Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen Alcoholism 2013;49(1):45–53 Pathography Croatian composers’ diseases – biopathographies Darko Breitenfeld1, Stanislav Tuksar2, Danijel Buljan3, Lana [krgati}1, Marina Vuksanovi}1, Marija @ivkovi}1 1 Croatian Physicians’ Music Society – Croatian Medical Association, Zagreb, Croatia 2 Croatian Academy of Science and Art, Zagreb, Croatia 3 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center »Sestre Milosrdnice«, Zagreb, Croatia Summary – Presentation of the diseases Elaborating the pathographic data, we among 25 significant croatian composers shall dedicate somewhat greater atten- reveals some infectious diseases (tubercu- tion to only a handful of our narrowly se- losis, etc.) among the composers who had died young and some chronic non-infec- lected, internationally recognized com- 1,8,9,12–16 tious diseases (mostly malignant, inflam- posers . matory and cardiocerebral origin) among We have some reliable data from the composers who died in old age. It is a part XVIIth century about Ivan Luka~i},who of the pathographic review of over 300 composers from the book »Diseases and lived in the city of [ibenik (1587–1648). destinies of famous composers«. More intensively studying his life, we learn more about the production of wine Key words: Croatia, composers, diseases and olive oil than about other data (he was the prior of a Franciscan monas- Croatians belong among »small« na- tery). Judging by the year of death, we tions, but, according to our experience can not trule out that he died because of with the lexicon structure of some world- plague, i.e. either of the epidemics of -known dictionaries of musicology, about pestilence or because of tumults, wars, a dozen Croatian composers have been famine, migration and other things.1 more widely reported of in such lexi- cons.1 Correnspodence to: Darko Breietenfeld, M.D., Ph.D., Deren~inova 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: [email protected] 45 Breitenfeld-5.ps D:\Alcoholism\Alcoholism 1-13\Breitenfeld-5.vp 30. lipnja 2013. 17:26:39 Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen Darko Breitenfeld et al. Vinko Jeli} (1596–1632) is known to have resided in Rijeka and worked as a musician in many parts of Europe, par- ticularly while working as a priest in German-French Alsace. He seems to have met his death in Saverne in the frame of atrocities connected with the thirty-year war, contemporary famine, or even more probably of pestilence, which was ram- pant there at that time.1 In XVIIIth century, Luk{a Sorko~evi} (Sorgo) (1734–1789) from Dubrovnik, became famous. He suffered for a long time ailing of gallstones, which are known Fig. 1. Julije Bajamonti to occasionally accompany depressions, and he, suffering perhaps from both, committed suicide while working as the be approached in a humane and artistic chief executive of the ragusan republic way. He died relatively quickly and un- 1 (knez) by throwing himself from the up- expectedly of pneumonia. per floor of his palast (since that time this Ivan Mane Jarnovi} (Giornovicchi) window has been closed with a wall).11 (?1745–1804) lived probably more than His son, Antun Sorko~evi} (1775–1841), 60 years and was a world-renown violin- was also a gifted composer. He was the ist and composer, and he died suddenly last ambassador of his city-state in Paris, while shooting pool (playing billiards), it and he died there of some chronic dis- is assumed that he died of a sudden heart ease. attack or perhaps of cerebral hemor- rhage.11,16 Julije Bajamonti was a great com- poser, physician and polyhistorian from In XIX century Vatroslav Lisinski Split (1744–1800). He was acting less as (Ignacius Fuchs) (1819–1854) was a a physician and more as a musician, and prominent name among Croatian musi- the order of physicians reproached him- cians. He lived in Karlovac, Zagreb and That is why he wrote and published in It- Prague, where he received his musical aly the famous assay on physicians and education. As a child, he fell and was music, stating in a very modern manner badly hurt, so he hardly recovered and and with arguments, that medicine is no remained lame, although very adroit in mathematics and that the patient should adapting. The cause of that might also 46 Alcoholism 2013; 49: 45–53 Breitenfeld-5.ps D:\Alcoholism\Alcoholism 1-13\Breitenfeld-5.vp 30. lipnja 2013. 