Jean-Baptiste Lully died a victim of his own conducting.

"On 8 January 1687, Lully was conducting a Te Deum in honor of Louis XIV's recent recovery from illness. He was beating time by banging a long staff (a precursor to thebâton) against the floor, as was the common practice at the time, when he struck his toe, creating an abscess. The wound turned gangrenous, but Lully refused to have his toe amputated and the gangrene spread, resulting in his death on 22 March."

Jean-Baptiste Lully. (2012, October 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:02, October 10, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean-Baptiste_Lully&oldid=515518151