The last mile

[furtwaengler]

I found this in the morning and think it's a vivid picture, powerful and moving.

From the middle of the night, September 20th, 2009.

13 minutes exactly, it is in two sections: The struggle, and Train of tears. The first section, about 7 minutes long, begins with what I call in my improvisational language a variation of the monument octaves. It is loud, aggressive and strife ridden. The last 5 minutes or more are of a great sorrow, an image frozen in time...I think of either the slow walk to the death of a war prisoner, or a mournful funeral procession. 

Darkness and tragedy resonate.

[pianowolfi]

Of course, as you surely can imagine, I love what is usually called "dark and sad" music. And also, of course, this is no exception.
I know some people may find it strange, but the most comforting music to me is tragic and dark.
And tragedy and mourning in music are so different from life's tragedies. The latter make me just wanting to escape and run for my life. The former (music) makes me stay, listen, think, reflect. Not within my intellect but within deeper layers of my soul.
Like for instance Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. One of the most moving and intense musical epiphonies of my life. I can listen to them only in very special moments.
Yeah. You have the depth and sensitivity to go into this realm.

[littletune]

I think maybe it's different in life and in music because in life it's like you are just walking on the ground and when there's something really bad you can only see that bad thing infront of you and nothing else around because you can't really see very far. And in music it's like you have wings and you can fly and when there's something bad you don't just see that but you can also see a lot of the good and nice and happy things around. And so even when you are sad you can also be happy too because you know that it's not just bad but that it's always something good too even if you can't always see it.
(And so the bad things are not so sad and scary anymore and the good things are even nicer and happier. )

[pianowolfi]

I think maybe it's different in life and in music because in life it's like you are just walking on the ground and when there's something really bad you can only see that bad thing infront of you and nothing else around because you can't really see very far. And in music it's like you have wings and you can fly and when there's something bad you don't just see that but you can also see a lot of the good and nice and happy things around. And so even when you are sad you can also be happy too because you know that it's not just bad but that it's always something good too even if you can't always see it.
(And so the bad things are not so sad and scary anymore and the good things are even nicer and happier. )

You know, littletune, this is very wise and I appreciate your answer very much!!

[furtwaengler]

Thanks Wolfi, your comments mean so much. I will have more responses to the idea of tragedy in music and in life, and that they don't have to correlate...sometimes quite the opposite. 

[keyofc]

wolfi,

I think it's about empathy - dark music can relate to our pain.
And in so doing - it lessens it.
Even soothes us.

Few artists have had easy lives - their art would just not
mean much to the receiver, I think.

I've loved minor keys all my life - it the major keys of my real life -
I write little music.

[chopinatic]

This is powerful deep music, played from the soul! It is very tragic and very good, thanks for posting

chopinatic