Saturday 18 August 2007


It was quite late, yesterday arvo, when Steve, my neighbour from over the back fence, called out to me. I'd been aware that he'd been using lots of 'toys' in his back yard nearly all day....mower, whipper-snipper, chain saw. He apologised for the fact that his yard had been invading mine, in the guise of passionfruit vine, alamanda and some other thriving vine or creeper. I am ashamed and embarrassed to say I hadn't even noticed that they had taken possession of the back fence and the roofs of my pergola and shed!! So, it goes without saying that I also hadn't noticed that he had removed this jungle whilst playing with said power toys!

After he'd basked for a while in the glow of my grateful thanks and mutterings about the great job he'd done, he said something along the lines of " Oh, I love your eclectic taste in music".

Now, I proudly admit I've always had a fiercesome and well-deserved reputation for "sharing' my music with anyone living within a two kilometre radius of my place. But I don't really know Steve all that well and, frankly, I wondered if he was having a go at me! That got me thinking as to what I'd just been listening to.Then I realised.....it was my Most Best Favourite piece of music, OF ALL TIME and FOREVER. Something I've listened to, heard and seen in performance loads of times, but which still completely reduces me to a sobbing, heaving wreck with an breaking heart on each and every occasion. Perhaps it would also be close to the top of most people's most loathed music, and no doubt has caused many of my neighbours over the years to slam shut all doors and windows, and insert industrial-strength ear-plugs.

It's the Liebastood sung by Isolde in the final minutes of Richard Wagner's opera, "Tristan und Isolde". As she is dying, she sings over the body of her dead lover, Tristan.( That's the loving couple in healthier times in the title picture.) Yes, yes, I know, not everyone's musical cup of tea. But it is mine.

So, it then got me to wondering what is your special piece of music or song, that always has an extraordinary effect on you, that provokes that "tingle factor" each time you hear it?

10 comments:

inspired said...

;o]

Marie said...

The picture is very beautiful. I wouldn't like to have to listen to all these machines all day. I would prefer Wagner although to me his music a little bit too masculine...... I admire his music a lot but I prefer listening to lighter musics... But I will borrow the CD of Tristan and Isolde next time I go to the mediatheque. I want to know it better (thanks to you).

There's no accounting for tastes :-))

Marie said...

Dear Cabacurl, I dont really understand the word delusion. Is it an equivalent to illusion????
Have you read the words of the opera?

NorthBayPhoto said...

Great photo and wonderful article. As for a song that puts a "lump" in my throat, it would have to be One Tin Soldier (written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter) and first performed by the Canadian band, Original Caste.

Thanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.

GMG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GMG said...

Great post! Liebestod! When I read that, said to myself: great piece to ear now! That's what I'm doing: Herbert von Karayan, Berliner Philarmoniker, Chorus of the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, recorded 1974, EMI... Speechless!

CaBaCuRl said...

Great as always to read your comments BUT NorthBay was the only one so far to tell me about her special music. I now want to try and find it so i can hear it...maybe YouTube?

Please tell me your's!

Marie...I'll go to your blog and leave a another comment there.

GMG....how fantastic...a German band and singers!

Jules said...

Hi cabacurl
I love Grieg's Peer Gynt Suites Nos 1 + 2,
Ediaf Piaf gives me goose bumps
I adore The Chieftans
Josh Groban is sooo romantic
but I am a Van Morrison girl thru and thru

S H A H said...

hiii
I enjoyed reading your blogs. I hope you dont mind 2 accept me ur freind :)))

Frm another site of the world

S H A H

Catherine said...

Hi Cabacurl,
Thanks for visiting my blog and for your nice comments!! I have enjoyed visiting your blog..and was honored to see you added me to your list of links! Visit again soon! Sounds like you live in a beautiful place! I love the ocean! And your name for your blog is so neat...glad you gave the definition for it..I had no idea that a perfect wave is called a caba curl...very interesting! Love learning new things! I will have to visit again soon! Thanks again!