Many artists fear their creativity will dry up - and often it does. But, says Professor Robert Winston, great composers have come through creative blocks to produce outstanding works. At least one, though, was driven to suicide by vanishing inspiration.

Creative block does not just afflict composers, writers, painters and poets… innovative scientists experience drought as well”

Intruding during rehearsal, the much-respected elder statesman of Russian music, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, said to the young composer: “Forgive me, but I do not find this music at all agreeable.”

The conductor was Alexander Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov’s friend, and he wasn’t up to scratch: “Slow by nature, maladroit and clumsy… manifestly displayed little ability either for conducting rehearsals or for swaying the orchestra during concert performances.”

Moreover the cuts that Glazunov imposed on the score made little sense. He ignored Rachmaninoff’s protests, which became increasingly anxious. And adding insult to injury, at the first performance in St Petersburg in 1897, Glazunov - who was well known by conservatoire pupils to indulge himself - was drunk. The result was a travesty and before the orchestra finished, Rachmaninoff rushed into the street in total despair.