HUBRIS Overweening pride, usu leading to retribution.
Tone Deaf was
born out of a special form of hubris: the belief that I could render the
nature, appeal and effects of music in words. That I could wipe the asses of
others who had tried and failed in this task. That I could, in effect, become
music’s instrument rather than its clerk. High hopes.
I was reminded of
those high hopes after plugging my MP3 player into the French villa’s hi-fi to hear
Elly Ameling’s Exsultate Jubilate. Take the
first bit:
Exsultate,
jubilate,
O vos animae
beatae
exsultate,
jubilate,
dulcia cantica
canendo;
cantui vestro
respondendo
psallant aethera
cum me.
Rejoice, be glad,
O you blessed
souls,
Rejoice, be glad,
Singing sweet
songs;
In response to
your singing
Let the heavens
sing forth with me.
Pretty
good, eh? As to the tune let’s say Mozart rises to the occasion. You want proof? CLICK here for another version by Elly, not quite as good as mine.
Already
I’m cheating. Printing out words, linking the tune - any fule can do that. How about LdP as John the Baptist? That ineffectual voice in the wilderness.
Exsultate
Jubilate should be easy-peasy. Bouncy rhythms, an exhortation we can all
respond to, a short passage of unleashed, extrovert music many great sopranos
have latched on to. Virtuosic but not so it hurts your ears. As is the case these
days I was close to tears.
Then
the retribution. How might I successfully preach this lovely work to someone
who didn’t know it? Using only words. Failure was implicit, then as now. Music
is at its best when shared and the piece itself told me I lacked the ability.
Next stop the Requiem.