In 1815 Tambora Volcano shook the Indonesian island of Sumbawa with a
gigantic explosive eruption, expelling in high ash clouds and pyroclastic
flows some 40 cubic kilometres of magma.  It appears that Tambora's huge
explosion and caldera collapse produced such atmospheric conditions that
the following year, 1816 was remembered in Europe and America as the "year
without a summer".

Could this volcanic event and its aftermath have had any noticable
impact and influence on composers such as Beethoven, Schubert, Rossini,
Weber, Hummel, Spohr etc whether physical, emotional, professional or
"other"? Is there any archival material to suggest the same? Moreover
what effect would this have on concert events? Anything major, or just
negligible?

Geoffrey Gaskell
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