Hazardous to Your Health

Given this composer's early career, he should have been nimble enough to avoid the accident that caused his death. Although Italian by birth, he was lucky enough to become close friends with the king of France after entering his service as a ballet dancer. His musical compositions soon received official support, making him one of the most successful, influential, and (in some quarters) disliked composers around. He should have sought better medical attention, however, when he struck his foot with a large time-keeping baton during a performance of this piece. The wound became infected, causing his early death…