We were glad to welcome new attendee Lucy to our session today, where we discussed pieces that were influenced by folk music. We heard music inspired by many different cultures - Norwegian to Spanish to southern USA. Some composers were inspired by folk tales, or used pre-existing folk songs as main themes in their work; some used traditional modes or instrumentation. All explored a complex relationship between their national roots and the modern music of their times.
Lucy played us an extract from Mahler's 2nd Symphony, while Alessandro told us the story behind the song which the extract was based on - a preacher who had no congregation, so he went to the nearest river and preached to the fish. The preaching was great, and the fish loved it... and predictably, went back to sinning just as before (as only fish know how...?!). The lighthearted orchestration of this theme enhances the comedy of the story, which starts at around 05:45:
Comments