Some posts have already mentioned how music can help in bad days. For those who dislike classical music don’t read on.
My favorite is Beethoven’s sixth symphony. ‘The Pastoral’.
It begins with dancing and joyous music. Slovakian dances and all is well with the world and our lives. It’s a happy time. Now we all remember that for sure! As the dancing goes on we hear the sound of distant thunder. The drums roll but way off. This may be a time in our lives where we begin to realise that all is not well. We begin to see loved one’s ill. Perhaps we are ill ourselves and often we begin to wonder what’s going to happen. Then we hear the patter of rain and the thunder increases. Lightening flashes. (Yes, that can be imitated in music!).
We are in a storm in our lives. Disaster has struck and we are lost and confused. The world has changed. Where there were blue skies and dancing now the sky is grey and dark. Will the storm ever pass?
The thunder and lightening continues for a while but gradually, very slowly, the storm passes. We still hear distant thunder, (memories?), but we begin to see a brighter sky. Then there occurs what I think is a beautiful piece of music. It’s the calm AFTER the storm. It’s almost a Benediction. As the symphony fades away it leaves the possibility of hope. The storm passes. It may be a bad storm or a not so bad one.
Our lives are scattered with good and bad memories. The bad ones seem to hang on, the good ones difficult to find.
This piece of music does remind us of Beethoven’s problem with his deafness. He could so easily have given up writing music but he went on.
Can we learn from this symphony? Perhaps he was expressing those deep emotions of which we are all aware. Music and poetry can help us a lot if we understand the feelings and emotions behind them. This symphony is one of hope. What is yet to be after the storm we are all going through.
Tale care all. Blessings. John.
afternoon Jonathan
lovely post, I am not a fan of classical in the main, but Alan and I did like some pieces, I am still struggling with music but improving day by day. it was a huge step for me to attend the Rod Stewart concert when he appeared at the MEN Arena last November, i got upset when the show started then cried all the way through a particular favourite song, although most were favourites, yet this particular favourite reduced me to tears 'The Dude ’ as Alan ajways called him, was his all time favourite artist and we never missed seeing him everytime he appeared in Manchester since late 60’s early 70’s. I still can’t play his music, I can now listen to my own music but the music we both enjoyed is still waiting for me to take that giant step. I did try to play a track from a Simon & Garfunkel cd, reduced me to tears, it’s just over 20 months since he passed, some things I’ve been strong enough to do, watch amd/or listen to, other things need more time, but I do know I am progressing, and an event at New Year gave me insight into the direction this different life will now lead me. music is slowly coming back into my daily life, likewise certain tv programmes, also new ventures that I never would have considered before. it all has to be progress, progress in finding a different path to follow, progress in finding new interests.
hope today is an improvement on yesterday and tomorrow is an improvement on today
blessings
Jen☆
Oh Jonathan as usual an inspired piece of writing. I don’t usually listen to classical music, well occasionally, but I would like to listen to ‘The Pastoral’ . I love poetry and used to write it but now I can’t come up with anything worth saying. So I’m off to the library for some poetry books and see if they inspire me once more.
Bless you and love. Pat xxx
Hi. Jen.
Yes, it is surprising how music can affect us. It’s not just about memories either. Music can stir emotions as can poetry. I wonder what there is about poetry that does that?
Like you I still find it difficult to watch TV shows we both liked. I have not got round to that either, but I will. It’s 14 months since my wife died and I am getting there, but it’s hard going. No need to tell you that.
Yes, it is progress. Little things happen and I say to myself, Wow!!! I did that after all. Like going to a cafe we used to go to.
Thanks so much for your post. Blessings and a hug. John. XX
Hi. Pat.
Haven’t spoken to you for a while. How are you? I have not been on a lot because I have had dose of my old problem. IBS with anxiety. The two go together. I think it was caused by my lovely neighbour Annie moving away. She was so kind and helpful having been in grief herself. It was like a second bereavement. Sounds daft, but you will understand. We keep in touch but it’s not the same. It has brought home to me how vulnerable we are. I would hardly have given it a second thought years ago. Little things hit me now much harder than big things.
Your poetry will come back. I used to make model boats as a hobby, but since my wife died I have problems concentrating for long. It’s frustrating. I know what I want to do but can’t seem to make the effort. Ho Hum!!! I suppose it’s another of Mr. Anxiety’s old tricks.
Now keep well and keep going. You are still an inspiration.
