Author Susan Cain defines “bittersweetness” as “a state of being or tendency” that is characterized by “longing, poignancy, and sorrow." In this state, we become “acutely aware of the passage of time and experience a piercing joy at the beauty of the world.” Just like the central thesis of Milan Kundera’s masterpiece, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, contrasts “lightness” with “weight,” Cain recognizes that “light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired.”
A recent performance I attended, “In Concert for Israel,” illustrates how trauma inspires bittersweetness. Music inspired by historical events such as the Holocaust and the Six-Day War of 1967 have become fertile grounds on which composers can experiment with shades of lament, and turn “bitter” (the trauma) into “sweetness” (the melodious tunes that commemorate the triumph over adversity). Movie music from Schindler’s List and popular songs such as "Lu Yehi" (All We Pray For) by Naomi Shemer and "Livkot Lecha" (Cry for You) by Aviv Geffen in the concert program are inspired by sorrow and longing after experiencing loss.
During the concert, cellist and composer Tamar Sagiv performed two pieces of music that she composed. The interpretive power of Sagiv’s performance was conveyed by her dynamic body language. Her narration of the stories behind her compositions was the icing on the cake.
Some say that music is an abstract form that is often best appreciated as a self-contained art form. Absolute music, i.e., music without alluding to extra-musical contents, embodies this aesthetic principle. However, great music (e.g., Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Chausson’s Poême, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade) is sometimes programmatic. A compelling storyline that is communicated in the form of descriptive concert program notes or is narrated by a natural storyteller enhances the audience’s understanding of such compositions.
Sagiv told a story about how studying music abroad made her unable to spend time with her grandmother when the latter was in a critical condition. Within 10 days of Sagiv's return to Israel, her grandmother passed away. The composition “Shades of Mourning” germinated as Sagiv witnessed the last struggles of her grandmother and came to fruition during her mourning. Her second story concerns estrangement from those whom she thought were her true friends, but when crises arose, they went their separate ways. Thus, “And Maybe You Never Used to Be,” has a questioning undertone. The composition process, in both instances, made her process her lament and transferred those feelings into music that healed her and others experiencing similar sentiments.
Sorrow and longing may be aesthetically pleasing. However, to be a creator, one must also face their inner demons. Sometimes, the emotions evoked by certain life experiences are too painful to revisit. Those who have the courage to face those experiences come close to the creative breakthroughs of turning sorrow and longing into great art.
While an artist’s ingenuity gives them the first spark of inspiration to channel their sorrow and longing into the creative process, it takes introspection to dig deep into their memory to process the heavy emotions associated with past traumas. Introspection requires the ability to look inside ourselves and to delve deeply into our psyche to find solutions to the challenges we face. As illustrated by Sagiv’s narrative, it was in moments of mourning, nostalgia, and solitude that she made herself whole by creating music that tells compelling stories and transcends her loss of a close family member and the ideal of what friendship ought to be.
How Sorrow and Longing Can Make Us Whole
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20.11.2023
Author Susan Cain defines “bittersweetness” as “a state of being or tendency” that is characterized by “longing, poignancy, and sorrow." In this state, we become “acutely aware of the passage of time and experience a piercing joy at the beauty of the world.” Just like the central thesis of Milan Kundera’s masterpiece, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, contrasts “lightness” with “weight,” Cain recognizes that “light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired.”
A recent performance I attended, “In Concert for Israel,” illustrates how trauma inspires bittersweetness. Music inspired by historical events such as the Holocaust and the Six-Day War of 1967 have become fertile grounds on which composers can experiment with shades of lament, and turn “bitter” (the trauma) into “sweetness” (the melodious tunes that commemorate the triumph over adversity). Movie music from........
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