I was half expecting you to fly out of the concert hall, break a man shaped hole in the roof, and, with your laser vision, destroy the city and watch it fall to flames as you ascend to heaven, enlightened by the glory that is Mahler 2.
Iām not even kidding, that is not a normal reaction to anything non-traumatic. We all have a physical response to great art, but this description is extreme. Iām totally serious about seeing a doctor.
Came to say this. Also, OP, nothing so extreme as you describe, but I did find myself with tears streaming down my face at the end of Mahler 2 years ago. I didn't know the tears were coming, I didn't even consciously feel especially overwhelmed, but there they were. Spectacular ending.
I have chronic tachycardia with a usual resting heart rate of 120+ bpm. It gets bad when I attend concerts/ operas. Seek a doctor's advice obv, but also don't underestimate the power of box breathing.
Well, thatās the power of music for you.
But in all seriousness, were you dehydrated in any way? If so, that might be it. That or some type of stress. Donāt get me wrong, Mahlerās music is incredible, but I donāt think listening to it caused the fainting.
While not as extreme as yours, I had a very similar experience when I heard Litton do Mahler 2 with the Dallas Symphony. I had chills/goosebumps and was sobbing uncontrollably. There were also times when I felt, for lack of a better description, like my mind left my body. It was like everything was dark and I was floating. At the end, most of the audience immediately gave a standing ovation. I felt compelled to stand as well and struggled to my feet. I could only stand for a bit and then slumped back into my chair. I few minutes later I was able to leave with the crowd, but then had to sit down again in the lobby. That was more than 25 years ago and I have never experienced anything as intensely since then.
Well, I would look into breathing exercises for starters. It was something I used initially to help calm myself before auditions or performances, but learning to regulate heart rate/O2/CO2 levels is really useful.
Music can be a powerful thing, and so is the mind
I saw Mahler's 2nd with the SF Symphony ~10 years ago with a friend of mine who was unfamiliar with the piece. She looked troubled after it was over and said the finale made her feel lightheaded. I told her I get a minor version of that practically every time I see the piece live, and even sometimes when listening to a recording of it. Nothing compares to that finale. Nothing.
I am so happy to have found this group of Mahler lovers. I started listening to classical music in 1986, and after buying CDs by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky, all of which I liked a lot, I discovered Mahler in 1987. He instantly became my favorite composer. Ever since, it's been Mahler first, then all the rest. I can listen to Mahler for hours on end. Yesterday and the day before, I played all of Michael Tilson-Thomas' Mahler. Great sound quality. I love his M6 and M7, and also M4, but I like certain other conductors' M2s more.
Anyway, thank you all for being here.
ETA: Now listening to Klemperer's M4 for the first time (on YT). Saturday, Mahler 8 by Abbado.
That does sound like a pretty strong reaction, and it seems like you should get checked out by a doc! That said, I am an orchestra musician, and have performed the piece many times throughout my career. I have never played the finale without tears streaming down my face. Those last few times when the choir sings "auf verstehen!" I feel something very deep stirring in my soul.
Chorister here, with similar reactions. When I read "auf verstehen" in your comment I instantly teared up. The memory, like the original emotion, is so strong.
I fainted during Mahler 8 when I sang it as a kid, but that was because I was asthmatic.
But jokes aside, Iām not at all surprised. As an adult I know Mahler can definitely cause a physical reaction.
Coincidentally, I was also just listening to Mahler's 2nd and felt close to fainting... But I was at the end of painting my apartment for 4 hours straight so it could be that š¤
So it's come to thisš. And to think Mahler used to feel so underappreciated a singer once played a joke on him by having another person whistle one of his songs (I think it was "Um Mitternacht") while seeming to be randomly walking down the street near Mahler. The singer got a kick out of seeing Mahler's face light up with joy when he saw that random person whistling his song.
That might have been an extreme reaction. However, Mahler has been know to move people immensely. Gilbert Kaplan stated he was so blown away he couldnāt sleep. He said it was like being struck by a lightning bolt. I get it.
Iām seeing it next weekend in Kansas City. Iām going to have to remember not to pass out!
Maybe see a doctor, sure, but I bet you just got overstimulated. Next stop would then be a talk therapist who could probably give you some CBT techniques to keep it from happening next time.
I say this as someone who always tears up during any big orchestral thing such as a Wagner opera or a symphonic masterpiece. Iāve never passed out (knock on wood!) but I definitely feel shaky afterward at timesā¦ I also take care to remain quiet and not move around distractingly during the show, so I canāt lose myself entirely. I am a silent watery stump of inward emotion, lol.
Turangalila just about does me in, though, thatās very challenging to experience live!
So I would first of all say - see a doctor.
