13 Comments
User's avatar
Laura's avatar

If generous and thoughtful and living fun is to be found, it's definitely going to be in the arts. Thanks for a terrific essay (and for improving my musical education).

Expand full comment
Ben Sims's avatar

putting the scores in your pieces is so helpful

Expand full comment
Dave King's avatar

Great essay, very funny and moving ...and my heart goes out to all of you in the US after the election - but the consequences are going to be worldwide. I love Missy Mazzoli's music (and I love any music about Heartbreak) - where can I hear this one?

Expand full comment
Jason Dineen's avatar

Really enjoyable to ride along as you think through the music. I also really appreciate your use here of “flooding the zone” which has unfortunately been buzzing in my head for the past week for all the bad reasons coming out of D.C. Here’s to keeping a broader context and as you say about Mazzoli’s piece, Looking Up

Expand full comment
Robert Dvorkin's avatar

Thank you, Jeremy, for this beautiful and far-reaching essay. These days, out of some misdirected sense of self-preservation, I rarely finish an article, but I’m so glad I stuck with this one for the money-shot, you should pardon the expression: making sense of the second movement of Beethoven Op. 110, a piece I’ve just started. The perspective you give it is perfect, and now I’ll stop avoiding it. (All the other stuff about the piece, politics, and romance is good stuff too.)

Expand full comment
Brooks Riley's avatar

Music matters.

Expand full comment
Brad's avatar

This post was delightful, thank you. And “Wallowing with Mahler” would make a fantastic title to a comic one man show!

Expand full comment
Jeremy Denk's avatar

Thank you and also for the suggestion!

Expand full comment
garelickjon@gmail.com's avatar

Wonderful essay. An now the lazy man's question: Have you committed the Mazzoli "Heartbreaker" to wax? I'd love to hear it.

Expand full comment
Jeremy Denk's avatar

Not yet but hopefully soon

Expand full comment
Ann DuHamel's avatar

The Denk Ten Commandments, I love it. Maybe it’s this pisco sour talking, but I’d print them out, frame them, and hang them in my office.

Now adding this piece to my long bucket list of pieces to learn …

Expand full comment
Vinnie Sperrazza's avatar

Magic piece, thank you!

Expand full comment
Steve Hicken's avatar

Wonderful post!

Expand full comment