Profession: composer

Wolf studied with Hiller, but said that his aesthetic compass was set by the happy hours he spent with C. P. E. Bach. It’s unclear what exactly were the relations between the now little-known Wolf and Hasse, or with those including Herder, Wieland and Kotzebue that he met at Weimar, where he was attached to the court for 30 years, the last 20 as kapellmeister: certainly Goethe took against him, trying unsuccessfully to have him removed from his court position.

The 20-year-old Brahms met Joachim on a concert tour; they became lifelong friends. Joachim introduced him to Robert Schumann, who had already written about his work, and to Liszt, who played a scherzo of his at sight at their first meeting (Brahms fell asleep when Liszt played his own work). Clara Schumann became a strong, close, lifelong friend — speculation has been that they were lovers. He met Grieg and Tchaikovsky in Leipzig, Keller in Switzerland, and was a strong supporter of Zemlinsky. He failed to get on with Wagner, and his nationalism was disliked by Andersen. Strauss was another friend for life.

Spontini met Paganini on a tour of German cities, and worked together with Wagner in Dresden — Wagner being impressed by the conductor’s baton Spontini requested, black with white tips. Berlioz discovered his music as a student, later met and championed him, and later still wrote his obituary. Mendelssohn was met in Berlin – Spontini was apparently critical of the 17-year-old’s operatic composition. He corresponded with Cherubini, wrote to Salieri praising the metronome, and asked Hoffmann to translate a text for him: Hoffmann promoted him as an honourary German.

Halévy taught him. His close friend Berlioz famously said that the then-young composer knew everything, but lacked inexperience. Liszt (an influence, and a lifelong friend), Gounod, Rossini and Berlioz all admired him for his gifts. Fauré was his favourite pupil: after the death of Saint-Saëns’ own two children, he acted as ‘second father’ to Fauré’s. Bizet and Doré were friends (Liszt and he played together in Doré’s house.) Saint-Saëns loved Hugo’s poetry, set it to music, and met him more than once. He helped Widor to an important position, and in Moscow improvised a ballet with Tchaikovsky (Saint-Saëns in drag.)

Seixas went to Lisbon in his teens, and met Scarlatti (at the time a resident) there. He went on to inherit Scarlatti’s position as Royal Chapel Master. It’s reported that when it was proposed to Scarlatti that he give Seixas harpsichord lessons, he suggested that the younger man should give him lessons instead.