Blessings. Love and a hug. John. XX
Thank you for a beautiful post, Jonathan, you have described The Pastoral so well. It is one of my favourites too. I love Cappricio Italien (sp) by Tchaikovsky, my dad always used to cry when he heard it, it reminded him of serving in Italy, during WW2. I have loved classical music, since I was 6 years old, the first piece I remember enjoying so much, was Ravel’s Balero. Of course the war was still raging, my mum was going into town to get her rations, as they were called, I begged her to let me listen to the end of it, which she did, as a result we missed the bus and had to wait 2 hours for the next one. We were just about to get on it, when my aunt( my mum’s sister appeared, she had walked from town. It was a very long walk. bless her. I can’t remember what happened to our rations.
Blessings, to you too, John,
Mary.
Hi John, You too are an inspiration I love to read your comments. What a shame your supportive neighbour has moved and I do agree that we just can’t cope anymore with change or a slight blip in our lives. I do understand. I totally fall to pieces now, when it wouldn’t have bothered me in the slightest at one time, I act as if it’s the end of the world…for a short time only, thankfully.
I am so sorry you have not been well, it’s so unfair isn’t it. If it’s not one thing to have to cope with it’s another as you say we are now so vulnerable, I have decided that I don’t like that Mr Anxiety, he’s cruel and no friend of mine.
I have always been a big reader, all my life I have loved books, as a child my favourite place was the library or book shop but now can only read for a short time. I hope you can get back to your model boats. My husband built models also, I had to limit him as our house would have been full to capacity with his hobbies (painting, musician, photography, models, reading, computer). Sadly he couldn’t concentrate or cope with his model building in his last weeks and our ten year old grandson put them together for him.
Take care of yourself and I hope you feel better now.
Pat xxx
Hi. Mary.
Oh yes. Ravel’s Balero. That tremendous climax at the end. I always have to turn the sound down. ‘Peter and the wolf’, another of my favorites. Another tale told. I like all Beethoven’s works. How about ‘The Scourer’s Apprentice’? The little guy who got too big for his boots and tried to emulate his master. Disney made a wonderful cartoon film of that set to the music. Rations!!!
How we ever managed on them I will never know. In these times of plenty, (well, for some!), we can’t imagine two ounces of cheese a week. And an egg if you were lucky. Never saw an orange for three years, or a banana. Happy days. Ok, so there was a raging war on but everyone pulled together. Now?? It’s so sad to see how society has deteriorated since then. We are far more clever in every aspect but one. Compassion.
Take care Mary. Be kind to yourself. Love. John. XX
Hi Jonathan,
yes i understand completely. forgot to add, Alan’s favourite piece was Bacarolle from Tales of Hoffman, what really blew him away was when Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballè sang Barcelona, we both had a very wide taste in music. As I’ve mentioned his love of Rod Stewart’s music, my main taste leans very much to Reggae music, obviously not to everyone’s taste, but it wouldn’t do if we all liked the same would it, there would be no choice or nothing to compare.
blessings
Jen☆
I love the Bacarolle, too, Jen. How these composers did it, I often wonder, there aren’t many classical pieces I dislike really.
I like Wagner too and opera. Stan couldn’t stand Wagner, he always associated it with Adolf Hitler. I used to say to him, just listen, but no, I love opera too, can’t stand Chamber Music. I haven’t played our Cocktail since my brother died and then Stan, just as I was feeling that I could listen to music again. It does make me cry, as some of the songs do. I like Reggae too.
Blessings,
Mary.
To all you classical music enthusiasts, I can’t say I have the experience of you, as never really had much to do with classical but do quite like it when I actually listen. So I decided to do my yoga to some classical as I do have a few in my collection. I put a CD on and the first was ‘Mars, the bringer of war from the Planets suite’. It came on full blast and the player is new so I couldn’t find how to turn it down. The whole street must have heard it as I struggled to tone it down. Actually I enjoyed listening and dancing to it. Quite enjoyable adapting yoga to the music. Especially ‘Waltz from Swan Lake’. The only music I really knew was ‘Poet and Peasant’ as I used to dance to it at the dancing school about a 100 years ago. I loved it. So thanks I think you may be converting me.
Pat xx
Kate (Crazy Kate) has just started a new topic in Coping with Bereavement ‘ Songs’ and we can copy links from YouTube so you can click and listen too…give it a visit and add your special song🎶
If you have a problem putting a song link on, please private message me and I’ll be happy to try and find it and put it on for you 