THE NINTH OF BEETHOVEN
MY EXPERIENCE
MY EXPERIENCE
There is nothing in or out of our world so sublime to the human psyche as mankind's ability to appreciate wondrous nature, a fine painting, a beautiful dance, architectural majesty, sculpted masterfulness, materials so soft or course, music ethereal, verse eternal, even the scentedness of things animated and not.
To feel, touch, to visualize, see, to listen, to hear, to experience a fragrance or something not so fragrant, to taste of either piquant or sweet, to extraordinarily perceive; these attributes, normally accepted as birth gifts are--for us women and men--that which are only some of the qualities of humanness.
For this post I am transported to the stage of a gigantic 19th Century concert hall. The occasion, an orchestral reading of Beethoven's final chapter, his great, unsurpassed NINTH SYMPHONY.
I am living this moment in the Fifth Movement, Where everything sort of stops.....and almost in silent mode (not a sound from the audience of three thousand listeners) in the utmost of Pianississimos (PPP),the violoncello section twelve strong just whisper the melody, unaccompanied, of the immortal poem which we today know as "Ode To Joy".
The melodious tones meander their journey through, with all, even other orchestra members straining to hear these glorious God-inspired sounds. And then, in a very short time, all 250-members of the chorus, and 125 members of the orchestra, blast forth in great and glorious intonement the songful words of the master poet Frederich von Schiller in his poem An Die Freude (Ode to joy). It is HERE in the original German, followed by an English Translation.
Along with the greatest music ever written, lines such as these bring hope, Joy, Love, and Gratitude to generations before, now, and as yet unknown:
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods
All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature;
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Your (God's) magic reunites
What custom sternly divides;
All people become brothers
And, as a simple-minded second-violin player in this vast enterprise, I am blest, feel ever-so-much honored, that at a gathering, and a happening so heavenly-inspired, so heavenly close to the Almighty, my very presence is even allowed.
And, please believe it, I have been there several times in my life. I do not have a necessity for the DVD--it is all in my head, to be called upon in a moment of need, whenever and wherever, and in whatever circumstance I find myself...I can "hear" the whole 70 minutes of this symphony--in the correct tempo and key(s)!
It is a gift I have--thank You, God....
Whoever reads this (some poets, artists, dancers, lovers, sober Peeps) hopefully will understand of what I speak. The awesomeness of creativity, that piece of God within each of us, which allows some to create, others to--by viewing, listening, reading, imagining, tasting, smelling--others to RE-CREATE.
Heaven on earth is made of such.
For today, I am with you
Sober Peeps!
Peaceful Peeps!
Loving peeps!
Picture Credit:
http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Portraits/ImagesGalerie/PeintureKatzaroff_EnricoPinto.jpg
