 |
| Picture by Aki Kaarakainen |
I come from a very musical family. All of my siblings play at least two instruments. Music education was expected from me as a child, so at the ripe old age of four, I started my education. First it was just piano lessons. Then we added music theory and a children's choir. After that came the flute. Then music history. All this while I also had the regular curriculum for school. I felt a closer connection to music than I did to most people. One of the composers I became very familiar with was Jean Sibelius. He is a national hero for us Finns. His music is part of our brain cells. If you don't revere his music, you're unpatriotic. I can hum most of his works to myself, including four of his seven symphonies. One of the pieces dearest to my heart is one of his violin concertos. Even as a small child, I felt drawn to it. It calmed me down, when I felt overwhelmed and couldn't sleep. It comforted me when I was stressed out with school. It made me feel better when I was depressed. When I was in high school, I hear a version of it that was so masterfully played that it branded into my brain until I could summon it back into my mind any time I wanted. It was played by a German violinist Anne Sophie Mutter. Knowing how much effort it takes to be the best, I have a lot of admiration for her talent. She brings the notes alive so that I can almost smell the lakes and woods back home. I can see the midnight sun behind some trees and a lake while there is a fine misty fog on the water. I can hear a moose skaddumpple around in the woods, breaking everything in its path. A fish splashes the surface of the water while trying to catch insects flying in the air. I can feel the cold water around me when I go skinny dipping in the misty water. The combination of Sibelius and Mutter is superb. It is the perfect thing to tell everyone where I came from.
 |
| Picture by Vastavalo.fi |
No comments:
Post a Comment