If you’re a fan of classical music, you probably already know September is Classical Music Month, a great opportunity to break out the baton and crank up the Beethoven. If you don’t know much about classical music, but are willing to give it a try, this unpretentious website offers recommended pieces and tips for listening. And if you think you don’t have anything in common with the people who create and play classical music, here are some fun facts from Classical’s past:
They loved their cats:
Domenico Scarlatti may not have had the Internet, but there’s proof his pet may have been the very first keyboard cat. His famous ‘cat fugue’ was inspired by his cat Pulcinella who, curious about the sounds they made, used to walk across Scarlatti’s piano keys regularly.
They had crazed fans:
Fame had its drawbacks, even during the Renaissance. Composer Orlando de Lassus was a choirboy as a child. His voice was so beautiful he was kidnapped three times by rival choirs!
They were inspired to create:
Gioachino Rossini knew that when the muse speaks, you should listen. Suddenly inspired, he wrote his entire aria, ‘Di anti palpiti,’ while waiting for a plate of risotto in a Venice café.
They were determined to succeed:
Pianist Paul Wittgenstein lost his right arm in World War I. But rather than give up, he commissioned left-handed only compositions from Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss and Sergei Prokofiev and others.
They got lucky, very lucky:
The entire London Symphony Orchestra was originally scheduled to sail to the US for performance dates on the ill-fated Titanic. Through a strange chain of events, their travel plans changed, saving all of their lives.