The love lives of history's top classical composers were often as dramatic and tumultuous as their music. From Leonard Bernstein's affairs with both men and women to Carlo Gesualdo's murder of his wife, these stories have captivated audiences for centuries. Here, we delve into the romantic rollercoasters of some of the most famous composers.
Leonard Bernstein: A Life of Dual Passions
Leonard Bernstein, the subject of the hit film Maestro starring Bradley Cooper, had affairs with both men and women while married to his wife Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan. Bernstein, who died in 1990 aged 72, is just one of many composers with a racy personal history.
Igor Stravinsky: From Riot to Romance
Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring caused a riot at its 1913 premiere, and his love life was equally explosive. In 1906, he married his first cousin Katya against local church rules, and they had two children. After World War I, he ended up in Paris, where, according to famous French designer Coco Chanel, the pair enjoyed a passionate affair. This was portrayed in a 2009 film starring Mads Mikkelsen and Anna Mouglalis. Stravinsky continued to lead a double life, having romances with a ballerina and later dancer Vera Sudeikin, whom he married in 1940 after both moved to the US.
Claude Debussy: A Trail of Broken Hearts
French composer Claude Debussy drove women to despair. He started living with Gabrielle Dupont in 1893 but cheated on her with singer Thérèse Roger before ditching them both to marry Dupont's friend, model Lily Texier in 1899. Dupont attempted suicide. Debussy then had a holiday fling with banker's wife Emma Bardac, soon telling Lily their marriage was over—by letter. Lily shot herself, narrowly surviving with a bullet embedded in her spine. Amid the scandal, Debussy and a pregnant Emma fled to Britain, eventually marrying in 1908.
Carlo Gesualdo: Murder and Music
Renaissance composer and royal prince of the Italian town of Venosa, Carlo Gesualdo is as known for murder as for music. On October 16, 1590, he caught his wife and first cousin, Donna Maria, in bed with the Duke of Andria. The next day, officials found the pair in a pool of blood. Donna Maria's throat had been cut, and the Duke, still wearing his lover's nightgown, had been stabbed and shot. Thanks to his connections, Gesualdo was never prosecuted but became so guilt-ridden that he hired servants to whip him three times a day for the rest of his life.
Johann Sebastian Bach: A Prolific Father
Virile composer Johann Sebastian Bach, known for his organ music, was married twice and sired a whopping 20 children between 1708 and 1742. Seven were by his first wife Maria. After she died, the German married singer Anna Magdalena, who gave him another 13 children.
Franz Liszt: The Original Sex Symbol
With his striking looks and powerful piano playing, 19th-century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt sparked 'Lisztomania.' Frenzied female fans demanded locks of his blond hair, collected his used cigarette butts, and it's said even threw their underwear at him during concerts. Liszt never married but had 26 serious affairs, romancing the likes of famous French courtesan Marie Duplessis, racy Irish dancer Lola Montez, and a Polish princess. One commentator said: 'He collected princesses and countesses as other men collect rare butterflies.'
Richard Wagner: A Merry-Go-Round of Love
The love life of controversial German opera composer Richard Wagner, known for his Ring cycle, was a merry-go-round. His first marriage to Minna Planer in 1836 saw her briefly leave him for an army officer while he conducted multiple affairs. After he fell for poet Mathilde Wesendonck, Wagner's marriage crumbled. Next, Wagner romanced Cosima von Bülow, the daughter of Franz Liszt's mistress Countess Marie d'Agoult, while she was married to a conductor. The pair later escaped to Switzerland and would eventually marry in 1870.
