Bjorn Andresen

Bjorn Andresen, a film star, made world debut with the famous movie, Death in Venice, in 1971. It was a story of an old artist fascinated by a beautiful boy Bjorn played in the movie. The artist was destined to die. The music featured the Adagietto from the 5th symphony by Mahler was pretty impressive.

I was not very concerned about this movie at the time it was started to run in theaters. It was when I started study at a med school and was occupied with music in the orchestra starting career as a cellist.

However, this boy played by Bjorn Andresen was unforgettable for his beauty for sure even if we were not interested in the story itself. He was the aestheticism of this story himself.

The clip quoted above shows how Bjorn Andresen has lived until now. He was originally a music student. While he was in the film business for several years, he did not like to be remembered as the role in this film. He seems to have quit that business and now is living as a piano teacher with his family. In the clip, when he was asked by the director at the interview of recruitment of players to take off the sweater, he didn't do that while smiling at him. It might mean he has already owned himself and won't do what he would not. That may be why he has quit this apparently showy business but started his own way in music.

I believe Mahler has pursued relief from death throughout his life. It is well understood by his biography by Bruno Walter or his desire to avoid composing the 10th symphony, which has been the last number of symphonies by the other precedent composers in their lives. With the beauty in his music, he seemed to try to get away from the anxiety of death. The theme of the movie, Death in Venice, seems to be a product to compensate absurdity of death with beautiful being. Has it been successful?

Bjorn Andresen, such a beauty in his youth, got old and lost his beauty. Such beauty even in the virtual world of novel or film won't last eternally. Everyone gets old and is not immortal. His way of life seems to tell us that. I was a bit relieved to know of this fact.

The clip says Bjorn owes much to Chopin. Beauty in abstract music. He says he has been making dialogue with Chopin. In the first scene of the clip, there is his saying as follows;

"The rare moment of happiness that I have known, I owe them to the piano. I still have long conversations with Chopin.

Paris, 2005. Interview."