17:26:39 Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen Croatian composers’ diseases – biopathographies wife Constanze sent (from \akovo) a special detailed letter to her sister in 1824 to describe her view of the last days of Mozart’s infectious streptococcal dis- ease.2 The so-called era of Zajc is clearly marked by his name. Sir Ivan Zajc (1832–1914), was born in Rijeka, where his father was the choir-director. His son had to succeed him, so he studied music at the Conservatory in Milan. Because of his success, his career there was almost assured, but because of his parents’ Fig. 2. Vatroslav Lisinski death, he had to return to Rijeka, where he acted as a conductor, orchestra leader have been the lesion, perhaps even con- (concertmaster), pedagogue, and ever genital dislocation of the hip or possible more as a renowned composer. This is tuberculosis of that joint. Anyway, all his where he also defined himself regarding life, as a lawyer and as a musician, he his patriotic feelings. He went to Vienna lived in hard conditions, as a bohemian, in 1862 to improve, and was also consid- suffered of frequent colds and had fre- erably successful, mostly as an operetta quent febrile conditions, which suggest composer. There, he socialized also with probable lung tuberculosis, which even- Croatian students – with the Croatian tually spread to pleura and pericardium. cultural circle generally. They kept invit- He composed famous songs and two first ing him to return to Zagreb, and he actu- Croatian operas. He did not succeed to ally returned in 1869/70 in capacity of settle down with family, and received a the director of the new Croatian opera good deal of financial support from the and of the music school of the music. He cultural circle of Croatian nobility, but improved Croatian music life, and he is practically suffocated during the period known not only for his compositions for of Bach’s absolutism. He probably died voice solo, but also for his operas (more of tuberculous pleuropericarditis with the than 1000 compositions). At the old age pneumonia of tuberculous character.5 he started to narrow his performing ac- Mozart’s relative – composer-organist tivities, and keeping secret his few heart Petrus Jakob Haibel died in \akovo in troubles, he died practically in his sleep old age. His wife – sister of Mozart’s in 1914.11 Alcoholism 2013; 49: 45–53 47 Breitenfeld-5.ps D:\Alcoholism\Alcoholism 1-13\Breitenfeld-5.vp 30. lipnja 2013. 17:26:39 Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen Darko Breitenfeld et al. Fig. 3. Ivan pl. Zajc Fig. 4. Franjo Kre`ma Antun Vanca{ (1867–1888) was pro- oped further. Among the composers, we mising a lot as a young musician; he was emphasize the known composer Blagoje believed to be the greatest Croatian com- Bersa (1873–1934). Born in Dubrovnik, posing talent after Lisinski. He was get- he was educated and active in Zagreb ting his education in Vienna and Paris in and Vienna, where he was also very suc- a somewhat bohemian manner and in un- cessful. He was successfully working favorable hibernal conditions. Massenet until the end of his life when he suddenly noticed his great musical gift. He com- fell ill with jaundice from a swelling in posed several compositions for choir and the right belly part which turned out to be for voice solo, and died of tuberculosis a disturbance of the bile duct function after several years of ailing.4 and metastatic cancer changes in liver. Soon after an unsuccessful surgery, he Franjo Kre`ma (1862–1881) was an died. extraordinarily gifted violinist, a world sensation, successor of Paganini, also a Dora Peja~evi} (1885–1923), known composer of a few successful works. He composer died after childbirth, of conse- died unexpectedly of meningitis, after a quences of postpartal fever and kidney- middle ear inflammation, which he got -related complications with death from in a draught during a concert rehearsal.1 uremia.1 In XX century, between two world Fran Lhotka (1883–1962) is a re- wars, the musical life successfully devel- nowned composer and pedagogue, Czech 48 Alcoholism 2013; 49: 45–53 Breitenfeld-5.ps D:\Alcoholism\Alcoholism 1-13\Breitenfeld-5.vp 30. lipnja 2013. 17:26:39 Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profile Composite Default screen Croatian composers’ diseases – biopathographies Fig. 5. Dora Peja~evi} Fig. 6. Jakov Gotovac by ancestry. He died at old age of bile- little small health troubles. Before his -ducts cancer with a metastasis in the death, he suffered ever more frequent lungs.1 lung troubles, with edemas of legs and Kre{imir Baranovi} (1894–1975), re- eventually also of lungs, and he died in nowned composer, conductor and peda- his sleep, probably because of a heart 7 gogue, was educated in Vienna and act- failure. ing in Zagreb and Belgrade. He died at Josip [tolcer Slavenski (1896–1955) more advanced age having fallen ill rela- was a great composer of Jewish ancestry tively suddenly of lung troubles which who lived in Belgrade during a part of were clinically diagnosed as lung cancer his life. He lived an orderly and quiet 1 andhediedthereof.