4 Ignoble Deaths in Classical Music History

Classical music has a long, rich history of talented people creating magnificent art. There have been composers of noble birth who, after a lifetime of moving audiences to tears with splendid music, are honored upon their deaths with great ceremony. These are not their stories. Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) If you were a French aristocrat during the 17thcentury, you probably spent your afternoons making sure your lead-based facepaint was slathered on just right in case you ran into Jean-Baptiste Lully. The most influential and important French composer of the time, Lully was also an accomplished ballet dancer, a prolific composer of operas, and best mates with King Louis XIV. In those days, orchestras were smaller than they are now and the position of conductor wasn’t really a thing yet. Instead, the composer (usually) stood off to the side of the ensemble, rapping the deck with a large staff. During a particularly spirited moment while conducting his own Te Deum setting, Lully ac
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