Terminal Illness

[steveie986]

(Suppose) I'm terminally ill with around 6 months to live.

Which piece should I learn to play, or, if my condition deteriorates to the extent that I can't perform it, which piece should I listen to and meditate on? (Limit to piano solos, piano concertos, or string chamber music, though I don't play any string instruments)

What I'm asking is, which pieces, in your opinion, have the most profound spiritual or mystical insight. The pieces shouldn't and needn't necessarily be bombastic or showy or popular.

(For instance, I'd go for something like Beethoven's piano sonata no. 32, the Hammerklavier, or his Grosse Fuge, though they are quite well-known)

(no Sorabji please)

[pianistimo]

are you?  if i were you, i'd play some piano concertos.  use the compassion of orchestra conductors to your advantage - "i'm going to die soon - can you make it worth it."  i hope you are not dying.  i would play leroy anderson's first.

[invictus]

AC/DC - Highway to Hell

Led Zepplin - Stairways to Heaven

Rick Price - Heaven Knows

I recommend the first one, I was once asked to perform a piece at church regarding the church, i performed that song, and everybody was like what!!

HAHA, funny memories

[iumonito]

An die Musik

Beethoven Op. 132

Wagner-Liszt Isolde's death for love.

[joeplaysthepiano]

Chopin's 4th scherzo always calms me down and lets me know that everything is going to be ok.  It is a divine piece, so I would recommend that one.

[quantum]

Chopin: Ballade No.4, Bacarolle
Beethoven: Op. 111
Brahms: Op. 118/6 (or the whole of Op. 118), Variations on a theme by Hayden
Scriabin: Sonata No. 7, Sonata No. 10, Vers la Flamme

[henrah]

For listening:

Debussy - Claire de Lune

Rachmaninov - Second Concerto

Mendelssohn - Variations Serieuxes and Hebrides Overture

Saint-Saens - Danse Macabre

John Williams - Any and/or all film scores, ET's is my favourite

For playing:

Any Scott Joplin, very fun to learn and play.

I hope you are supposing, but if not do enjoy the last days of your life and reminisce on past memories and experiences. But if I may say anything not to do, it is to regret.
Henrah

[thejoel]

Bach's "Art of Fugue"... the whole thing...

or Arvo Part's "Fur Alina".

[alzado]

This post reminds me of other posts we see here asking board contributors to rank the difficulty of some collection of pieces.

Now this individual is -- we suppose -- dying and is without any clue as to what music would be good.  We are supposed to tell him.

Well, if someone is so lost and helpless they have no idea what they want to hear --

I mean, please!

The premise is just absurd. 

[g_s_223]

Liszt Totentanz?

More seriously, the last Schubert sonatas were written when the composer knew time was limited, and are wonderful works.

[steveie986]

This post reminds me of other posts we see here asking board contributors to rank the difficulty of some collection of pieces.

Now this individual is -- we suppose -- dying and is without any clue as to what music would be good.  We are supposed to tell him.

Well, if someone is so lost and helpless they have no idea what they want to hear --

I mean, please!

The premise is just absurd. 

I'm deeply offended by your claim that what I'm saying is absurd.

Last night, the Holy Trinity, consisting of our dear Lord Jesus, Buddha the Awakened One, and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji appeared to me in a vision, telling me that my incurable illness will be magically healed if I listen to all the pieces that the wise sages on the pianostreet.com message forum tell me to listen to, because they are His holy prophets who adore and worship the sublimely incomprehensible music of the Son, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, who is God Incarnate.

Shame on those who blaspheme the dear Lord Jesus slash Buddha the Awakened One slash Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

[ahinton]

I'm deeply offended by your claim that what I'm saying is absurd.

Last night, the Holy Trinity, consisting of our dear Lord Jesus, Buddha the Awakened One, and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji appeared to me in a vision, telling me that my incurable illness will be magically healed if I listen to all the pieces that the wise sages on the pianostreet.com message forum tell me to listen to, because they are His holy prophets who adore and worship the sublimely incomprehensible music of the Son, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, who is God Incarnate.

Shame on those who blaspheme the dear Lord Jesus slash Buddha the Awakened One slash Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

It could perhaps be argued by some that the noticeable absence of reference to Allah or his prophet Mohammed (please excuse Anglicised spelling) - or, given the specific context, of Zoroaster - is somehow offensive, although one may reasonably presume that postings to piano fora will likely be considered a good deal less potentially inflammatory than cartoons published in national daily newspapers ("Hans Muslim Andersen", anyone?)...

That said, I have to admit that the sheer amount of free publicity that Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji regularly receives on several forums, most especially this one, is as welcome (to us, at least) as it is unprecedented. Every time someone makes some remark or other about him, someone else may read it who has never previously heard of the composer or who may know little or nothing about his work. Whilst the multifarious references to him have been known to irritate some people by their sheer frequency - and whilst they also vary quite considerably in taste, veracity and prior knowledge of the subject - they nevertheless do much to bear out that old and time-honoured maxim that any publicity is better than none - especially if it is free.

Blessèd are the publicity makers; for they shall - er - um - oh, fill the remainder in yourself...

Best,

Alistair

[pianowelsh]

Not wishing to be macarbe BUT it depends what kind of terminal illness you have! I would suggest virtuoso works like totendanz and massive concertos are probably not the most practical suggestions.  Chopins nocture post C# would be an obvious choice for me  BUT i dont plan on dying in 6 months so i'll leave that one for another time.

[tompilk]

what about something... like "a slow as possible" by John Cage... does that mean you'll live forever?
Tom

[emmdoubleew]

I'm deeply offended by your claim that what I'm saying is absurd.

Last night, the Holy Trinity, consisting of our dear Lord Jesus, Buddha the Awakened One, and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji appeared to me in a vision, telling me that my incurable illness will be magically healed if I listen to all the pieces that the wise sages on the pianostreet.com message forum tell me to listen to, because they are His holy prophets who adore and worship the sublimely incomprehensible music of the Son, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, who is God Incarnate.

Shame on those who blaspheme the dear Lord Jesus slash Buddha the Awakened One slash Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

So what's the big disease? Mythomania?

Interesting thread premise though. What would you guys play if you were about to die?

I would give Rach 2 a spin.

[pianote]

I'd say you still go for a piece that's within your range that you could perform magnificently... it'd suck to go out still trying to learn the hammerklavier (or playing it horribly)