A friend of mine has Susquehanna ancestors, so out of curiosity I looked them up on the web. I was shocked to learn that the tribe has been extinct since 1763.
Today I found this article on the revival of the Wampanoag language by Jessie Little Doe Baird. "It felt as though a fire had been lit inside my soul. I felt drawn to the language the way you might feel… when you've found the love of your life," Baird said.
This is how I feel about classical music. I want to pray in my own language, and it is almost extinct.
3 comments:
Thanks for posting Schumann's "Träumerei"! I enjoyed the way you played it, and the pause was a surprisingly effective touch, intended or not!
A lot of music in such a brief span of time and such an economy of notes -- romantic classical at its best, and your performance helps me understand your love of classical music.
I had an odd introduction to this piece when I was about seven years old, watching some old black and white cartoon on TV. A caricature of a romantic, moody composer (maybe representing Schumann) was playing it. I asked Mom if she knew the piece, so she played it for me. An instant favorite for me.
Thank you very much, Mike! I imagine that there are very few people in the world who would appreciate that long pause! You are truly remarkable.
(Big friendly laugh). You're welcome, Carl!
The pause: I knew what was coming, but it didn't make me nervous to wait. I started imagining how Schumann might have gone a different route, and a couple of alternatives sounded in my imagination, like the experiments of impish composers trying to take it off track. Then Schumann's familiar choice took over again, saying, "here's where it needed to go all along, people!" It was like hearing the piece anew and gaining a new respect for what Schumann did in this musical gem.
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