“Calming”, “relaxing”, “music for your soul”.
While all of these are true when it comes to classical music, have you ever listened to a rockin’ piece while working out or going for a run?
Better yet, did you know that there have been composers who were just as athletic as they were musically talented?
Benjamin Britten loved cricket and croquet, but nothing beat racquet sports in his opinion. "When you were beaten by him at squash or tennis," said one competitor, "you literally felt that he'd been 'beating' you."
Percy Grainger used to go on 50, 60 mile hikes through the Australian Outback as a young man!
Charles Ives (a Football and Baseball captain) enjoyed sports at Yale and played on the varsity football team. Michael C. Murphy, his coach, once remarked that it was a "crying shame" that he spent so much time at music as otherwise he could have been a champion sprinter!
Igor Stravinsky had a morning routine that included 15 minutes of Hungarian gymnastics.
Felix Mendelssohn too was known for his athletic prowess too. According to the composer's godson Ignaz Moscheles, "Mendelssohn could throw my ball farther than anybody else; and he could run faster too."
And of course there was Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges… A champion fencer and amazing all-around athlete! According to the son of the Master at his school: "At 15 his progress was so rapid, that he was already beating the best swordsmen, and at 17 he developed the greatest speed imaginable."
I can only imagine what it would be like to hear the first draft of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra then head to the tennis courts and try to return his serve! Or better yet, trying to parry Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ combined attack on the piste, then head to the Paris Opera to hear one of his creations!
While all of these are true when it comes to classical music, have you ever listened to a rockin’ piece while working out or going for a run?
Better yet, did you know that there have been composers who were just as athletic as they were musically talented?
Benjamin Britten loved cricket and croquet, but nothing beat racquet sports in his opinion. "When you were beaten by him at squash or tennis," said one competitor, "you literally felt that he'd been 'beating' you."
Percy Grainger used to go on 50, 60 mile hikes through the Australian Outback as a young man!
Charles Ives (a Football and Baseball captain) enjoyed sports at Yale and played on the varsity football team. Michael C. Murphy, his coach, once remarked that it was a "crying shame" that he spent so much time at music as otherwise he could have been a champion sprinter!
Igor Stravinsky had a morning routine that included 15 minutes of Hungarian gymnastics.
Felix Mendelssohn too was known for his athletic prowess too. According to the composer's godson Ignaz Moscheles, "Mendelssohn could throw my ball farther than anybody else; and he could run faster too."
And of course there was Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges… A champion fencer and amazing all-around athlete! According to the son of the Master at his school: "At 15 his progress was so rapid, that he was already beating the best swordsmen, and at 17 he developed the greatest speed imaginable."
I can only imagine what it would be like to hear the first draft of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra then head to the tennis courts and try to return his serve! Or better yet, trying to parry Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ combined attack on the piste, then head to the Paris Opera to hear one of his creations!
