Symphony No. 9 in D minor is regarded by many critics as one of Beethoven's greatest works and one of the supreme achievements in the history of western music.

At the height of his fame and fortune, Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) was considered the greatest violinist in the world. In fact, he was such a gifted musician that some people actually believed that he'd sold his soul to the devil for his talent. The rumors of his association with the devil were so persistent that when he died, the Catholic Church denied his body a Catholic burial.

Mozart loved to play Billiards, and would sometimes play all night, composing symphonies as he played.

It wasn't until the 20th century that Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor eclipsed all of his other organ compositions in popularity, thanks in large part to Hollywood producers who began using its thundering organ sounds as a ghoulish shorthand for cinematic terror.

Little is known of Orlande de Lassus' childhood, except that he was kidnapped three times because of the singular beauty of his singing voice. By the end of the 16th century, he had become one of the most famous and influential musicians in Europe.

Johann Christoph Denner is generally credited with inventing the clarinet in Germany around the year 1700 by adding a register key to the chalumeau, a French instrument with a cylindrical bore and eight tone holes. Over time, additional keywork and airtight pads were added to improve the tone and playability.

Tchaikovsky's famous ballets (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty) have some of the best known tunes in all of romantic music.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) had a collection of small dolls and one of them, a "lucky frog," was his concert companion. Before stepping onto the stage as a pianist or a conductor, he would rub the lucky frog in his pocket for good luck.

The beautiful strains of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" and Johann Sebastian Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" evoke a very different picture from the dark bond the two composers shared: Each was blinded by botched cataract surgery at the hands of the great charlatan Chevalier Taylor. Handel survived the surgery at least, but a post-operative infection likely killed Bach.

After his burial in 1809, Joseph Haydn's head was stolen by phrenologists and a replacement skull was left in his tomb. In 1954, the real skull was finally returned, but the substitute was not removed, and Haydn's tomb now contains both skulls.