Elias Parish Alvars - Death

Death

On 13 March 1848 the first riots erupted in Vienna and in April amid the general confusion, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde closed suddenly, stopping all payments, and even refusing to pay the salary owed for the last six months. Parish Alvars found himself in serious financial straits. He could not travel to other cities or countries, as they were experiencing similar political difficulties; he had lost most of his pupils, who, as members of noble families, had left town out of fear; musical life had stopped, and the Hofoperntheater burnt down.

During this troubled period, which reached a climax in October, Parish Alvars and his family found refuge in Leopoldstadt, on the outskirts of Vienna (now a part of the city). They lived at Jägerzeile No. 53, on the first floor. On 21 November 1848 he borrowed a hundred florins from his friend and editor August Artaria. His health suddenly worsened, and he died of pneumonia (the documents are, however, not clear on this point) on 25 January 1849. His wife returned with their daughter to London.

Read more about this topic:  Elias Parish Alvars

Famous quotes containing the word death:

    Or if no thing but death will serve thy turn,
    Still thirsting for subversion of my state,
    Do what thou canst, raze, massacre, and burn,
    Let the world see the utmost of thy hate;
    Michael Drayton (1563–1631)

    Death is too much for men to bear, whereas women, who are practiced in bearing the deaths of men before their own and who are also practiced in bearing life, take death almost in stride. They go to meet death—that is, they attempt suicide—twice as often as men, though men are more “successful” because they use surer weapons, like guns.
    Roger Rosenblatt (b. 1940)

    Life contracts and death is expected,
    As in a season of autumn.
    The soldier falls.
    Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)