Continuing our ride on the music and synaesthesia Fun Bus, I thought I’d look at some more singing. This time classical, a raw 1950s recording, and a soloist. Where the choral voice has to blend, a soloist must reveal their voice, utterly. They must bare the soul. Nothing can match Kathleen Ferrier for me. She touches something very deep about being alive.
Her beautiful contralto voice is roundedly chocolatey, like a perfect tunnocks teacake …
... and smooth and swift and sleek like an otter.
At first listen/sight, Mahler's song, “Ich bin der Welt abbanden” (I am Lost to the World) is quite sombre and mournful, which people misinterpret as being about death or depression.
It’s soooo not; it’s about being lost to the world because of the intense other worldliness, almost selfishness, of being truly in your creative space. Mahler used a poem written by Friedrich Rückert. It’s a “this is is what it’s like to be in the zone” song. And that makes me love it even more.
I’ve included the words at the end of this post in both German and English because the first time I heard this song, in my teens, was the first time I really heard beauty in the sounds of the German language. I’m a Brit, born in the early 60s – when people were barely 20 years out of the war – our psyche is full of stereotype cliche about the ugliness and brashness of the sound of German. I’m sure it’s a leftover wartime thing.
If you really listen to German it has the most wonderful sonorant depth to it.
There are such beautiful autumnal reds greens and browns for me.
This nutmeg leaves fabric by Robert Kaufman pretty much sums up the sounds for me.
A comment from infrantasi on the youtube page for this track said “This song fits her soul like wings on a swan”.
I couldn’t agree more, or have put it better. Even if classical music isn’t your thing, I really urge you just to give her voice a listen. This song is about bliss.
If you wanted to simulate my synaesthesia. you could always listen while eating a teacake, stroking an otter and sewing a quilt from kaufman fabric,.
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if someone actually did that? I’m guessing the otter is a deal breaker. Shame.
| Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, Mit der ich sonst viele Zeit verdorben, Sie hat so lange nichts von mir vernommen, Sie mag wohl glauben, ich sei gestorben! Es ist mir auch gar nichts daran gelegen, Ob sie mich für gestorben hält, Ich kann auch gar nichts sagen dagegen, Denn wirklich bin ich gestorben der Welt. Ich bin gestorben dem Weltgetümmel, Und ruh' in einem stillen Gebiet! Ich leb' allein in meinem Himmel, In meinem Lieben, in meinem Lied! | I am lost to the world with which I used to waste so much time, It has heard nothing from me for so long that it may very well believe that I am dead! It is of no consequence to me Whether it thinks me dead; I cannot deny it, for I really am dead to the world. I am dead to the world's tumult, And I rest in a quiet realm! I live alone in my heaven, In my love and in my song! |
Remember … you still have until the end of the month to enter the giveaway for 12 FQs of Blitzen from Basic GreyThis giveaway will run for the duration of Blogtoberfest – that is, until midnight 31st October UK time - I’ll announce the winner as close to November 1st as I can, to give you plenty of time to make a little something for Christmas.
International entries welcome!
