The Curse of the Ninth

@celticeagle (189915)
Boise, Idaho
February 13, 2022 3:38pm CST
I found this interesting. It seems that there is a belief that a ninth symphony is destined to be a composer's last. That the composer will die either before a tenth or before finishing the ninth. Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Antonin Dvorák, and Vaughan Williams all died after completing their Ninths, Anton Bruckner has all died after they completed their ninths. Gustav Mahler died while writing his tenth, Anton Bruckner died with his ninth unfinished, and some others include David Maslanka, Elie Siegmeister, Roger Sessions, Alfred Schnittke, Kurt Atterberg, and Vincent Persichetti. I would think a composer would get a weird feeling after about the seventh.
7 people like this
6 responses
@kaylachan (84815)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Feb 22
I doubt that people are often more reselent then you can give them credit for. And, look at ages and how long it takes to write one. Those people had long lives and health problems we couldn't possibly know about.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Feb 22
That is true.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (84815)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
14 Feb 22
@celticeagle Sure thought so.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
14 Feb 22
That’s amazing. I’d never heard it before.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Feb 22
I hadn't either.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
15 Feb 22
@RubyHawk ......Same here.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
14 Feb 22
@celticeagle There’s all kinds of things happening I don’t know about.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Feb 22
The price of greatness.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Feb 22
That's one way of looking at it.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154103)
• Canada
14 Feb 22
New to me!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Feb 22
Was new to me until I read it.
@sol_cee (38669)
• Philippines
16 Feb 22
Omg I’m only familiar with Ludwig van Beethoven. I don’t know the rest
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Feb 22
I didn't either.
@LindaOHio (222534)
• United States
14 Feb 22
It's probably because by the Ninth Symphony they are getting old.
1 person likes this