I concur with Mr. Pink, in that I believe symphony and harmony are significant factors in a modern person’s success and wellbeing. Before looking through the chapter activities, I browsed a few students’ blogs, gravitating toward the five-line self-portrait, perhaps because it seemed quick and effortless. But what’s the fun in little challenge?
As one activity, Pink suggests simply listening to a symphony itself, providing a handful of classical orchestrations by the likes of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, but I prefer to use a personal favorite: Mozart’s “Requiem”. Following this paragraph, I will equip my high-quality headphones, select the play button and begin to continuously reflect on the masterpiece before me until the very end (eight minutes and fifty-four seconds into the future.) Disregard abruptly changing sentence subject, for it is inevitable. Here goes nothing.
Soft strings are introduced, accompanied by a type of soft wind instrument. Lots of softness here. Many of you will recognize this part. Oh my, not so soft anymore. The choir has kicked in. This is intense. At first somewhat melancholy, this song has kicked into overdrive. The violins and horns are speeding and intensifying. I don’t know what the singers are saying, but there seems to be a conflict. The women and men are shouting back and forth. Hmm, an abrupt change. It became quieter, though the strings are still present, and the choir are still shouting, though not in hostile nature. Perhaps they’re reconciling and compromising. Now they’re singing much softer. Beautiful. Now for the part everyone knows. A sad violin begins the famous melody whose complement is a dark chorus, slowly rising in volume. This is the kind of stuff I listen to when I’m in a dark mood; not necessarily depressed, just dark, if you know what I mean. Someone definitely died, and no one’s happy. I feel bad for the passing, but at least this death inspired the work of a century. And it ends with an enormous ”AAAAAMMMEEEEENNN”.
I wonder if Mozart knew the death in “Requiem” would be his all along. They played this piece at his funeral in commemoration for the outstanding legacy he left behind.
If anyone is intrigued by Mozart, classical music, or quality film in general, I highly, highly recommend Amadeus, whose story encompasses the ongoing rivalry between Mozart and another then-successful composer, Antonio Salieri. It took 1984′s Best Picture for a reason (and not to mention seven other Oscars!).
Closing remarks: If I learned one thing from “Requiem” and Pink’s chapter on symphony, it is that a holistic approach is proper and necessary. The violin was pretty; the bassoon was a nice touch; and I’m sure that one lady in the back did just fine. But what made the song wasn’t one thing, but a multitude of things: the symphony as a whole: all the strings, all the winds, the entire choir, the conductor, and let’s not forget the composer, Mr. Mozart himself.
It’s a shame classical music isn’t greater appreciated in today’s society.
