From wounding themselves during a performance to not being able to leave another man’s woman alone, all it takes is just one blunder to end a life. In this article, you will encounter people of the music world who have died in odd or unexpected ways.
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632 to 1687)
With the ability to dance, play the violin, and compose ballets and music, Lully was a favorite of Louis XIV. Because of this, Lully was quite popular at the main court. He founded the French opera and played a great role in the development of the ballet and opera in the region. Another side to the musician involved a rather full love life. He engaged in numerous sexual trysts with both men and women. There was even talk that he had an affair with the Sun King as well. In January of 1687, Lully had conducted a performance in honor of the king, who was recovering from an illness. During the act, he hit his foot with the pointed staff that he had been using to keep time , much in the same way as a baton. The wound became infected with gangrene, and the composer was dead by the end of March of 1687.
Alessandro Stradella (1644 to 1682)
During the early Baroque period, Stradella was a revered Italian composer who was a predecessor to the likes of Vivaldi. He had a nice collection of operas, oratorios, church chamber music, and cantatas under his belt, which made him quite popular and highly respected in the music world. The Vatican had outlawed secular musical dramas in his day, and operas were on the chopping block. Stradella came up with the idea to create music and performances that used Biblical subjects to coincide with the music. This way, the art could not be seen as sinful.
Stradella was a success, but he was not a saint. In 1677, a powerful Venetian nobleman hired him to tutor his mistress. Stradella wound up having an affair with the woman, and when it came to light , the composer fled. The nobleman was furious and hired several hit men to take out Stradella. In the end, he was able to get away without injury. He relocated in Genoa, where he composed works of art for the church and stage. But, he could not keep his hands off of other men’s lovely ladies. A hired assassin chased Stradella through the streets of Genoa, who finally caught the composer and brutally stabbed him to death.
Jean-Marie Leclair (1697 to 1764)
During the 18th century, Leclair was known as one of the best violinists in Europe, who also composed an opera, nearly 50 violin sonatas, and a range of chamber works. The end of Leclair would somehow me connected to one of his wives. His first marriage ended when his wife died prematurely. His second marriage was not a success and the couple decided to separate in 1758. After being forced to buy a small apartment in a tough neighborhood in Paris, he was found stabbed to death in his home in 1764. A cloud of mystery had always hung over the case of Leclair. Some believed that his estranged wife played a role in his death since she would have financially benefited from his passing. At one time, his nephew Guillaume-Francois Vial was a primary suspect, but he didn’t seem to have been arrested or put on trial for the crime.