Friday 9 March 2012

A most difficult melody to recall

One of H.I.'s and my favourite pieces of music. Probably one of yours also. I have a very good ear for music, but I find it very difficult to recall this piece exactly. The shifts and changes are so unexpected.

Try to get rid of the image of me - in a Panama hat; the make-up sweating down my face as I sit on the beach of the Lido, eyeing up a 14 year-old John Gray who I have been stalking for about 3 weeks - as you listen to it.

It will sound much nicer then.

12 comments:

  1. von Aschenbach you certainly love the BEST music

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  2. Aaah - this music as used in the film "Death in Venice", is so evocative to me. As a young teenager I was in love with Dirk from his 1961 film, "The Singer Not The Song", rather than the silly 'Doctor' series. He was so sexy as the Mexican bandit (!!!!) OK mission impossible on various levels, though I adored him to the end of his days. He was a good and gentle writer too and loved France as I do. Mahler is OK too.

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  3. I can just see you in your Speedo's !
    A beautiful piece of music Tom.

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    1. If I wore Speedos, then you would be able to see me, Jack@.

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  4. I believe this is the one piece of music that has more 'time' variations than any other. Some conductors will limit it to under 9 minutes, whereas others will draw it out to about 12. Proving, I suppose, that musical notation, including tempo, is not as unyielding as one might imagine.

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    1. Interesting. It has some very discordant notes in it too, but it still somehow works.

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  5. I am not altogether a Mahler fan Tom, although this is one of the pieces I do love.

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  6. I played that twice - it's beautiful

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    1. It'll stand more than that - you never know, it may grow on you!

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  7. I too, am not a great Mahler fan Tom,
    but I cannot deny it is moving.
    Moving a wee bit slow for one who likes a bit of "Knees up Mother Brown" and "The Gay Gordon's".
    Still, I am a great lover of music, especially harmonic tunes.
    Cheers.....Bernard.

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    1. I know what you mean - Mahler doesn't translate to fairground organ very well, unlike Wagner.

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