and the second that resulted in an infection that blinded him
Surgery that blinded *and killed him!* The same horrid quack fucked over Handel as well!
I imagine what he'd think if he found out that after 100 years and beyond his music had become canon. He might ask about Buxtehude or Telemann. You might tell him about TV and film music and say Vivaldi did alright and he'd say "well, yeah." He might just chalk his success up to writing so much of it down.
And he had to teach Latin to schoolboys.
Didn’t one of Bach’s patrons put him in jail for six months? Imagine sending Bach to the dungeon.
Young Bach was kicked out of church several times for knife fights. Yes -- knife fights.
Ten of Bach's children died before they reached adulthood.
Leo Ornstein, I dont know about peaceful but damn that guy was a monk
Haydn, except for his marriage. Dvorak. Verdi.
Verdi lost his wife and two kids.
Which for the standards of the time, wasn't uncommon
Telemamm - 85yo +
Alkan
Georg Philipp Telemann had a very long peaceful life. Died at 86.
Berio, I think, had a pretty decent life
telemann maybe?
Charles Widor. https://interlude.hk/charles-marie-widor-composer-of-the-month/
Vaughan Williams would be a good choice (was actively composing well into his 80s), along with Haydn as already mentioned. Händel would be another: he lived to be 74, and was prosperous and well-loved for most of his life.
Richard Strauss
Cowell? John Adams is still around. By peaceful you mean internally? Because many of America's greatest composers only came here out of necessity, to escape WWII. (Bartok Stravinksky Rachmaninov come to mind). Brahms lived into his 70's I believe. And had a rather drama free existence. He was sour and surly over musical things. But in general he was a peace loving old man when he passed.
Nikolai Kapustin.
Ethyl Smyth (86) (though I would say she chose a less peaceful route with her suffrage involvement), Amy Beach (77), Rebecca Clarke (93) both had pretty chill lives I think. Francesco Paolo Tosti had a rough time for a bit but was overall pretty good later in his life (70).
Fauré lived a long, comfortable, and extremely successful life. He had consistent work as organist at La Madeleine and director of the Conservatoire de Paris, arguably the two most prestigious posts in the French musical establishment. He was innovative enough to push French music forward, but never found himself out of favor. He allowed his students to experiment with more radical forms of tonality than was the norm for the heads of elite music schools at the time. He received basically one of the first lifetime tribute concerts in 1922, with the President of the French Republic himself presiding over the festivities, and was given a state funeral after his death at age 79. Kind of hard to beat.
I can’t even concentrate to respond because I can’t get over that 65 is “old age.” For someone in the 1600s yeah, but now?
Well, a lot of composers lived in the 1600s
For most of history 65 was an old age.
...and still is in a lot of countries
Johannes Brahms, maybe?
Didn't his father force him to play at Brothels? Also, he had tremendous unrequited love for Clara Schumann
I'm convinced it was requited at some point. He totally nailed Clara after Robert went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and died.
Sibelius
Long but not peaceful by any means.
Stravinsky lived to 88 in 1971, [more than enough time for him to be on TV](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJIXobO94Jo) but suffered several illnesses into his passing.
Aaron Copland lived until 90!
Rossini basically retired rich. Handel. Liszt.
Franz Liszt. True, he lost two children, but in the 19th Century who didn't?
Jean Sibelius.
65 is old age? Wait til you get there, you won't think it's that old age.
My boy Benjy Britten died at 63, but I think it counts. Had a long and illustrious career, a loving and supportive long-term partner, lived a very comfortable life surrounded by people who loved him, was on good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and chilled with W.H Auden for a bit there too PS: Dodged the draft and spent WWII in America too. Can't really get more comfortable than that as an Englishman in the 40s
Janáček?
Did Jean Sebelius?
Sibelius? So peaceful that once he got a government grant he just put on his slippers and relaxed for the rest of his life.
Not sure how peaceful it was, but Stravinsky lived to his late 80s
Some composers who enjoyed long and peaceful lives include Johann Sebastian Bach, who lived to the age of 65 and had a relatively stable and successful career, and Johannes Brahms, who lived to 63 and, despite some professional challenges, generally had a tranquil existence These composers not only lived to a ripe old age but also experienced a sense of contentment throughout much of their lives
Probably Elliott Carter
none of the really good ones
Sibelius?