Bowing out with Beethoven: read this incredible and heartbreaking concert story
12 October 2015, 12:22 | Updated: 12 October 2015, 12:41
A user on social media site Reddit has shared an unbelievable story of a tragic but poetic death at an orchestral concert in Berlin.
Here’s the whole story, posted by Reddit user Effii:
It's a bit of a tearjerker/life-affirmer.
You can read the whole thread here.
Reddit reacted with their own suggestions
The reaction has so far been huge, with many other users suggesting their own favoured pieces to listen to during their final moments. Here are some of the best:
We've picked some more...
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
The one that kicked the debate off, and it’s easy to see why. The tortured anguish of the opening movement kicks off from the very first entry, the famous ‘fate knocking at the door’ motif eking out that very human struggle. And it gets darker - the third movement is one of Beethoven’s darkest. But then, majestically, the C major finale provides the ultimate redemption, a thunderbolt of humanity and a cathartic release.
Mahler - Symphony No. 2 (‘Resurrection’)
Perhaps it’s an obvious choice given the subtitle, but this is Mahler at his most triumphantly human. The narrative of the whole symphony lends itself perfectly to considering life and death, but it’s that monumental ending that suggests death maybe, just maybe, isn’t quite the ending we all fear it might be.
Jenkins - Benedictus
Contemplating everything all at once in one very simple cello melody - perhaps only Karl Jenkins could do this. From that lonesome cello solo to the choral explosion that comes at the very end, it’s hard to think of a more appropriate modern piece to bow out with.
