Composers and Disability: Prevalence in Classical Music

Abstract

The purpose of my paper is to consider cello repertoire written by Western classical composers with disabilities. I chose to focus on several composers from various backgrounds, although there are many more left unmentioned for the sake of scope. The most well-known composer with a disability was Ludwig van Beethoven, whose fifth Cello Sonata I researched. I also studied Ethel Smyth and her Cello Sonata, and Ralph Vaughan Williams and his Six Studies in English Folk Song. All three composers lost their hearing at different points in their lives. Franz Schubert suffered from syphilis and experienced severe physical and mental health issues in his last few years. This project includes his sonata written for arpeggione and piano, which is often played on the cello. It is assumed that Frederick Delius also contracted syphilis, leading to paralysis and blindness. Nevertheless, he composed the Caprice and Elegy for Cello and Orchestra in the last few years of his life. Robert Schumann suffered from depressive episodes, poor health, and hallucinations. I have included his Fantasiestucke for clarinet and piano, which is also often played on the cello. Maurice Ravel developed a rare type of dementia and could not keep composing as he desired. One of the first pieces he wrote after World War I was the Sonata for Violin and Cello. Sergei Prokofiev dealt with severe health problems as he aged. He wrote his Cello Sonata during the last few years of his life with the help of Mstislav Rostropovich. Bohuslav Martinu was diagnosed with autism by one author in recent years, despite Martinu passing away in 1959. The diagnosis is controversial, and there have been several publications on the matter. The piece Como un Fantasia was written by Joaquin Rodrigo, who had minimal eyesight from the age of three. Using the new models and perspectives on disability, we can rethink the experiences of classical composers. To combine these disciplines, I researched my subjects through the field of disability studies, music history, and musicology.