Six Dead German Composers and How They Got That Way

This volume examines the lives and deaths of six German composers: Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn. By exploring the medical conditions that led to their deaths within the context of their musical output, it presents a more integrated understanding of how health and creativity intersected in the lives of these composers.

The book draws from historical records as well as recent medical scholarship, bridging the gap between musical biography and medical literature. Through its exploration of suffering and resilience, it highlights how illness influences innovation and how personal adversity often coexists with artistic triumph. Through this multidisciplinary lens, the book invites readers to contemplate art in the context of human fragility.