Training Log Archive: iansmith

The opening theme and horn solo to Bruckner 4 is hauntingly beautiful. I don't think the symphony is as poignant or powerful as Mahler 9, but it's still magnificent. Apparently the opening theme was intended by Bruckner to indicate sunrise. I have also heard the horn solo near the beginning of Brahms 1 described as sunrise, but I don't think that was intended by the composer. It's also more limited in scope than Bruckner's, which I find more reminiscent of the glorious opening to Strauss's Alpine Symphony. I think Strauss takes longer for the sun to rise than the actual sun does. Yet the result is overwhelming.

Also, for any of you who haven't yet seen it, check out the music video of David Bowie's Space Oddity performed by (Canadian) Commander Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station. It's becoming something of an internet phenomenon, with over 14 million hits on youtube in eight days.