Musical Suicides

[Lance]

Seeing Piston's note on the suicide of soprano Roxana Briban is heartbreaking and tragic. I'm sure there's more, but these are names in music who have committed suicide. If you know of others, please advise. I keep track (unfortunately) of this kind of information.

•Bantcho Bantchevsky, opera singer, d. 1988
•Roxana Briban, soprano, d. 2010
•Hugo Distler, composer, d. 1942
•Edward Downes, conductor, d. 2009 (euthanasia)
•Christian Ferras, violinist, d. 1982
•Friedrich Theodor Frölich, composer, d. 1836 (drowning)
•Jenny Katarina Grahn, soprano, d. 2001
•Jerry Hadley, tenor, d. 2007
•Ureli Corelli Hill, conductor, d. 1875
•Terence Judd, pianist, d. 1979
•Oswald Kabasta, conductor, d. 1946
•Herbert Kegel, conductor, d. 1990
•Patrick Crommelnyck & wife Taeko Kuwata, duo-pianists, d. 1994
•Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz, composer, d. 1790
•Denis Matthews, pianist, d. 1988
•Bob Merrill, actor/composer/writer, d. 1998 ["Carnival" show]
•Noel Mewton-Wood, pianist, d. 1953
•David Munrow, recorder player, E.M. specialist, d. 1976
•Leff Pouishnoff, pianist, d. 1959
•David Sanger, organist, d. 2010
•Georg Titner, conductor, d. 1999
•Norman Treigle, bass-baritone, d. 1975
•Jaromir Weinberger, composer, d. 1967

If you can think of any other performing artists, composers, or anyone connected with classical music, please send me your thoughts.

[karlhenning]

Are there famous composers who committed suicide? The brain is slow for me today!

Famous, not so many. There's a Wikipedia page, curiously.

[piston]

Peter Warlock comes to mind, even though the corresponding evidence did not prove sufficiently conclusive:

Life became bleaker as the year 1930 progressed and there seemed to be little demand for his songs, if indeed the inspiration or will to compose was still there. Black moods of depression settled more frequently and he was found dead, of gas-poisoning, in his flat in Chelsea on the morning of 17 December 1930. At the inquest the coroner recorded an open verdict as there was insufficient evidence on which to decide whether death was the result of suicide or accident.

[Fergus]

Did Tchaikovsky commit suicide by deliberately drinking contaminated water?

[piston]

I see that they do not list Warlock on that wiki page. I suppose that the suicide in question must conclusively be declared as such by the coroner, without the shadow of a doubt -- always a problem when dealing with suicide by gas inhalation.

On the other hand, I believe that Edward Downes' death, last year, legally has been declared a suicide because the U.K. does not recognize legally assisted suicides. Downes and his wife went to a Switzerland clinic to obtain this "procedure."

[John F]

Jerry Hadley's suicide at 55 was a great shock. A handsome man with a handsome voice, a stylish singer and a fine actor, he made the kind of career that many dream of; for 25 years he sang leading roles from Mozart to Harbison at the world's great opera houses, often in major new productions, made three Grammy-winning recordings, and seemed to have everything going for him.

But his marriage was in trouble, and when it ended in divorce, he was unable to go on singing, and apparently his life went to pieces. According to the New York Times obituary, "Friends and colleagues said Mr. Hadley suffered from severe depression, financial difficulties, troubled personal relationships and professional setbacks." After five silent years he returned to opera, still singing major roles and reportedly sounding as good as ever, but a few months later he shot himself.

[John F]

Did Tchaikovsky commit suicide by deliberately drinking contaminated water?

It's not really known how Tchaikovsky died. He's believed to have died of cholera after drinking contaminated water, but apparently this isn't certain. As for the theory that he was a suicide, and a forced suicide at that, this was concocted by a Russian musicologist nearly a century after his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyi ... vsky#Death

[Scott Morrison]

British conductor Sir Edward Downes(and his wife) at a Swiss suicide clinic.

[absinthe]

Edward Downes' death is probably best regarded as euthenasia (which is not recognised in the UK). The Dignitas clinic wouldn't touch it, were he not accelerating an inevitable departure to relieve pain and suffering. The suicide element is that he wanted to leave with his wife who was battling with cancer. They were, very sadly, in terminal decline and wanted to move on together.

