Jean-Baptiste Lully, also an accomplished dancer, injured his toe while pounding the floor with a heavy stick to mark time; the resultant infection killed him. Anton Webern violated curfew when he snuck out on his porch for a smoke and was shot by an American soldier. Ernest Chausson lost control of his bicycle and fatally slammed into a brick wall. Henry Purcell developed pneumonia after his wife locked him out of the house for coming home late after one too many pub crawls. Charles-Valentin Alkan reached for a copy of the Talmud, located on a high shelf, when the bookcase toppled, crushing him. Edward MacDowell, César Franck, and Maurice Ravel were all hit by cabs. Mieczyslaw Karlowicz was caught in an avalanche. Alexander Scriabin died of a septic carbuncle. Jean-Marie Leclair was found murdered in his room. Alessandro Stradella was set upon by unidentified assassins for being too much of a ladies’ man.
Face it – there is no good way to go, and it all ends badly.
This Thursday morning on WPRB, we bid farewell to “Classic Ross Amico” with a full playlist of music by composers who died horribly, either in accidents, through assassinations, from bizarre illnesses, or in otherwise outlandish fashion.
That said, the plan is not for me to leave WPRB entirely. It’s possible I’ll be taking over Sunday mornings, beginning on February 11, to kickstart an opera show or to inaugurate a program devoted to light music. If either one of these appeal, or if you have any other ideas, feel free to comment below.
In the meantime, we’ll pay our last respects, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EST, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. It finally has come down to music by “dead white males,” on Classic Ross Amico.