Renewal

A phrase you might find in a review of a classical music recording is, "It got rid of some cobwebs." This sounds like a good thing, but what does it mean?

When we become too familiar with something, whatever it may be, we tend to lose sight of it. For example, I once heard said about Beethoven's Fifth Symphony that "its familiarity masks its greatness." This seems to be part of the human condition, that we lose sight of that which we value the most by means of experiencing it. The process of discovery is therefore the most inherently enjoyable of all human experiences. But must we simply discard all our treasures that we worked so hard to find?

In human relationships, we overcome this dilemma by creating bonds with our close friends and loved ones that allow us to share a multitude of new experiences together. So, rather than friendship being just the end of a process of mutual discovery, it is also the beginning of a much broader process of discovery - with friends, we set our sights on the horizon and set out arm in arm to conquer the world. As Aristotle said, "Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."

So, how can a beloved work of classical music continue to offer us new experiences? The more familiar a recording or style of interpretation, and the more familiar our state of mind and our surroundings, the more we will lose sight of that work's genius and of its emotional impact. But all it takes is a well-placed light to clear away some cobwebs and present us with something fresh, something new to experience that is different on the surface but the same in substance. This is what a good, new recording can achieve and is one reason why works continue to be recorded over and over again. Incidentally, listening with a friend is a good way to make an old, trusted recording come alive again.