[diegobueno]

It's not really known how Tchaikovsky died. He's believed to have died of cholera after drinking contaminated water, but apparently this isn't certain. As for the theory that he was a suicide, and a forced suicide at that, this was concocted by a Russian musicologist nearly a century after his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyi ... vsky#Death

The court of honor theory was concocted long after the fact. The thought that he committed suicide by drinking unboiled water -- for whatever reason -- was widely accepted long before that. I recall reading an early 20th century British textbook on music which listed Tchaikovsky's 6th as the "Suicide Symphony".

[Lance]

Funny, I went searching for a classical music suicide section on Wiki and it didn't show up. I thought the list would be much larger. I'm glad it is not, however.

Are there famous composers who committed suicide? The brain is slow for me today!

Famous, not so many. There's a Wikipedia page, curiously.

[THEHORN]

The Austrian conductor Georg Tintner (1917-1999) committed suicide by jumping out a window ; he was suffering from cancer. Some of you CMGers may have his highly regarded Naxos recordings of the Bruckner symphonies. I have his recording of the much longer original version of the 2nd.

[absinthe]

The Austrian conductor Georg Tintner (1917-1999) committed suicide by jumping out a window ; he was suffering from cancer. Some of you CMGers may have his highly regarded Naxos recordings of the Bruckner symphonies. I have his recording of the much longer original version of the 2nd.

A great shame. I didn't know that and can't remember reading it in the notes of his recordings I have.

[jbuck919]

Funny, I went searching for a classical music suicide section on Wiki and it didn't show up. I thought the list would be much larger. I'm glad it is not, however.

Are there famous composers who committed suicide? The brain is slow for me today!

Famous, not so many. There's a Wikipedia page, curiously.

Well, Jeremiah Clarke and Jaromir Weinberger are at least widely known. And church music folk such as Karl and myself will have heard of Hugo Distler.

[piston]

I think I'm talking to myself, but that's all right. News clips from Warlock's coroner in 1930 reveal evidence that he killed himself:
a. a neighbor who heard him shut windows;
b. "Ms. Warlock" who heard him threaten to take his life, before they had a fight, because he felt he was a failure.
c. composer John Ireland testifying that the deceased composer felt he had not received the recognition he deserved.

But of no consequence! How do you prove suicide by coal gas inhalation?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ne ... lock&hl=en

[Scott Morrison]

I seem to recall that it was said that Silvestre Revueltas drank himself to death.

[piston]

I seem to recall that it was said that Silvestre Revueltas drank himself to death.

That's an entirely different analytical category: "Composers who drank themselves to death."
I'll start with Mussorgsky, pretty much the same age as Revueltas too!

[piston]

It has been written that Mussorgsky, on his [near]death-bed at the hospital, got an acquaintance to sneak in a bottle of cognac. Guess what was the result of that last decision on the part of that musical genius?

Actually, I find not a few parallels between Mussorgsky and Revueltas -- both diamonds in the rough who could have done much more for the world of classical music but who, for their own personal reasons, burnt the proverbial candle at both ends.

[arepo]

Famous opera bass Norman Treigle.

[Lance]

Norman Treigle, bass-baritone

Yes, how could I have forgotten about Treigle? What a voice this man possessed!

Famous opera bass Norman Treigle.

[Chalkperson]

As for the theory that he was a suicide, and a forced suicide at that, this was concocted by a Russian musicologist nearly a century after his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyi ... vsky#Death

Then Jack obviously believes it if a Musicologist says it's true...

[dirkronk]

Terence Judd, 1957-1979. Pianist...and a fine one.

[MaestroDJS]

Jerry Hadley's suicide at 55 was a great shock. A handsome man with a handsome voice, a stylish singer and a fine actor, he made the kind of career that many dream of; for 25 years he sang leading roles from Mozart to Harbison at the world's great opera houses, often in major new productions, made three Grammy-winning recordings, and seemed to have everything going for him.

But his marriage was in trouble, and when it ended in divorce, he was unable to go on singing, and apparently his life went to pieces. According to the New York Times obituary, "Friends and colleagues said Mr. Hadley suffered from severe depression, financial difficulties, troubled personal relationships and professional setbacks." After five silent years he returned to opera, still singing major roles and reportedly sounding as good as ever, but a few months later he shot himself.

