The Curse of the 9th Symphony: The Mysterious Deaths of Classical Musicians
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a superstition emerged. This superstition was that composers would die while writing their 9th symphony. Let's take a closer look at this superstition that bothered composers and is closely related to the history of classical music!
The superstition is based on the idea that the 9th will be the composers' last symphony. In fact, people believed that composers would die either while writing the 9th or before completing their 10th symphony.
According to people who believe in this idea, a composer who composes his ninth symphony has reached a turning point in his life. If they are preparing for their tenth symphony, it is a challenge to fate.
If you wonder whether this idea is superstition or reality, let's take a closer look!
The idea that the 9th symphony is the end of composers has a connection with reality. Because Beethoven, Schubert, Dvoák and Vaughan Williams are among the famous composers who passed away after completing their ninth works, while Anton Bruckner passed away before finishing his ninth work. Considering these names, it can be thought that superstition is not that superstitious.
Mahler was the first artist to believe in the curse of the 9th symphony and became obsessed with it.
After completing his eighth symphony, Mahler came up with an interesting plan to overcome this curse and superstition by replacing the word symphony with 'Das Lied von der Erde'. Nevertheless, symphony meant symphony and he passed away while he was preparing his tenth symphony.
Ralph Vaughan Williams had an excellent career.
Williams composed many works such as concertos, ballets, film music, choral music and later composed his 9th symphony. Williams died a few weeks after composing his 9th symphony. The death of the famous artist surprised his family and friends because Williams was very healthy even the day before he died.
The famous composer Arnold Schoenberg, in an article on composers, described the curse of the 9th symphony in the following sentences;
Anyone who wants to go beyond that must pass away. It seems as if in the tenth we may be given something we are not yet ready for, something we are not yet ready to know. Those who wrote the ninth stayed very close to the afterlife.
For those who are curious about the 9th symphony that caused the death of so many artists 👇
Beethoven 9 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Riccardo Muti
Bruckner - Symphony No 9 - Bernstein
GUSTAV MAHLER SYMPHONY NR 9 Bernstein
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 9 in E minor
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