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Wandering in Multi Universes of Mind and Life
  • A M Zénon
  • A M Zénon Wandering in Multi Universes of Mind and Life
  • Erda
  • Monthly Archives: March 2011

    • Fülle des Wohllauts

      Posted at 2:49 pm by A M Zénon, on March 19, 2011

      No chapter from a novel describes the delight of the opera lover
      as beautifully as the above section from Der Zauberberg.
      Nobody has written about opera as beautifully as Thomas Mann:

      ‘Ein international Chor gefeierter Sänger und Sängerinnen setzte, begleitet von diskret zurücktretendem Orchester, die hochgeschulte Gottesgabe seiner Stimmen ein zur Ausführung von Arien, Duetten, ganzen Ensembleszenen aus den verschiedenen Gegenden und Epochen des musikalischen Theaters:der südlichen Schönheitssphäre einer zugleich hoch-und leichtherzigen Hingerissenheit, einer deutsch-volkhaften Welt von Schalkheit und Dämonie, der französischen Grossen und Komischen Oper.’

      Der Zauberberg is a ‘Bildungsroman’. The protagonist Hans Castorp, a young engineer, travels to Davos to visit his cousin Joachim, who remains a long period in a sanatorium. Soon Hans forgets to return home. He is intrigued by life in the small community. The following years, he learns much about life, love, friendship, world views and opera.

      It is in the chapter about music, Fülle des Wohllauts, that we see Hans Castorp reveling in the most beautiful opera arias. Hans gets access to a beautiful gramophone with the brand name ‘Polyhymnia’.
      He makes sure he is alone in the music room and starts listening to famous opera arias for hours.

      Below, some of the arias Thomas Mann and his protagonist listened frequently to, with quotations from Fülle des Wohllauts:

       

      Aida:

      ‘Der unvergleichliche Tenor, der fürstliche Alt mit dem herrlichen Stimmbruch in der Mitte seines Umfanges und der silberne Sopran…’
      ‘..nun öffne sich der Himmel und ihrem Sehnen erstrahlte das Licht der Ewigkeit.’

      Enrico Caruso and Johanna Gadski: O Terra Addio 1909

      Aureliano Pertile Dusolina Giannini Carlo Sabajno: O Terra Addio 1928

       

      Carmen:

      ‘Der Soldat sang von der Blume, die Carmen ihm am Anfang ihrer Bekanntschaft zugeworfen, und die im schweren Arrest, worein er um ihretwillen geraten, sein ein und alles gewesen sei.’
      ‘Und ewig dir gehör ich an, liess danach die Stimme um zehn Töne sinken und bekannte erschüttert sein Carmen, ich liebe dich.’

      Alfred Piccaver: Blumenarie Hier an dem Herzen treu geborgen 1920

       

      Faust:

      Hans Castorp feels particularly sympathetic to Valentin, who reminds him of his recently
      deceased cousin Joachim, who had served in the army.

      ‘Jemand trat auf, jemand Erz-Sympatisches, der Valentin hiess, den aber Hans Castorp im Stillen anders nannte…’

      Hans Nissen: Da ich nun verlassen soll

       

      Der Lindenbaum:

      At the end of the story we find Hans Castorp back in the mud of the battlefields of WWI, singing:

      ‘Ich schnitt in seiner Rinde so manches liebe Wort …’
      ‘Und sei-ne Zweige rau-uschten, als rie-fen sie mir zu-‘

      Richard Tauber: Der Lindenbaum 1927

      Der Zauberberg is one of my favorite novels. I read and re-read it in different stages of my life, or sometimes only out of love for it. It is not only the story, which is holding my attention. It is also the enchanting narrative style.
      The best edition is the Grosse Kommentierte Frankfurter Ausgabe from S.Fischer Verlag, from which the quotations are. However, I think each edition will be good.

      Many opera lovers will share the feelings of Thomas Mann and his protagonist, and me, for the enchantment of opera. Attending a live performance is beautiful. Listening to records or CDs of the great arias at home has its own delight.

      Wikipedia The Magic Mountain
      DVD with Christoph Eichhorn as Hans Castorp
      Thomas Mann Der Zauberberg Grosse Kommentierte Frankfurter Ausgabe

      Posted in Classical Music, Joy, Lifelong Love, Literature, Magical, Opera, Stories | 0 Comments | Tagged Aida, Carmen, Christoph Eichhorn, Der Lindenbaum, Der Zauberberg, Faust, Listening, Reading, Thomas Mann
    • The Woman I recognized at Champmol.

      Posted at 1:59 pm by A M Zénon, on March 8, 2011

      Some years ago, I visited Champmol in Dijon, the grounds of the old monastery of Chartreuse de Champmol, today a psychiatric hospital. I made the journey just for visiting the sculptures of Claus Sluter. After some rather heavy traffic, I drove onto the site. At my surprise, there was a small parking for visitors under beautiful trees. Walking across the site, I met only a few friendly patients and nurses. It was a hot day, but thanks to the trees, it was very pleasant.

