The composer had a nervous breakdown because of poor critical reviews of his Symphony No. 1 in 1897 and went into a creative block. Although he continued his career as a pianist and conductor, he found himself unable to compose music.
Due to poor critical reception for Symphony No. 1 in 1897, the composer suffered from a mental health crisis that resulted in a period of creativity blockage. Although he continued performing as a pianist and conductor, composing became an impossibility for him.