Gay composers

Shortly after her death, the campaign to canonize her began. Many of these composers faced persecution or violence as a result of their sexuality. Her liturgical music, say many, was divinely inspired. Tchaikovsky's early works received mixed reviews, criticized for being too Western, but soon he became part of the "Mighty Handful," a group of composers who sought to create a distinctly Russian style of classical music, for example, by incorporating Russian folk tunes.

Share ArtsX. The job also afforded him much needed time to compose new works. Fiercely private, Handel cannot reliably be romantically linked to anyone of either sex. Despite having a difficult connection with his sexuality regarding religion and society, Poulenc was openly gay, a fact that was not commonly accepted during his time.

German by birth, Handel was a child prodigy. When his mother died inhis life took a turbulent turn. For whatever reason for the composer delay, she was finally declared a saint recently. From Copland to Corelli, we celebrate some of the greatest LGBTQ+ composers in classical music history.

Her Ordo Virtutuma morality play set to music, is about the inevitable defeat over the devil:. In fact, her close relationship with another nun appears to have been romantic — to say nothing of her focus on desire and the female body in her artistic works.

They were often shrouded in devotion to gay Virgin Mary. Chopin was a prolific writer of love letters, so we know he bedded a number of women socialites and dated the openly gay Marquis de Custine — and that he cherished his lifelong relationship with a school friend.

Numerous composers of Western classical music were LGBTQ, from at least the 16th century to the modern day.

History rsquo s Most

For example, before going to battle armies were instructed to abstain from sexual activity altogether in order to be at peak strength and endurance. You’ve likely heard their music, but have you heard their stories? Likewise, they were often welcomed into aristocratic circles that allowed them a certain cultural latitude.

Part of the influential group of new-wave composers known as Les Six in the s, Francis Poulenc became one of the most well-known French composers of the 20th century. So it seems he spent most of his life celibate but certainly not chasteputting work ahead of personal considerations.

Another clue into his sexuality is that in his day he was called Orpheus. Later in his 20s he permanently moved to London, where his German prince ascended to the throne as George II of England. He began his career as an appointed church organist, like Bach.

In addition to composing, Hildegard von Bingen also was a poet and wrote about philosophy, religion, medicine and science.

18 Queer Composers Who

He was forced to study law at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Law, but his true passion was always music. After briefly working as a civil servant, Tchaikovsky decided to enroll in the St. Petersburg Conservatory, graduated inand began composing seriously.

Best known for the ballets "Swan Lake""Sleeping Beauty"and "The Nutcracker"his only violin concerto was declared too difficult to play by the violist it was dedicated to! Bear in mind that then and in centuries dating back to the latter days of the Roman Empireindulgent carnality was shunned — even within marriage.

Here are just a few of the most beloved composers of all time.