Just as human beings are the most advanced, if not complicated creatures on the planet (we walk, talk, think, improve on surroundings - yet wage war) the symphony is the most advanced form of musical expression. Just think – creating a 50 minute long opus for strings, reeds, horns and percussion. That is why we have conductors, who lead such a large orchestra. To keep all not just on the same page but the same bar. Musical, that is.
The slimster got to musing on this theme, when supine on the couch, listening to our national radio treasure, the CBC. Julie Nesrallah, on her Tempo program, played one of his all-time favourites, Brahms’ symphony no. 1 in entirety. Took the lean one back decades, far too many to admit in number, when first this masterpiece was heard. And the story behind it.
Seems Brahms was such a perfectionist that it took him almost two decades to compose the dagnab thing. Not due to laziness and procrastination. But the fear that he would be compared to Beethoven, the composer of so many great symphonies led him to not believe in his work. In fact, he burned completed manuscripts in his fireplace over the years, so as not to have them lying around, interfere with his desires to give no. 1 the best treatment possible. And trained ears, by the bye, can detect Beethoven’s influence in the last movement.
Being horizontal, listening to quality music, in any genre is a dangerous things. It leads to philosophizing. The first stream of consciousness thought was how tiny Estonia, with just more than a million people has produced some excellent composers. And conductors – the Järvi clan springs to mind, but there are many more. But when it comes to Estonian symphonies the slender one did not have to think much, to come up with more than the obvious.
The Swedish BIS record company recorded a number of Eduard Tubin’s symphonies, the orchestra under the baton of Neeme Järvi. The lean one has quite a few on vinyl in his collection. This was in the eighties, and there is an interesting back-story. Tubin fled the communists during the war to Sweden; Järvi could not work with the Soviet System and was allowed to leave Estonia, unusual at the time. To Sweden. He is considered to be perhaps the greatest conductor of the present time. And as a sidebar, Arvo Pärt also felt the constraints of censorships and he, too, left his homeland, unusual for the times. Pärt is perhaps, at present the greatest living composer. Anywhere. His Symphony no. 4 was nominated for a Grammy some years back.
Then there are other composers, that have chosen the symphony form. Lepo Sumera’s certainly deserve a listen, should one not have heard them. The late Sumera, incidentally, was the Minister of Culture in Estonia, once independence was regained. Urmas Sisask and Erki-Sven Tüür both first gained prominence in popular, rock music. Cannot see Beethoven, even though of course there was no such category then, playing electric guitar. Eino Tamberg. Ester Mägi. Many more.
The slender one took these musical musings along for his daily constitutional. Music is for the soul and heart, often the mind. But the body needs looking after as well. Exercise is [/i]de rigueur[/i] during these times, pent up as we are by today’s “conductors”, leaders, the politicians. During a strollerollerraa it is often remarkable, how the fresh air and endorphins bring good thoughts to the fore. Leading to this attempt at combing music history and a bit of humour. Music, humour, and exercise – much like a symphony composed in three movements.
So of course likening a symphony to life itself came naturally, enjoyably. Crescendos and diminuendos in both. Frankly, during these times positivity is hard to find. Take it from Dr. Slim, the best prescription for kicking the blues include those three treatments noted above. And great classical music, which is the present genre of choice, often is uplifting and inspiring. Life is limited, we all know that. But while still mobile, drawing air into the lungs and smiling at others let us enjoy it. To be alive, even under strict rules during this infernal pandemic is so much better than what the three great killer B’s – Bach, Beethoven and Brahms – are doing. That would be decomposing. Roll over Beethoven!
OTEPÄÄ SLIM
Recommended: the following YouTube video, both for the message as for the great moves given… https://youtu.be/sij1R6cjh4A
