Lodewijk Muns

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)

Piano: Lodewijk Muns