Artist: Filharmonie Brno & Constantine Caravassilis
Album: Sehnsucht Symphony
Label: VU VI VO
Genre: Classical Symphony
It was a slow week for music releases that had any real impact on me. I wasn’t sure what I would be writing about and somehow, fortuitously, a random Instagram-recommended post materialized, recommending a work that is unlike most music I’ve been listening to in the last couple years. After 15 seconds of an initial listen I knew my attention was captured, and after listening to the entire symphony once, I was convinced I’d be writing about it. The desire to share this with whoever I could became paramount. In short, Sehnsucht Symphony is a modern classical symphony in 6 movements, commissioned by VU VI VO Ministries and recorded by the Brno Philharmonic to explore the German concept of Sehnsucht: a profound and inconsolable longing for transcendence or unattainable beauty. How’s that for an unexpected Audiophile’s Burden entry?
There is a lot of curious and interesting detail to unpack here. For example, I learned that VU VI VO Ministries (abbreviated as V3) is a non-profit organization that has a unique perspective to its principles, and in its proselytizing efforts as I understand them: their mission is to “reveal” Christianity through beauty, as evidenced in art, music, literature and the like. For someone who considers themselves agnostic and for whom traditional Gospel and church songs simply do not appeal, this approach does something a bit different, and perhaps even more secular coded in my eyes. The universal language that true art speaks can resonate with anyone willing to listen, whether of the faith or not. What it signifies is up to the individual. Sehnsucht Symphony was inspired by a book written by the head of V3, Zach Elliott and to properly record the modern orchestral work, The Brno Philharmonic orchestra (based in the Czech Republic) was tapped to bring it to life. Brno has been around for 150+ years and is one of the most respected ensembles in Central Europe. Greek/Canadian composer Constantine Caravassilis drove the performance, capturing the thematic journey that showcase clear narrative flow and also boasts some truly beautiful passages.
I must say it’s been many years since I’ve genuinely listened to classical music, let alone orchestral symphonies in their entirety. Truly appreciating this work requires some internalizing and focus; left alone with the full weight of it feels like an elemental experience. The composition itself is comparable to timeless works by composer titans like Mahler (Resurrection Symphony) or Beethoven (5th Symphony). It utilizes a large orchestra requiring 92(!) instrumentalists in an exploration of the aforementioned Sehnsucht: a perceived journey from ignorance/darkness into a new reality, equipped with a deep understanding of self, a profound love for humankind, and inspiration to continue the journey that only a touch of the divine can provide. All of this works on a secular level too - which was the brilliance I found in exploring the symphony, particularly the emotional nadir that is Movement 3 (Adoration) as well as its natural and associated progression Movement 5 (Love). I defy any man to listen to Adoration in its entirety (particularly when the full weight of the orchestra is felt in its second part) and not be genuinely moved.
Movement 5 (Love) builds upon the profound and transformative experience felt for the first time in Adoration and through its broad, sweeping and stabilizing melodies showcases the kind of true and abiding love we all aspire to. The ache that was felt earlier in the symphony has begun to dissipate, but the journey continues.
One element of Sehnsucht Symphony that captured my interest is the fact that despite a powerful and bombastic positivity, it contains many moments of tension and even dread. This is the intentional dissonance of current reality versus an anticipated glory to come. Evidently Caravassilis’ goal was to engage in a musical and thematic battle with the “God is dead” philosophy that inspired Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra. He used grand, orchestral language to portray a perspective of the opposite view. Strauss’ use of darker tonal language to portray the heaviness therein was mimicked by Caravassilis, but his end result was to convey a profoundly serious joy instead of despair.
Thinking of this notion, I was reminded of a profound lyric from the enigmatic David Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand in Dirty Blue: “There is a sorrow to be desired. To be sorrow’s desire”. In the same vein as the symphony, it invokes the kind of profound longing that can lead to spiritual growth. Whether that leads to religious awakening or something entirely different is up for debate. The real question I was left with was this one: is the music a vehicle to interact with the divine, or is the music itself the divine destination, challenging, pushing, and moving the listener in a way unlike most mediums can? Sehnsucht Symphony brought back an appreciation for the purity of the art form that is classical composition for me. I was transported back to my high school days when I was first introduced to this in Music History class as a naive teenager. What a glorious find, one I would highy, highly recommend.
Honorable Mentions:
Artist: Lomsk
Album: Act II – Of Iron And Blood
Label: Vendetta
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Watain, Dark Funeral
Artist: Triumpher
Album: Piercing The Heart Of The World
Label: No Remorse
Genre: Heavy Metal
FFO: Unto Others, Tribulation
Artist: Harry Styles
Album: Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
Label: Columbia Records
Genre: Pop
FFO: LCD Soundsystem, Troye Sivan
Artist: Black Lung
Album: Forever Beyond
Label: Magnetic Eye
Genre: Stoner Doom
FFO: King Buffalo, Green Lung
Artist: Hater
Album: Mosquito
Label: FIRE RECORDS
Genre: Indie Rock
FFO: Wolf Alice, Yo La Tengo
Artist: Yebba
Album: Jean
Label: RCA Records
Genre: Indie-Folk
FFO: Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers
What a thoughtful review & recommendation.