I attended the University of Illinois in Urbana in the late 1970s, where I first heard the then-little-known Jerry Hadley sing in student productions of operas. Nowadays whenever I visit the Illini Union building, it is bittersweet to see his portait adorn one wall after he won the University of Illinois Alumni Association Award in 2002: "Jerry A. Hadley, MS '77 FAA, Grammy Award-winning and internationally renowned opera singer". We didn't know it then, but 2002 was the year his life began to unravel.

Here are a few notes about him from some old program booklets I had tucked away:

Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème, October 25, 1975:

Jerry Hadley (Rodolfo), a graduate of Bradley University and currently enrolled in the Master's program at the University of Illinois, has been heard frequently with the Illinois Opera Theater. He has sung the roles of Tamino (The Magic Flute), Fenton (Falstaff), and Alfredo (Die Fledermaus). Hadley, who now adds Rodolfo to his credits, was twice a NATS finalist and has done extensive work as an oratorio soloist.

Igor Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress, May 1, 1976:

Jerry Hadley (Tom Rakewell) made his initial appearance with the Illinois Opera Theater in The Magic Flute. Since then, his roles have included Alfredo in Die Fledermaus, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Rev. Parris in The Crucible. This summer, Mr. Hadley will perform with the Lake George Opera Festival.

[THEHORN]

I never heard anything about Treigle committing suicide.
I used to know the former NYC opera bass Herbert Beattie, a brilliant and very interesting man who knew Treigle very well and was a colleague of his,and he never mentioned anything about Treigle committing suidice.

[jbuck919]

I never heard anything about Treigle committing suicide.
I used to know the former NYC opera bass Herbert Beattie, a brilliant and very interesting man who knew Treigle very well and was a colleague of his,and he never mentioned anything about Treigle committing suidice.

Admirable restraint, and I mean that seriously.

[Fergus]

The Austrian conductor Georg Tintner (1917-1999) committed suicide by jumping out a window ; he was suffering from cancer. Some of you CMGers may have his highly regarded Naxos recordings of the Bruckner symphonies. I have his recording of the much longer original version of the 2nd.

A great shame. I didn't know that and can't remember reading it in the notes of his recordings I have.

Yes I did come across that before but had forgotten about it. He did one or two of those Bruckner symphonies on Naxos with our Irish National Orchestra. Any of those Naxos CDs where he conducts Bruckner (no matter which orchestra he uses) are very good.

[Jack Kelso]

As for the theory that he was a suicide, and a forced suicide at that, this was concocted by a Russian musicologist nearly a century after his death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyi ... vsky#Death

Then Jack obviously believes it if a Musicologist says it's true...

Aha! There goes Chalkie again taking my name in vain....

Tschüß,
Jack

[Donaldopato]

Jerry Hadley's suicide at 55 was a great shock. A handsome man with a handsome voice, a stylish singer and a fine actor, he made the kind of career that many dream of; for 25 years he sang leading roles from Mozart to Harbison at the world's great opera houses, often in major new productions, made three Grammy-winning recordings, and seemed to have everything going for him.

But his marriage was in trouble, and when it ended in divorce, he was unable to go on singing, and apparently his life went to pieces. According to the New York Times obituary, "Friends and colleagues said Mr. Hadley suffered from severe depression, financial difficulties, troubled personal relationships and professional setbacks." After five silent years he returned to opera, still singing major roles and reportedly sounding as good as ever, but a few months later he shot himself.

I attended the University of Illinois in Urbana in the late 1970s, where I first heard the then-little-known Jerry Hadley sing in student productions of operas. Nowadays whenever I visit the Illini Union building, it is bittersweet to see his portait adorn one wall after he won the University of Illinois Alumni Association Award in 2002: "Jerry A. Hadley, MS '77 FAA, Grammy Award-winning and internationally renowned opera singer". We didn't know it then, but 2002 was the year his life began to unravel.

Here are a few notes about him from some old program booklets I had tucked away:

Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème, October 25, 1975:

Jerry Hadley (Rodolfo), a graduate of Bradley University and currently enrolled in the Master's program at the University of Illinois, has been heard frequently with the Illinois Opera Theater. He has sung the roles of Tamino (The Magic Flute), Fenton (Falstaff), and Alfredo (Die Fledermaus). Hadley, who now adds Rodolfo to his credits, was twice a NATS finalist and has done extensive work as an oratorio soloist.

