About the book: 2013 / Sparing no one, from Gioachino Rossini (incorrigible woman lover) to Johann Sebastian Bach (who served time) and Richard Wagner (with an unhealthy addiction to lingerie), “The Secret Life of Great Composers” tells titillating, savory and not always pretty stories about outstanding masters of world music. In a word, something that is usually kept silent about. You will learn how Edward Elgar dabbled with explosives, John Cage became obsessed with mushrooms, and Berlioz plotted murder; and how Giacomo Puccini stole pipes from the organ, selling them for scrap to buy cigarettes. This is a music history lesson you'll never forget.!