Reaching Heaven
March 9, 2010, 4:22 pm
Posted by Robert P. Imbelli
The pianist, Byron Janis, has a moving article celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Chopin. Here is an excerpt:
Chopin’s own words perhaps best describe him: “Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars. Beethoven infuses the universe with the power of his spirit. I do not climb so high. A long time ago, I decided my universe would be the soul and heart of man.”
Chopin knew that climbing higher was not the only way to reach heaven.
Heaven? That would be Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers by the Boston Baroque at St. John the Divine last Saturday!
Boston is blessed: the Handel and Haydn Society, the Cantata Singers, and Boston Baroque, not to mention the BSO. And the acoustics of Symphony Hall are, well, heavenly.
Greetings from snowbound Bologna — circulation is unimpeded thanks to the blessed arcades. Mass in Italian on the feast of St Catherine of Bologna yesterday. Did you know that Chopin asked to have played at his deathbed Bellini’s melody, Ah non credea mirarti si presto estinto fior, the same as is inscribed on Bellini’s tomb in Catania?
Joseph,
I (and, if I may presume to say so, “we”) did not know it. Talk about “heavenly.”
I believe the young Richard Wagner made his living in Paris transcribing Bellini operas for piano.
It certainly is interesting that nearly all of Chopin’s output consisted of short pieces. I think the same was true for Emily Dickenson’s poetry. Each one is a polished gem.
The commercial side of classical music is dominated by superstars who showcase their virtuosity. Chopin and is friend Liszt are admirably suited for that (taking nothing away from the beauty of their music). I played Chopin nocturnes as a piano student when I was growing up – not nearly as well as someone of Byron Janis’ caliber, needless to say. But even for an amateur, there was something satisfying about the fiery and the romantic passages – it unlocked something that Bach and Haydn weren’t providing. I agree with his quote: there is something very human about his music.
I’m ashamed to say it took me about 50 years to appreciate Chopin. Why, I don’t know. I never played him when I was studying piano (in fact I never played much of anything, being a lousy pianist). But now I have pretty much the complete works on disk (Idil Biret, the French-trained Turkish pianist, doing most of them, and very well too.)