My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends— It gives a lovely light!
A flame, however delicate, also possesses the power to warm, illuminate, and to kindle a fire. This playlist explores both the strengths and demons of those who, in their short lives, left a legacy of brilliance.
Many were almost unbelievably prolific, making it difficult to choose a single representative of their output. These compositions, across all genres, sometimes do reflect tortured lives, but equally, they possess transcendent beauty, originality, joy, hope and breath-taking virtuosity.
Here are some of the performers who feature.
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Henry Purcell is thought to have died of pneumonia, aged 36, but was a prolific composer, having started writing pieces as a child. According to the story, he caught a chill when his wife locked him out of the house after he returned home late from the theatre. Another theory holds that he died from chocolate poisoning! His song, ‘Evening Hymn’, opens the playlist.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific composer, writing over 800 works before he died aged 35 of a chronic kidney disease. This was compounded by life in the fast lane: overwork and overplay. Like many in this playlist, he began creating music as a child.
He was not murdered by Salieri, as fictionalised in the 1981 play, ‘Amadeus’.
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
George Gershwin penned some of the most popular songs of his day, and is considered to be one of the wealthiest composers in terms of royalties despite his death aged 39. His accolades continue however and in 1937, Gershwin received a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”, with his brother Ira. In 2007, the Gershwin Prize was created in honour of both Gershwin brothers.
Tammi Terrell (1945-1970)
Tammi Terrell signed to Motown Record on her 20th birthday, after having worked in the music industry since she was 15. She is most frequently remembered for her duets with Marvin Gaye (also in this playlist) – we’ve chosen ‘Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing’, in which she sings with Gaye who performed the eulogy at her funeral.
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
Buddy Holly died in a plane crash together with musicians Ritchie Valens and ‘The Big Bopper’ J.P. Richardson near Clear Lake, Iowa. The date of the tragic accident, 3 February 1959, became known as ‘The Day the Music Died’, immortalised in the 1971 song ‘American Pie’ by singer-songwriter Don McLean.
Despite dying so young Buddy Holly was incredibly prolific and left behind dozens of unfinished recordings which were released after his death.
Otis Redding (1941-1967)
One of Otis Redding’s best loved songs ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was released in the January following Otis’s death and became the first posthumous number-one single in US chart history.
The playlist closes with the stirring fourth (and final) movement of Mozart’s last symphony – No.41 in C major, known as ‘The Jupiter’. The longest of Mozart’s symphonies, it was written in 1788, three years before his death.
Hey Jukebox
Listen to a playlist of the songs discussed in this blog on Spotify, or in the Museum on Tuesday afternoons from 2.30pm.