I find doing this quite remarkable, I wish it would actually heal my brain haemorrhage, maybe it will, but it is certainly healing in a profound “spiritual” way if that doesn’t sound too hippie! And it now, after some practice, succeeds in taking me away to somewhere where I can imagine healing is as easy as ABC.

I see just what you mean though with the 3rd. As much as I love that glorious celebrationary ending to the 5th., it does send you to the depths of despair before sending you soaring at the end of your suffering.

I am not being in any way original in recommending Karajan’s recording of the 9th. but even his biggest detractors have to admit it is one of the greatest recordings in the classical music repertoire.

Don’t listen to it in the company of folk who disapprove of men crying though unless, like me, you don’t give a damn about such sillinesses.

I have already, by the way, risked your caveat over the Joni Mitchell, by way of Messrs. Amazon.
Can’t wait to hear it.

I need to give the 9th another shot: I’ve only heard one recording and it’s rather grainy.

Caveat about the Mitchell: as near as I can tell I’m the only person on the planet who believes that it’s arguably her most brilliant album.

I love Mahler 3 too, as you may have guessed. It has certainly helped me a great deal recently.

The tension you mention between Joy and Despair is for me so moving especially as in the end he sides with Joy. Well that’s how I hear it.

“Lust – tiefer noch als Herzelied”
“Joy – deeper still than heartache.”

I love that – especially as Nietzche’s words are set to music which is as chillingly bleak as it is also strangely warm.

How coincidental too that you should mention chakras.

I practise chakra meditation which I find very powerful in just such a way as the music moves me.

So I am at one with you on all of this.

To add to our agreement, I also love the 5th, yes the 8th. too but my first experience of Mahler was a rather ropey recording of the 7th. which nearly stopped me listening to any of the others.

The 9th. and The Song of the Earth, which also has chakra overtones, are also very important to me.

I don’t know the Joni Mitchell – even though I love her music – you have egged me on to finding that recording. Thanks for that, it sounds really interesting.

By the way, what’s with that apology about your views? I really like the cross-cultural references which probably show the advantages in not coming to this music from a strictly academic musical background.

You have made me see the symphony and my chakra meditation differently now.

Thanks for that.

In my mind what makes 3 so special is the way it looks at one thing–the tension between joy and despair, life and death–from 4 different perspectives, rather in keeping with the movement between the chakras in the human body:

1. The level of the earth (movement 1)

2. The level of man and society (2 & 3)

3. The level of myth (4 & 5)

4. The level of that for which there are no words (finale).

In the end it's all one.

The only other example of this approach to music that comes to mind is Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, where each side of the double album looks at the subject of dreams and escape from a strikingly different perspective.

Of course I have very little academic background in music and these views are subjective to say the least.

Ah Mensch…