A music of Sehnsucht

 A couple of days ago, a TV program of NHK Symphony Orchestra concert was on air. The main program was the 3rd symphony in F major by Brahms. It was held on 21st last month. I was surprised the hall was almost full of the audience. In this pandemic era, it might be a subject of argument if such an event should be held or not. There might be, however, quite some people who would be indulged in such a music.

When I joined the university orchestra, they practiced this symphony. In the summer camp of the orchestra, the tune of the 3rd movement has flown out of the window. I was doing with cello as a beginner in the garden as the other freshmen/women were doing. Like this;

I might have posted this photo before. The guy standing on the right was a senior student who had taken the seat of chief cellist in the orchestra for a few years. His father was a composer while his sister a professional violist. I have been repeatedly practicing bowing/scale/simple etude tunes all the time, while the senior members were playing that symphony in the hall in the back on this photo.

At the concert held at a hall close to our university, I was not on the stage but was asked to record the rendition. A big tape recorder of 38 inch variety was set at a recording room at the innermost and highest place in the hall. Everything was ready. 

Starting with the vigorous 1st movement, it has proceeded to the 2nd and then the 3rd movement. The nostalgic and yearning theme was played by cello. In the explanation of this music by the visiting conductor John Axelrod. He told this music expressed a dark romanticism. The theme of this movement is typical for that. It is depicted as Sehnsucht in German as he said. The spirit of yearning, desire and nostalgia. I fully agreed with his explanation. There should not be any word which depicts the spirit of this movement and the symphony itself more properly. The 4th movement is a swirling passion possibly rendered by the syncopated melody. So exciting that I could not stay in the recording room. I got out of there and sat on an audience seat in order to listen to it directly not through the microphone. Down the line, it started getting calmed down and finished in pianissimo. This style of ending the symphony is so impressive and reminds the audience it is a music of dark romanticism, or of Sehnsucht.  

The concert sure brought me back to that old days. What a valuable and unforgettable time in my life! Even though I was not aware of that then. 

This is the CD I often listen to;