Secret Lives of Great Composers: What Your Teachers Never Told You about the World's Musical Masters

By Elizabeth Lunday and Mario Zucca

Discover little-known stories from music history—including murder, riots, and heartbreak—in this entertaining tour through the fascinating (and surprising) lives of classical music masters
 
With outrageous anecdotes about everyone from Gioachino Rossini (draft-dodging womanizer) to Johann Sebastian Bach (jailbird) to Richard Wagner (alleged cross-dresser), Secret Lives of Great Composers recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international music.
 
Here, you’ll learn that Edward Elgar dabbled with explosives; that John Cage was obsessed with fungus; that Berlioz plotted murder; and that Giacomo Puccini stole his church’s organ pipes and sold them as scrap metal so he could buy cigarettes. This is one music history lesson you’ll never forget!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781594747465

Reviews for Secret Lives of Great Composers

[sdunford_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a seriously delightful read - deliciously silly - thoroughly enjoyable

[rottenarsenal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is just fun. All sorts of crazy bits about some of history's greatest artists. These would make interesting stories about non-famous people....

[solar8moon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This would be an interesting read for "non-art people." It's a light read as far as art history goes. However, as an art major I didn't find much that I didn't already know. I guess I was expecting more. I do like the way it's layed out though. I'll definitely put it in my classroom for my students to read.