Kudos to Moose for his musical "so long" on the old forum, a whimsical adaptation of Danny Boy.
Danny Boy, if you'll bear with me, has a place in my family. I hope I haven't posted this here before.
It was my Dad's favorite melody, from long before my parents met.
Mom was on track to be a concert pianist. She was a third generation student of Franz Liszt.
Her favorite piece, also from before my parents met, was Chopin's Prelude in C# Minor, Opus 45. When she played that Prelude I always heard the same story as far back as I can remember. Somber and moody, family is gathered except for absent members, perhaps at war. Nobody knows their circumstances.
Then comes a ringing phrase electric with joy. All is well and family is reunited. The piece ends on once again mysterious tones, like life ending behind a veil, and family is forced to part again.
The day of my Mom's memorial service I heard her Chopin playing in my mind's ear. At a particularly bad moment I realized that ringing phrase that had lifted my soul for 50 years was a direct musical quotation from Danny Boy, "It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow."
My Mom's signature work was an outgrowth of my Dad's favorite melody, each drawn to different interpretations of the same music long before they met. I didn't hear the connection until that day I really needed something to lean on.
Danny Boy was first published about 50 years after Chopin's death, but the musical quotation is nonetheless real. Danny Boy is based on a song called A Young Man's Dream, popular during Chopin's time and containing that same ringing phrase.
Danny Boy, if you'll bear with me, has a place in my family. I hope I haven't posted this here before.
It was my Dad's favorite melody, from long before my parents met.
Mom was on track to be a concert pianist. She was a third generation student of Franz Liszt.
Her favorite piece, also from before my parents met, was Chopin's Prelude in C# Minor, Opus 45. When she played that Prelude I always heard the same story as far back as I can remember. Somber and moody, family is gathered except for absent members, perhaps at war. Nobody knows their circumstances.
Then comes a ringing phrase electric with joy. All is well and family is reunited. The piece ends on once again mysterious tones, like life ending behind a veil, and family is forced to part again.
The day of my Mom's memorial service I heard her Chopin playing in my mind's ear. At a particularly bad moment I realized that ringing phrase that had lifted my soul for 50 years was a direct musical quotation from Danny Boy, "It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow."
My Mom's signature work was an outgrowth of my Dad's favorite melody, each drawn to different interpretations of the same music long before they met. I didn't hear the connection until that day I really needed something to lean on.
Danny Boy was first published about 50 years after Chopin's death, but the musical quotation is nonetheless real. Danny Boy is based on a song called A Young Man's Dream, popular during Chopin's time and containing that same ringing phrase.
