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Mahler’s symphony ‘Nachtmusik’ to stream amid summer night

Mahler’s symphony ‘Nachtmusik’ to stream amid summer night

Posted July. 12, 2016 07:50,   

Updated July. 12, 2016 07:58

한국어
Mahler’s symphony ‘Nachtmusik’ to stream amid summer night

In this season, night seems to be friendlier than daytime to people. Scorching sun and heatwaves chocking our body during daytime can be forgotten for a while when cool breezes blow at night. While avoiding outing during daytime, people can take walk amid evening winds. It would be great if mosquitos do not bother you.

Artists will present ‘night music’ that they have saved to play in a season like this. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a number of ‘Serenades’ comprised of several movements. Serenades mean ‘evening songs’ in the first place, and they used to be love songs that were sung by a man while playing the guitar in front of the girlfriend’s home in Italy.

Since this genre originated from "outside the window," Baroque composers developed serenades for outdoor performance for evening, in which drums (percussion) and horns (brass wind instrument) are played in harmony, and such music would be mostly performed under brightly burning torches. Mozart’s serenades that succeeded those songs give the impression that it is felt like very bright and intense somehow, as well the emotion of serene night.

The most famous in this genre is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K.525. The song is not entitled as serenade but the title as described in German already indicates serenade. Anyone who enjoys this music is also advised to listen to "Serenata Notturna" in D major K 286 by Mozart.

This may sound somewhat irrelevant, but I think Symphony No. 7 Nachtmusik by Gustav Mahler was also created from the tradition of serenades. The song was written more than one century after Mozart’s era, and is a very long song that lasts for 80 minutes, but this music reminds listeners of many things in common in that it presents the same feeling of serene night, followed by exorbitantly intensive feeling in the closing movement. The song is also interesting because it entails performance of the guitar and mandolin, which is unique for a symphony. They are "musical instrument of southern countries," which are popular in Italy and Spain where the tradition of serenades originated.

The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Mahler’s "Nachtmusik" to be conducted by Park Young-min at Bucheon Citizens’ Hall in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. It would be great if you enjoy "chicken and bear" under bright street lights at a place near the concert hall after being deeply touched by the performance. Please be aware of mosquitos.



유윤종 기자gustav@donga.com