A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Sunday 31 October 2010

Hey, That's My Kind Of Music! (7)



Gorecki Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs

I remember being so stunned and moved by Gorecki's 3rd symphony, the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, when I first heard it 4 or 5 years ago. Polish again, incidentally. That nation has been through so much. I defy anyone not to be affected by this piece.

8 comments:

Alan Sloman said...

Absolutely beautiful. Turn your speakers up and be consumed.

Ruth said...

Oh, Robert.

I would rather not write anything, but I am compelled to.

The piece is more beautiful and sorrowful than is bearable.

Isabel Bayrakdaraian's voice. Her face. The abandoned factory/warehouse, which makes me see Dachau or Auschwitz.

The skill of the musicians, the quality of sound. The craft of film making.

The snow and cold. The incessant hold on the strings of the bows at the end, as incessant as the torment and pain.

I feel overwhelmed with the feelings this amazing video evoked. Thank you for finding it, sharing it.

Today is a day of horror and sorrow.

Ruth said...

As if I didn't already say more words than I wanted, I did forget to mention the painful irony (?) that the words of the music are calling upon Mary, Mother of God for help.

In the context of your blog and the posts I've been catching up on about your history (that is very like my history), and leaving the church, this was an overall theme through the piece that was especially poignant for me.

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

A devastating union of despair and beauty.

George said...

Absolutely mesmerizing! It's just after 7:30 p.m. my time, and doing anything further with the evening now seems trivial. How can one come away from such a performance without needing solitude and stillness. I am left with two questions. The first, an age-old question of course, is how these horrible sorrows can continue to be created by man. Is it just our nature? The second involves art. Can you imagine how impossible it would be to deal with suffering without the healing power of art — a film, a score, and a performance like we have just witnessed?

who said...

There won't be somebody who is not affected in hearing this symphony.

There is something extremely powerful about seeing written words at the same time as hearing the words be spoken. When a piece of one's heart is also offered up or a portion of one's soul freely set out to be shared will whomever chooses to accept it is so powerful that it cannot be described but in a way can describe the concept of infinite. Each of us has those parts within us that are one of the very few pieces that nothing can overpower the individual and steal any portion of against the persons will. It is sort of the essence of sacredness as those are the pieces that NOTHING can ever touch or take without our consent. THE ONLY way those parts of a person can be reached is by the offering from that individual. When something untouchable is offered to anybody who chooses to receive, that submission by the owner of the pieces is LOVE

There is power in seeing written word. The eighteen year old girl needed to see her prayers. She felt at least a degree of comfort that was not previously there by seeing her cries written out as she poured them in thought or spoken prayer. She didn't just put her words on paper or scratch them into the dirt. She etched them into the solid walls. That was not done for her benefit, she could have seen them on something temporary and it would have comforted her. She put the words where she did to help somebody she didn't know.

In her time of suffering when it must have felt that she was abandoned and betrayed by any loving God, She refused to let that feeling carry on.

if there was no God or higher power before that. It was her choice and actions carried out to bring relief to anybody who might find themselves in that same place, it was from her that we know as God was born. From the ones who never wronged anyone in the ways that they are harmed during the time they sought just a sliver of relief from their unnecessary and wrong acts carried out against them, when these who felt abandoned yet they make by their own actions an offering of love so that there is hope for somebody to not experience what they did. That is divine

and you are right, one cannot witness that and not be affected one way or the other and by their choice alone.

Thank you for posting this today

I followed Ruth here

The Solitary Walker said...

Such meaningful comments, all. And I think you for them. I just can't add to them, for they are truly moving.

Ruth said...

Gorecki just passed away Nov. 12. Don't know if you heard.