THE WORLD'S GREAT MEN OF MUSIC

FOREWORD

The preparation of this volume began with a period of delightful research work in a great musical library. As a honey-bee flutters from flower to flower, culling sweetness from many blossoms, so the compiler of such stories as these must gather facts from many sources—from biography, letters, journals and musical history. Then, impressed with the personality and individual achievement of each composer, the author has endeavored to present his life story.

While the aim has been to make the story-sketches interesting to young people, the author hopes that they may prove valuable to musical readers of all ages. Students of piano, violin or other instruments need to know how the great composers lived their lives. In every musical career described in this book, from the old masters represented by Bach and Beethoven to the musical prophets of our own day, there is a wealth of inspiration and practical guidance for the artist in any field. Through their struggles, sorrows and triumphs, divine melody and harmony came into being, which will bless the world for all time to come.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

I PALESTRINA

II JOHN SEBASTIAN BACH

III GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL

IV CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK

V JOSEF HAYDN

VI WOLFGANG MOZART

VII LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

VIII CARL MARIA VON WEBER

IX FRANZ SCHUBERT

X FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY

XI ROBERT SCHUMANN

XII FREDERIC CHOPIN

XIII HECTOR BERLIOZ

XIV FRANZ LISZT

XV GIUSEPPE VERDI

XVI RICHARD WAGNER

XVII CÉSAR FRANCK

XVIII JOHANNES BRAHMS

XIX EDWARD GRIEG

XX PETER ILYITCH TSCHAIKOWSKY

XXI EDWARD MACDOWELL

XXII CLAUDE ACHILLE DEBUSSY

XXIII ARTURO TOSCANINI

XXIV LEOPOLD STOKOWSKY

XXV SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY

To learn something of the life and labors of Palestrina, one of the earliest as well as one of the greatest musicians, we must go back in the world's history nearly four hundred years. And even then we may not be able to discover all the events of his life as some of the records have been lost. But we have the main facts, and know that Palestrina's name will be revered for all time as the man who strove to make sacred music the expression of lofty and spiritual meaning.

Upon a hoary spur of the Apennines stands the crumbling town of Palestrina. It is very old now; it was old when Rome was young. Four hundred years ago Palestrina was dominated by the great castle of its lords, the proud Colonnas. Naturally the town was much more important in those days than it is to-day.

At that time there lived in Palestrina a peasant pair, Sante Pierluigi and his wife Maria, who seem to have been an honest couple, and not grindingly poor, since the will of Sante's mother has lately been found, in which she bequeathed a house in Palestrina to her two sons. Besides this she left behind a fine store of bed linen, mattresses and cooking utensils. Maria Gismondi also had a little property.

To this pair was born, probably in 1526, a boy whom they named Giovanni Pierluigi, which means John Peter Louis. This boy, from a tiniest child,