Syphilis and Death from its Treatment with Mercury. One of these final compositions, an unusual piece known as Theme and Variation in E-flat Major, "Ghost Variations," is explored in this context. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox. In the pre-antibiotics era, syphilis was an extremely common disease. It is helpful to know that contracting syphilis, as many surely did, was not an automatic death sentence if only because it confirms that composers who did not die of the disease also did not spend their bachelorhood trapped in some strange, pre-modern form of celibacyexcept for Bruckner. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Biography: Franz Schubert was only 31 when he died, yet had composed over 600 works, a fraction of which were published within his lifetime. From Kazimierz Waliszewskis 1904 book, Ivan the Terrible, a description of Ivans behavior in later life matches symptoms of the later stages of syphilis: During the second half of the Sovereigns life, as to which we possess most information, his habitual expression struck the majority of witnesses as being threatening and gloomy, though he often burst into roars of laughter. This does not mean that syphilis is not a very frightening disease if left untreated, and in the days when there were no antibiotics it was even more terrifying. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the nascent FBI, assigned a special team to apprehend Dillinger. Scottish National Gallery/George Willison/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. He was sent to get an education at Oxford, where his parents hoped that he would study law. During their retreat, Charles and his army caused an epidemic of syphilis throughout Europe. His goal was to be a successful composer for the lyric stage and he continually worked toward this end. Paganini. He is actually the great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore. He was killed in a firefight with FBI officers. (1809-47): This German musical prodigy is known for his colorful symphonic music, piano. He traveled to the United States during World War I and worked on propaganda for both Germany and Italy. 1847. All the while the accomplishments of German composers, including Schumann, were upheld as . The primary stage classically presents with a single chancre (a firm, painless, non-itchy skin ulceration usually between 1 cm . You read about it regularly in composers biographies. He is known for his piano works, especially for inventing the nocturne. We are doing our best to ensure that Slipped Disc is free to all readers. It certainly gives a new twist to his Sins of Old Age, doesnt it? Widely beloved by the upper class when he wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, his literary legacy seemed assured. Franzen C. Syphilis in composers and musicians: Mozart, Beethoven, He was also known as something of a wild man during his student periods in Berlin and Vienna, and he reported to his friends that he had contracted syphilis. The first well-recorded European outbreak of what is now known as syphilis occurred in 1494, when it appeared among French troops besieging Naples. By 1814, the young . I know there's quite a few. Robert Dighton/Priestleys The Prince of Pleasure by H. Churchyard/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. His buddy Schober and him liked to hit up brothels, and the nature of his illness lines up with a syphilitic infection. The site is secure. born on January 31, 1797, was as an early romantic Austrian composer and one of the most gifted musicians of the 19th century. He suffered from hoarseness, a common symptom of syphilis, which made him unable to project his voice on stage. Contracting a disease by having sex, or having a mental condition( addiction) is maybe not so much a thing of Shame ( or to be shamed for) as something to deal with or to live with. Having analysed the evidence forensically, he criticises music historians who have made assumptions without consulting medical professionals. Biography.com. 1995 Nov;3(4):232-5 In 1889, he checked himself into an asylum in Saint Remy where he seemed to partially recover. However, babies born with syphilis can also be born too early, may die in . Biography.com. Most newborns with congenital syphilis have no symptoms, although some experience a rash on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. He struggled financially, though, as his music was not as traditional as what patrons were accustomed to financing. Its also possible that Beethoven had congenital syphilis (syphilis at birth). A retired surgeons research into the deaths of 70 of the best-known classical composers has led him to conclude that many of them were unfairly tainted with reputations for venereal disease, alcoholism or sexual impropriety. 33. His status afforded him the opportunity to consort with many of his female employees. As it turns out, under normal circumstances syphilis is only contagious when it is virulentthat is, when there is an ulcer or open sore. Well, sometimes it was. . Ironically, his final performance brought in enough money for him to finally buy a piano. .] At the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, apparently. Other symptoms include chronic pain, which was a common complaint for Beethoven. Delius. Dnaspark99/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain. Hitler was diagnosed with heart- andnerve-related issues, which resulted in chest pain, tremors, digestive problems, and insomnia. During his six-year prison term, the treatments that he received were painful injections straight through his penis, which probably did little to alleviate the disease and exacerbated his contempt of the American justice system. Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key. He was a remarkable figure in Regency England and, for numerous years, the arbiter of men's fashion. In one fit of rage, he even killed his son. But people didnt expect him to bring back a new disease. Still, it cant be entirely discredited, even if it was just a contributing factor to Hitlers behavior. Reply. Died in battle against Robert Maynard: Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848), Italian opera composer : Neurosyphilis: Tongzhi Emperor (1856-1875), Emperor of Qing Dynasty : Suspected to have had syphilis [citation needed]: Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), writer : Suspected to have had syphilis He had battled syphilis since 1822. government site. Wonder why Schubert gets nailed while the other five get a pass? Just among composers - Franz Schubert, Bedrich Smetana, Scott Joplin, Hugo Wolf, Gaetano Donizetti, and Frederick Delius all had syphilis, and even more are rumored to have had it, but remain contested. Biographies of musicians from Johann Sebastian Bach of the Baroque period to Benjamin Britten of the Modern era explore in depth their illnesses and the impact their . Beau Brummell, by the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. He did not find serious evidence for Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Britten or Beethoven having been alcoholic, despite alternative claims.He says: If youre a true alcoholic, theres no way you can go around composing operas, symphonies or string quartets.. In 2000, syphilis rates were so low that public health officials believed eradication was on the horizon. One of them, TheodorMorell, was an acknowledged expert on treating syphilis. King Charles VIII of France had an obsessive desire to reclaim the Kingdom of Naples. He was known to fly into angry rages at the slightest provocations. Theres evidence to discount the theory that Beethoven had the disease, such as the fact that no mercury was found in his hair when mercury was a common syphilis treatment. Because of Mann's Doktor Faustus, Schoenberg felt compelled to vehemently deny this: "Marta Feuchtwanger recalled an encounter with the composer in the produce section of a Brentwood supermarket in which he shouted, 'Lies, Frau Marta, lies! Joplin and Delius also had symptoms attributed to syphilis. However, van Gogh went to a field and shot himself. In fact, he was so secretive about his disease that he had his friends burn all of his paperwork associated with it. Mozart is mentioned but he died of some. 12 Historical Figures You Didnt Know Had STDs, by Kellen Perry. It'snot clear what caused Columbus's demise, but his symptoms included arthritic pain, mental confusion and instability, inflammation of the eyes, and gout - all of which are consistent with undiagnosed and untreated syphilis. His music didnt become well-known until after his death; should he have lived a few more years, he may have died a wealthy man. Benjamin Britten. Some of his symptoms matched those of mercury poisoning, which was used at the time to treat syphilis. When Columbus returned to Europe, he presented many interesting gifts and other curiosities. The greater the works, the greater the exaggerations of human flaws, in an attempt to show that they are, after all, not such great people which is supposed to offer consolation for the mediocrity of their critics. In the midst of his career his health deteriorated. Schubert died in his brother's apartment on November 19, 1828. Hearing one of his own pieces performed in public inspired Schubert to quit his day job as a teacher and pursue music full-time. 2010;27:61-83. doi: 10.1159/000311192. Ivan was energetic to the point of violence, and yet timid down to outright cowardice; his pride amounted to positive madness, and his humility occasionally descended to baseness. Some of the side effects of mercury are psychological changes and the tremors that Shakespeare developed. Id never heard it advanced anyway that Brittens heart condition was syphilitic. The Finnish composer Sibelius died at the impressively old age of 91. Puccini - ' Turandot '. The problem is that there is some evidence that he did have the disease. Was van Goghs art created from the suffering he may have had from syphilis? Encyclopedia Britannica. For many people, great composers are not allowed to be human, and thus they go through their bed linen and cupboard, sniffing for proof of human flaws, which are then projected on the scale of the greatness of their works. Soon, it became a full-blown epidemic affecting many European countries. 1964 Mar;113:442-8 Franz Schubert, the classical composer, showed an early aptitude for music, including a prodigious talent for the piano and voice. It was this disease that would ultimately lead to his premature death at a mere 31 years old. His paintings, though, were imbued with more realism, such as depictions of sex workers where they may have generally stood on the street. -. (Yech!). Possibly the greatest evidence that Lincoln had syphilis was his wifes manifestation of the symptoms. He is also credited with writing the Book of Satan. The little we do know comes from outside records and speculation, but at least one theory could explain why Shakespeare abruptly quit writing and went into retirement. Whatever took his life, Mozart was not murdered by his colleague and sometime rival, Antonio Salieri. He died an early death at the age of 31. Who are the other five? Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe (Daniel Barenboim, piano) Beethoven's funeral. Now this is all very interesting, but it doesnt answer a very basic question. Hitler was deeply concerned with his health and kept several doctors within his inner circle. Some historians believe that Hitler was suffering from an advanced form of syphilis toward the end of his regime. Answer: Syphilis is caused a bacteria known as treponema pallidum. He also showed the psychological signsmental instability, delusions, mood fluctuations, and depression. 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