Music That Moves You
Found in: Miscellany & Merriment
Recently I went to a wonderful concert featuring trio Ensemble Liaison. They comprise a pianist, a cellist and a clarinettist, and for a classical group, they show an admirable sense of adventure. In the first half they collaborated with Australian jazz legend Tony Gould on a second piano. The bill featured some of my absolute favourite classical pieces (Satie, Debussy) adapted and improvised to in various ways. But it was the breathtaking Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt that moved me to tears. The sublime beauty of this deceptively simple piece, overlaid with Gould’s rich and subtle chords and melodic embellishments, just rang a personal bell for me. You can download a copy of the original version, with violin instead of clarinet, at iTunes.
Someone else may have been quite bored by that piece, but it’s that deeply personal, individual experience that makes music so special. It inspired me to publicly ask a question I often ask individuals: what was the last piece of music that made you cry? And, briefly, why?
I’d love to hear from readers their personal stories of the emotional impact of individual pieces of music. Perhaps your feedback might provide some insight into the unique and subtle ways that music can tease out hidden emotions in each of us.
I know that it’s a big question. How complex is the interplay between the experiences we go through each day and the music that accompanies them? How much is our response to a song influenced by the way we view life and how much does music influence that view? There will perhaps never be a definitive answer to that question, but perhaps we can learn a little more about music or ourselves by asking it.
Click on the comments link below to share your stories. And if you haven’t been moved by a musical event lately, have a look at YouTube.