      Of course, I went straight to the Well of Moses, in a backyard with some scattered construction material. I could walk around the sculpture group as many times as I wanted to. Nobody disturbed me. It is always nice to be alone with a work of art. It is as if you are alone with the artist. It is exciting to stand in front of a sculpture and realizing that ages ago an artist has touched it with his hands.

      The second sculpture group was in the chapel. After a short walk under beautiful trees, I went into the portal of the chapel. It was there in the portal that the beautiful statue of Maria struck me. I have seen many beautiful medieval sculptures. Mostly, they were more static and serious. This time however, I saw a very lively Maria. She was moving, turning and smiling, with the child on her arm. It was as if I was seeing my grandmother, my mother, and many other women, washing, cleaning and caring for their child. There was something human between the mother and her child. Maria seemed almost real. I loved it. Never before I saw such a lovely statue of Maria, of any woman. It was worth the trip. Go see it when you are in the neighborhood. Claus Sluter has made a beautiful image in favor of women.

      Posted in Art, Sculpture | 0 Comments | Tagged Art, Champmol, Claus Sluter, Looking, Memories, Northern Renaissance
    • Thomas Hampson as Doktor Faust

      Posted at 2:44 pm by A M Zénon, on March 3, 2011

       

      Recently I listened to Ferruccio Busoni Doktor Faust. The opera was waiting on my recorder. Mezzo.tv broadcasted it nearly 2 years ago. The performance was by Opernhaus Zürich from 2006. Thomas Hampson as Doktor Faust impressed me greatly. I immediately bought the Blu-ray disc. In the past, I have read, re-read and seen several times the play by Goethe. I read the play by Marlowe. I have seen the Faust opera of Gounod. However, never the story of Faust had such an effect on me. I will try to explain.

      During the second prologue, Doktor Faust opens a book about black magic. According to the guidelines, he conjures up six spirits and chooses the sixth one Mephistopheles as his servant. He asks him to help him with all his wishes, especially for knowledge. In return, Mephistopheles asks him to serve him after death. First Faust shrinks back. Then he surrenders.

      It was at this moment of transition from good to power, that Thomas Hampson as Doktor Faust took me into his mind, his thoughts, his hesitation, his weighing up the pros and cons of having power over other people. I was going with him into the life of Faust, and into my life.

      Great art is great because it takes you into your own life, your mind and your thoughts. It gives you another way of thinking about life.

      In this performance, the creation of many people is converging: The legend of Faust, the libretto and music of Busoni, and Philipp Jarnach, the co-workers of the Zürich Opernhaus. The cast, the conductor, the orchestra, the direction, all are exceptional, even on a recording, certainly on a Blu-ray disc. The music is beautiful, stirring, impressive, fascinating.

      However, it is the opera singer, who can bring these reflections on life into your mind.
      Thomas Hampson is Faust for the moment. You can go along with him.
      If you are susceptible to this kind of experience, listen to it.

      The passage is from Prologue II:

      Faust: Töte sie.
      Mephistopheles: Es ist geschehn. Möchtet Ihr das Übrige abwarten?
      Faust: Kaum! – Ich geb mich dir. Aber jetzt – verlass mich.
      Mephistopheles: Nur noch ein Geringes.
      Faust: Fort, fort, fort! Ich kann dich nicht ertragen!
      Mephistophels: Du musst es lernen.

      I will ask Arthaus Musik for uploading a part of this section on YouTube.

      Thomas Hampson at the end of the opera, stunning:
      Naxos Videos Channel:


      Doktor Faust Wikipedia
      Doktor Faust Blu-ray Disc
      Doktor Faust Libretto Stanford

      Posted in Classical Music, Magical, Opera | 0 Comments | Tagged Doktor Faust, Ferruccio Busoni, Listening, Looking, Opera, Thomas Hampson
    • A M Zénon

      • Bruegel
      • Wandering in the World
      • Tolkien The Lord of the Rings
      • Thoughts
      • Erda
      • A M Zénon Wandering in Multi Universes of Mind and Life
      • Blue Woman
      • Only Great Moments
      • Reading Always Reading
      • Venus von Willendorf
      • Beauty
      • Tristan und Isolde
      • Le Nozze di Figaro
      • In a Classical Mood.
      • Fantasia ist zauberhaft !
      • Opera in Daily Life: Don Juan in Hankey, PA
      • Reading in Silence
      • Le Temps a Laissié Son Manteau
      • Fülle des Wohllauts
      • The Woman I recognized at Champmol.
      • Thomas Hampson as Doktor Faust
      • What are Great Moments ?
      • Meeting Jan Six and Rembrandt
      • Dichter und Bauer
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