Description
Book Synopsis The life and death, but also the creative work of famous musicians is closely linked to their personal medical histories. In "Famous Composers – Diseases Reloaded" these case histories are vividly reconstructed on the basis of authentic biographical testimonies and closely linked to the personalities of the musicians. The latest research findings on the pathophysiology of these composers will be woven into the overall picture. Was Paganini's "devilishness" caused by a hereditary disease? Did Scarlatti have strange signs of illness on his fingers? What did Bach really die of? How did "Christel" from a dubious milieu change Schumann's entire life? What aggravated Ravel's underlying illness so that he did not complete a single composition in the last five years before his death? How did Tárrega manage to play the guitar again after his stroke with hemiplegia? Did the Brazilian Villa-Lobos' worldwide reputation help him live longer thanks to the best treatment available to him? Andreas Otte, physician and musician, has incorporated the latest medical history research into the composers' pathographies. This book is an exciting and "well-tempered" reading experience not only for physicians, music lovers, musicologists and musicians, but for all readers who want to develop a basic understanding of the pathophysiology and life scores of these great masters under current conditions from today's perspective.
Table of Contents1 Introductory to the Topic
1.1 The Fascination about Diseases of Famous Composers
1.2 The Difficulties of Retrodiagnoses
1.2.1 Diagnostic and Therapeutic Possibilities
1.2.2 Interpretation of Symptoms
1.2.3 Absence of Suspected Diagnosis
1.2.4 Later Appearance of Information about Diseases
1.2.5 Present-day Methods
1.2.6 Retrodiagnosis as Retrospective Diagnosis
1.2.7 Source Data
1.3 The Change of Diseases over Time
2 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Bach´s Diseases
2.3 Conclusions
3 Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Scarlatti´s Diseases
3.3 Conclusions
4 Nicolò Paganini (1782–1840)
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Paganini´s Diseases
4.3 Conclusions
5 Robert Schumann (1810–11856)
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Schumann´s Diseases
5.3 Conclusions
6 Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909)
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Tárrega´s Diseases
5.3 Conclusions
7 Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Ravel´s Diseases
6.3 Conclusions
8 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1889–1959)
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Villa-Lobos´ Diseases
6.3 Conclusions
Appendix
A.1 The Nekrolog of Johann Sebastian Bach in Original Language
A.2 Extract on Johann Sebastian Bach from "Musicalische LEXICON Oder Musicalische Bibliothek, …. Von Johann Gottfried Walthern, … Leipzig, 1732", translated into English by Walter Emery (Emery, 1942)
A.3 Extract on Johann Sebastian Bach from "The Bach Genealogy", translated into English by Walter Emery (Emery, 1942)
