Involuntary encounters with an obstinate tune. The tune known as 'Weber's last musical thought' is not by Carl Maria von Weber, but it is a curious piece of cultural history. With visits to Kierkegaard, E.A. Poe, and Debussy, and a rendition of Erik Satie's Avant-dernière pensée No 2.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Involuntary encounters
06:46 It’s DTPOT… again!
09:06 A déjà vu in Berlin
12:04 Douce et mélancolique
15:24 Irresistible alliterations
16:31 Penultimate thoughts

Text fragments:

C.G. Reissiger, Suum cuique. Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung fur Kunstfreunde und Künstler. Köln 1855 Jg. 3 nr. 29
N. Perry, That Waltz of Von Weber's. Marin County Journal vol. 13 nr. 23, 21-8-1873
S. Kierkegaard, Journals and Papers: Autobiographical, 1829-1848. Edited by Gregor Malantschuk. Indiana University Press 1978.
S. Kierkegaard, Die Krankheit zum Tode [etc.] Edited by Niels Thulstrup e.a. Köln etc. Hegner, 1956.
Th. de Banville, Les Stalactites. Lemerre, 1889.
M. Fuchs, Théodore de Banville, 1823-1891. Cornély, 1912.
H. Berlioz, Mémoires de Hector Berlioz. Levy Frères, 1870.
E.A. Poe, Selected Writings. Penguin, 1967.

Music and sound fragments

C.M. von Weber, Aufforderung zum Tanz. Piano*
C.G. Reissiger, Danses brillantes op. 26 no. 5. Piano* (also: barrel organ and harp)
C. Debussy, Nuits d’étoiles. Véronique Gens, Roger Vignoles. Nuit d'Étoiles: Mélodies Françaises. Virgin Classics 2000
C.G. Reissiger, Danses brillantes op. 26 no. 5. Jacqueline Bonneau. Classiques favoris du piano. Ducretet Thomson 1958
E. Satie, Avant-dernières pensées, nr. 2, Aubade. Piano* (with recitation)

*Lodewijk Muns, piano

That Wild Waltz of Von Weber’s

Lodewijk Muns, musicologist, composer and pianist, discusses topics such as music and memory, music and language, and the limits of music, with the piano at his fingertips.

Beyond the Bony Labyrinth: because the sound that enters our ears only becomes music when we recognize it. Music appeals to our memory, emotions, imagination, and capacity for language.

Philosophy: because it deals with the connections between music and other aspects of life, with clarification, and dispelling smoke screens.

This is the English version of the Dutch podcast Voorbij de oren.

Making this podcast takes some inspiration, a lot of enthusiastic labour, a lifetime of experience and a bit of money. If you’re interested, please consider making a donation. It will help to continue the podcast and means a great incentive for the author.