The Many Faces of Death
This post isn’t meant to be morbid; I just want to point out how an artistic idea can grow, bloom and flourish. In chronological order:
- Date unknown: humans or pre-humans become aware that they everyone will eventually die
- Ancient: humans create artwork depicting death and the afterlife
- Medieval: poetic idea of “Dance of Death” – no matter what one’s station in life is, we begin and end the same
- 18th c.: Matthias Claudius writes the poem “Death and the Maiden”
- 1817: Franz Schubert writes an art-song (in German, lied) using Claudius’ poem (you can hear it here)
- 1824: Schubert writes a string quartet, whose second movement uses the same music as the art song he wrote seven years earlier
The quartet is a lengthy piece, and was written just four years before the composer died, at 32 years old. I’m not sure if he saw death dancing at his door at the time; not many of us know when, but we all know that he will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NKEHosQf2k
7. afterthought – 1971, George Crumb‘s piece Black Angels quotes “Death and the Maiden” and freaks us all out big time.
Not even you, Erik, can make me listen to 35 minutes of a string quartet! I look forward to tomorrow’s piece. On a lighter note, your photo with the cup of tea never gets old!
Erik, I don’t always take the opportunity to read your posts, but I get to them frequently and enjoy reading. This one’s fun. I wonder if Schubert’s use of Die Forelle in his string quintet is related, aside from the obvious betrayal, to the notion of death, as well. Certainly, we can presume the trout dies, perhaps SPAWNING (sorry) the concept of “sleeping with the fishes.”