June 4th, 2004
To trade consideration
And "fairness" for you
Just to gain good feelings for me
Is an awful thing to do.
I thought that you would know that
You know a thing or two
Well, this isn't rocket science
So why should I help you?Me, "Think Again"
I once knew someone really well ... so well that it could possibly be true that I knew a few things about her better than she knew them herself (and boy, would it agitate her to hear that). She once said she "knew nothing about classical music" in a semi-confessional tone and possibly because she felt somehow vaguely inferior in musical knowledge, since for a while I grew up swimming in music, and studied it at university--in particular piano (until an instructor rather gently explained that I was very good, but I would never be the next Glenn Gould ... and to keep my day job). At that point, she was still able to admit to me that there were some things she didn't know.
So I thought about it for a day, then dug around and pulled out a copy of what I thought would be the best piece of music that she would love: Gorecki's 3rd Symphony (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). I'd heard this one at university, among a bazillion other pieces, and I loved it in a certain way ... a much different way from how I love Bach or Stravinsky or Bartok. I loved it so much that I bought a CD of it (though the version I bought was different from the version I heard, and not quite as magic for me as that first version). I had an idea this would be the right piece for this particular person. I was right, she loves it to this day. She even just recently wrote something like a "listener's response" essay about it, couched in enthusiastic terms. I made a good choice.
About the only thing I have to say about this is that she seems to think that she "discovered" this piece all by herself; it is a little irksome.
Anyhow, I was thinking to myself, "I may have grown up with Bach, I may play a couple of his Toccatas (and used to have his Italian Concerto pretty well polished) but in truth I know jack shit about how to appreciate him." I can say to myself, "Ah, here is where he introduces the counter-theme, and here is where he modulates to the sub-dominant key of B-Flat. Oh, and here is where he restates the theme, blah blah blah." But I only get moved to tears when I turn off all that analysis and just listen to it. And no education is necessary to do that.
Here's an oldie, give it a listen.