A famous 19th Century German composer, a contemporary of Chopin, Brahms and Mendelsshon, claimed that he was driven to compose his music by the voices of spirits and angels in his head.
He began hearing these voices, speaking to him in a language not of this earth, when he was 12, and they urged him to write not only music, but also plays, poems and translations of classical verse. But it was the inspired music that brought him fame. He told friends that it materialized in his head, “fully formed and complete.”
Describing them as “soft sounds, gentle whisperings that ran fingers deep within my brain,” the composer said the voices constantly reminded him that they were in total control, and provided him with his increasingly popular musical themes and melodies, usually at night.
At one point, the voices began so loud and overpowering that in 1844, the composer had a nervous breakdown, anguished that the spirits wanted to take over his life. The poor fellow was even driven to suicide, but he survived two attempts. For short periods the voices would disappear altogether, allowing him to compose in peace, only to reappear more forceful than ever.
In 1853, when spiritism and table rapping were highly popular, he attended a séance. Convinced that he could finally address his spirits, he asked the table to move about in rhythm and tap out one of his compositions – which it did!
While at times the spirit voices could be as soft, gentle and encouraging as angels, they could suddenly become “terrifying demons” that beckoned him to join them in hell. In 1855, he committed himself to an asylum where he died – choking on some food.
Next story: The Detroit Ghoul
