Some months ago, cruelly, my stereo went AWOL. It was a thing of wonderment because it could handle the music below with effortless ease. Mind you, the house struggled with it; tiny sprays of ceiling plaster would drift into the sitting room, caught, dazzling in the warm Easter sunlight that pierced the window panes. My stereo adored Mahler. Even if you are not religious, this is the time to listen to this piece.
So – anyway. Here it is. View it full screen. Turn it up until the knob is jammed against the stop. If you have any soul left in you, you will be in tears at the end of this snippet of pure genius.
(I do a mean impersonation of Leonard, when taken over by this music…)
Alan’s stereo, pining for Mahler.
Tremendous and powerful stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks Al.
JJ
Alan, I'm more of a Strauss man myself but a bit of Gustav never hurts. Never turn your amp beyond the midday point, it runs too hot and cooks your speakers. Best to run cool....I always do and it has caused me no end of harm...no hang on a minute
ReplyDeleteThere's a piece by Mahler I've been trying to find for the last 20odd years, and this isn't it, but it's still pretty good!
ReplyDeleteThe one I'm looking for has something to do with children in the title, I think, but as it's in german, I can't remember. It's quite mournful and evocative, but that could be to do with the circumstances I got to know it (in a former life I played Margot in The Diary of Anne Frank, am dram production.)
Stirring stuff.
What a piece! What an ending! Thanks for reminding me of my courtship years :)
ReplyDeleteLouise, what you're after is 'Kindertotenlieder'.
ReplyDeleteYou can find some excerpts on youtube.
As you say, mournful and evocative. A bit morbid, even.
Thanks Andy B, that's a mystery solved!
ReplyDelete