Igor Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress, May 1, 1976:

Jerry Hadley (Tom Rakewell) made his initial appearance with the Illinois Opera Theater in The Magic Flute. Since then, his roles have included Alfredo in Die Fledermaus, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Rev. Parris in The Crucible. This summer, Mr. Hadley will perform with the Lake George Opera Festival.

I had a similar experience and saw the same productions. I was a Industrial Relations/Business major who took more music classes than I probably should. I got to know him a bit and was a supremely nice fellow. I picked his brain for a paper on the Rake's Progress for a class I had. We had a beer together at Treno's once evening. I was so sad to hear of his suicide as he had a tremendous talent.

[MaestroDJS]

A related subject concerns musical scenes which depict suicides. One of the most famous is of course the Immolation scene which concludes Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner.

Of course we also have this merry little ditty by the sensational 19th-, 20th- and 21st-Century avant-garde composer Leo Ornstein (1893-2002): Suicide in an Airplane

[ChrisBrewster]

Not a classical performer, but Susannah McCorkle was one of the best jazz-oriented singers. 1946-2001, a suicide. (If you know the Jobim song "Waters of March", her rendition has to be the last word on it.)

[stefanher]

Terence Judd, 1957-1979. Pianist...and a fine one.

Judd's official verdict was death by misadventure & the family have always strongly denied that he had any suicidal tendencies. Whatever the cause of death he did die tragically young.

[dirkronk]

Terence Judd, 1957-1979. Pianist...and a fine one.

Judd's official verdict was death by misadventure & the family have always strongly denied that he had any suicidal tendencies. Whatever the cause of death he did die tragically young.

I was unaware of the "official verdict" (I assume "misadventure" carries a purely accidental death meaning in the legal parlance of the investigating officials) but have been hearing the word "suicide" with Judd's name ever since the early 1980s, when a review of a box set of LPs (probably in Fanfare...I was largely ignoring Stereo Review and High Fidelity by then) sent me to search out and hear his recordings. I bought and still own that box set, BTW. Certainly, suicide is the term most frequently used in online references to the artist, but I understand the term is conspicuous by its absence from notes to later CD editions of Judd's work.

As for the family's assertions...well, it's been my experience that family is often last to recognize but first to deny "the reasons why" when a suicide takes place. And honestly, sometimes the reasons just aren't that easy for anyone to parse out. That was the case many decades back, when a friend I'd known from school and church killed himself while still in high school, and I've seen other examples since. And then, of course, there are practical aspects that sometimes come into play...burial in sanctified ground refused to suicides...insurance refusal to pay...that sort of thing, all quite separate from the purely emotional issues involved with a grieving family and what they need to go on with their lives when something like this occurs.

In any case, I feel sorry for his family...and for us, too, since the examples left to us indicate that his was a significant talent, lost to us for these many years.

Dirk

[stefanher]

Terence Judd, 1957-1979. Pianist...and a fine one.

Judd's official verdict was death by misadventure & the family have always strongly denied that he had any suicidal tendencies. Whatever the cause of death he did die tragically young.

I was unaware of the "official verdict" (I assume "misadventure" carries a purely accidental death meaning in the legal parlance of the investigating officials) but have been hearing the word "suicide" with Judd's name ever since the early 1980s, when a review of a box set of LPs (probably in Fanfare...I was largely ignoring Stereo Review and High Fidelity by then) sent me to search out and hear his recordings. I bought and still own that box set, BTW. Certainly, suicide is the term most frequently used in online references to the artist, but I understand the term is conspicuous by its absence from notes to later CD editions of Judd's work.

As for the family's assertions...well, it's been my experience that family is often last to recognize but first to deny "the reasons why" when a suicide takes place. And honestly, sometimes the reasons just aren't that easy for anyone to parse out. That was the case many decades back, when a friend I'd known from school and church killed himself while still in high school, and I've seen other examples since. And then, of course, there are practical aspects that sometimes come into play...burial in sanctified ground refused to suicides...insurance refusal to pay...that sort of thing, all quite separate from the purely emotional issues involved with a grieving family and what they need to go on with their lives when something like this occurs.

In any case, I feel sorry for his family...and for us, too, since the examples left to us indicate that his was a significant talent, lost to us for these many years.

Judd was found dead at the base of some sea cliffs near his home. Did he jump or slip? My statement of cause of death by misadventure was wrong- the coroner gave an open verdict. Certainly he never left a note .
Dirk