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Soul Tones (revised) Outside a country fair, he stood spellbound by notes from human throats, babel from brass bands and carousels. Love of polyphony birthed Mahler’s eccentric ensembles of sovereign voices, each allowed to sing its truest tones. Soloists performed wordless dramas composed by one whose expression accepted no restrictions, save those imposed by the soul of art. Rich orchestral sounds revelled in total absence of padded parts. He did not soften dissonance with peaceful harmonic garnish, but bared pointedly jarring parts by excluding sentimental others. His prodigal profusion of polyphony braved perils to his popularity; startling discordant scores formed complex melodic webs. Rapt listeners heard horizontal themes blend with known vertical harmonies. Clarinets abducted from marching bands now invaded proud orchestral precincts; no gloomy atmosphere of funeral march was safe from intrusion of merriment, nor spell of tender moment secure from rude instrumental scorn. Oboes’ high-pitched, poignant pathos sang contentedly in middle register; bassoons, convincing with kept pain, persuaded in a much higher pitch. Contrabassoons sometimes spoke a Mahler-esque remark, alone. Horns had so much more to say-- solo registers emerged soaring, once hidden deep within a chorus, their tragic voices no longer obscured. With din of massed brass and percussion, a tapestry of somber rhythms grew, sharply marked by harsh trombones and trumpets pouring grief in recitative. Colossal structures and song-like themes-- freed at last from tradition’s restraint by Gustav Mahler's soul tones. |
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