The most temperamental classical musicians in history

In the world of classical music, there have been many musicians with difficult and strict personalities. However, some of them had temperaments so fierce that they were known as "short-tempered," sometimes tearing up scores, shouting at orchestras, and even getting into dueling fights. In this issue, we will introduce such temperamental musicians in a ranking format and delve into their episodes of anger.

No. 5: Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Although Liszt is generally regarded as a man of gentle and refined personality, in his younger days he was very temperamental and would sometimes smash the piano during a performance. One story goes that at a concert, when one of his students made a mistake, he threw a piece of sheet music at him and shouted, "Does this sound even echo in your brain? and yelled at him, "Does this sound resonate in your brain? (Source: Walker, Alan. "Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847." Cornell University Press, 1987)

No. 4: Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)

A prodigious virtuoso, Alkan was also famous for his solitary and difficult personality. It is recorded that he was so enraged by his published scores that he burned them (source: Smith, Hugh Macdonald. "Alkan: The Enigma." Kahn & Averill, 1977). He once argued with his friend Frédéric Chopin over the interpretation of his music, resulting in a temporary break with the two.

No. 3: Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Wagner had absolute confidence in his musical vision and showed no mercy to those who did not follow it. At one orchestral rehearsal, when a player disobeyed his instructions, he said, "Are you cows? Don't you understand music? and terminated the rehearsal. (Source: Newman, Ernest. "The Life of Richard Wagner." Knopf, 1946) His temper was feared by the orchestra members, and there were several clashes during the preparation of the concert.

No. 2: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Beethoven's temper was legendary and many episodes remain. When he heard audience members talking during a performance, he would stop playing, yell at them, and throw away sheet music. (Source: Cooper, Barry. "Beethoven." Oxford University Press, 2000) On one occasion, when his pupil Carl Czerny made a mistake, he threw a chair at him and shouted, "Fool! He was so angry that he turned on the aristocrats. His anger was directed at the aristocracy as well, and he is said to have said in his famous "What is an aristocrat? The true aristocrats are those who have talent! He was also known to have said, "What is an aristocrat?

No. 1: Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840)

Paganini, the wizard of the violin, was known for his extreme temper. If a member of the orchestra made a mistake during a rehearsal, he would immediately stop playing, throw down the score, and leave the room (source: Blum, David. "Casals and the Art of Interpretation." University of California Press, 1977). In one concert, the accompanying pianist could not keep up with his tempo, so he closed the piano lid onstage and forced the performance to end. Furthermore, it is reported that when the audience did not like his attitude after the performance, he refunded their ticket money and shouted, "Don't come back! He also reportedly shouted, "Don't come back!

Temperamental temperament of a short-tempered musician and its effects

The temperamental temperament of these musicians was not merely a matter of personality, but a manifestation of the passion they had for music. At times, their anger created conflicts with those around them, but their rigor resulted in extremely accomplished performances and works, and their influence on the world of classical music is immeasurable. Their influence on the world of classical music is immeasurable. These episodes illustrate how their temperamental personalities were inextricably linked to their creative genius.