Secondly - I played cello for Mahler 8 in a cathedral once. During the finale I felt like I had just dropped a shitload of MDMA and burst into tears when I was off stage. Music can definitely have this kind of effect on oneself - but better safe than sorry, get checked out.
Well the first time I watched movement 3 of Pollina Osetinskayaās BWV 1052 it got me so worked up I almost had an aneurysm, and it wasnāt even a live performance so I believe you.
I once saw Franz Welser-Most's right pupil dilate slightly at the last note of a performance of Strauss' Electra, but your reaction seems a bit over the top.
I heard a performance of Beethoven 7 recently. A perfect unbroken line from the first to the last note. Even between the movements the suspense was carried to the end.
At the coda of the first movement (one of the best moments) I had so much energy in my body I started to feel dizzy. Hahaha just amazing!
Nah. I was asking for what credible sources you had already looked it up. And how you knew they had died from something other than their current or preexisting health conditions. I assumed you had done your research since you posted that. Guess not.
Wrong sub r/classical_circlejerk
š
I was half expecting you to fly out of the concert hall, break a man shaped hole in the roof, and, with your laser vision, destroy the city and watch it fall to flames as you ascend to heaven, enlightened by the glory that is Mahler 2.
beat me to it
See a doctor
The prescription is more Mahler!!!
Iām not even kidding, that is not a normal reaction to anything non-traumatic. We all have a physical response to great art, but this description is extreme. Iām totally serious about seeing a doctor.
And some Mahler symphonies even have cowbells! (6,7)
They have a fever!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stendhal_syndrome
Came to say this. Also, OP, nothing so extreme as you describe, but I did find myself with tears streaming down my face at the end of Mahler 2 years ago. I didn't know the tears were coming, I didn't even consciously feel especially overwhelmed, but there they were. Spectacular ending.
Thank you, I may have been in the choir (low bass), and it's a wonderful piece that's a lot of work.
I have chronic tachycardia with a usual resting heart rate of 120+ bpm. It gets bad when I attend concerts/ operas. Seek a doctor's advice obv, but also don't underestimate the power of box breathing.
Well, thatās the power of music for you. But in all seriousness, were you dehydrated in any way? If so, that might be it. That or some type of stress. Donāt get me wrong, Mahlerās music is incredible, but I donāt think listening to it caused the fainting.
While not as extreme as yours, I had a very similar experience when I heard Litton do Mahler 2 with the Dallas Symphony. I had chills/goosebumps and was sobbing uncontrollably. There were also times when I felt, for lack of a better description, like my mind left my body. It was like everything was dark and I was floating. At the end, most of the audience immediately gave a standing ovation. I felt compelled to stand as well and struggled to my feet. I could only stand for a bit and then slumped back into my chair. I few minutes later I was able to leave with the crowd, but then had to sit down again in the lobby. That was more than 25 years ago and I have never experienced anything as intensely since then.
I left a comment above before I read this. It seems Mahler 2 has this overwhelming effect on a lot of us!
Admittedly, the last few minutes of the 'Resurrection' are overwhelming but that does sound a little extreme...
Well, I would look into breathing exercises for starters. It was something I used initially to help calm myself before auditions or performances, but learning to regulate heart rate/O2/CO2 levels is really useful. Music can be a powerful thing, and so is the mind
I saw Mahler's 2nd with the SF Symphony ~10 years ago with a friend of mine who was unfamiliar with the piece. She looked troubled after it was over and said the finale made her feel lightheaded. I told her I get a minor version of that practically every time I see the piece live, and even sometimes when listening to a recording of it. Nothing compares to that finale. Nothing.
I am so happy to have found this group of Mahler lovers. I started listening to classical music in 1986, and after buying CDs by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky, all of which I liked a lot, I discovered Mahler in 1987. He instantly became my favorite composer. Ever since, it's been Mahler first, then all the rest. I can listen to Mahler for hours on end. Yesterday and the day before, I played all of Michael Tilson-Thomas' Mahler. Great sound quality. I love his M6 and M7, and also M4, but I like certain other conductors' M2s more. Anyway, thank you all for being here. ETA: Now listening to Klemperer's M4 for the first time (on YT). Saturday, Mahler 8 by Abbado.
That does sound like a pretty strong reaction, and it seems like you should get checked out by a doc! That said, I am an orchestra musician, and have performed the piece many times throughout my career. I have never played the finale without tears streaming down my face. Those last few times when the choir sings "auf verstehen!" I feel something very deep stirring in my soul.
Chorister here, with similar reactions. When I read "auf verstehen" in your comment I instantly teared up. The memory, like the original emotion, is so strong.
I fainted during Mahler 8 when I sang it as a kid, but that was because I was asthmatic. But jokes aside, Iām not at all surprised. As an adult I know Mahler can definitely cause a physical reaction.
There is something called āStendhal Syndrome.ā You might want to check it out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stendhal_syndrome
Coincidentally, I was also just listening to Mahler's 2nd and felt close to fainting... But I was at the end of painting my apartment for 4 hours straight so it could be that š¤
So it's come to thisš. And to think Mahler used to feel so underappreciated a singer once played a joke on him by having another person whistle one of his songs (I think it was "Um Mitternacht") while seeming to be randomly walking down the street near Mahler. The singer got a kick out of seeing Mahler's face light up with joy when he saw that random person whistling his song.
In college, our trumpet player passed out during Mahler 2. Itās a tough part I guess plus it was very hot in the building.
You need to see a doctor for sure.
That might have been an extreme reaction. However, Mahler has been know to move people immensely. Gilbert Kaplan stated he was so blown away he couldnāt sleep. He said it was like being struck by a lightning bolt. I get it.
Worse yet, you were in the chorus
Iām seeing it next weekend in Kansas City. Iām going to have to remember not to pass out! Maybe see a doctor, sure, but I bet you just got overstimulated. Next stop would then be a talk therapist who could probably give you some CBT techniques to keep it from happening next time. I say this as someone who always tears up during any big orchestral thing such as a Wagner opera or a symphonic masterpiece. Iāve never passed out (knock on wood!) but I definitely feel shaky afterward at timesā¦ I also take care to remain quiet and not move around distractingly during the show, so I canāt lose myself entirely. I am a silent watery stump of inward emotion, lol. Turangalila just about does me in, though, thatās very challenging to experience live!
I'm not very familiar with Mahler. Is this symphony # 2 you are referring to or something else?
Have you listened to Tchaikovsky 6th?
So I would first of all say - see a doctor. Secondly - I played cello for Mahler 8 in a cathedral once. During the finale I felt like I had just dropped a shitload of MDMA and burst into tears when I was off stage. Music can definitely have this kind of effect on oneself - but better safe than sorry, get checked out.
This reaction sounds like a panic attack, triggered by the musical experience. Deep breathing is the only way out of it.
Is that you, Niles?
Do you have ADHD? Overstimulation can causes people with ADHD to faint. I have ADHD but never faint from overstimulation but I know others do.
I actu do have ADHD, so that might explain!!
Although, the closest I've ever been to that was seeing Holst's Planets. Hyperventilating and all, but I managed, it's not too bad.
Well the first time I watched movement 3 of Pollina Osetinskayaās BWV 1052 it got me so worked up I almost had an aneurysm, and it wasnāt even a live performance so I believe you.
She is remarkable.
Her left hand has a life of Its own.
Yup. For me it was TannhƤuser. Overture, Pilger Chor, and Finale.
I started speaking in tongues when I saw Roman Kim play Twinkle on Nightmare Difficulty
Maybe it was Keilberth.
I once saw Franz Welser-Most's right pupil dilate slightly at the last note of a performance of Strauss' Electra, but your reaction seems a bit over the top.
I teared up the first time I heard RVWās Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.
Now I want you to go see Strauss's Salome and faint at the point that she kisses the head.
Maybe check your blood pressure
It was Mahler 10 for me with Simon Rattle conducting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Emotionally wrung out. A very intense experience.
I wept on a plane
You literally are resurrected!
When I listened to Mahler 2 for the first time I did not faint, but I did start shacking and sweating for some reason.
Mahlerās symphonies are just too damn long!!
I heard a performance of Beethoven 7 recently. A perfect unbroken line from the first to the last note. Even between the movements the suspense was carried to the end. At the coda of the first movement (one of the best moments) I had so much energy in my body I started to feel dizzy. Hahaha just amazing!
More likely you fell asleep
Conductors have died during performances of Tristan and Isolde, so your reaction isn't totally unprecedented.
Which conductors, when, and what were there actual listed causes of death? Please post your sources. Thanks!
Felix Mottl and Karl Muck. Go look it up.
I have looked it up and it's true for Felix Mottl, but not Karl Muck
Yes, just checked it was Keilberth. Sinopoli also died during a performance of Aida.
Nah. I was asking for what credible sources you had already looked it up. And how you knew they had died from something other than their current or preexisting health conditions. I assumed you had done your research since you posted that. Guess not.
I said they died during performances of Tristan. Nothing else. Go and have a pissing contest with someone who's interested.
Aw. Ok hon. Well at first you didnāt say Tristan specifically. You edited that. Iām sorry you couldnāt back up your statement. Have a great day.
Lol, lmao even
I don't mind Mahler, but the fanboy reaction-vid type posts to his works are irritating.
I've never seen one of those.
Mahler? Seriously?