Since today's date reads as 9/9/09, I thought I'd start off my workday by listening to Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in D Major. Gustav Mahler, not unlike Beethoven and many other significant composers, died after composing his ninth symphony, and the music world soon after coined the title of this post. Mahler's 9th is like an intense morning run for me, which begins and ends rather peacefully, while rapidly fluctuating breaths accentuate its core. Did Mahler and Beethoven know those symphonies would be their last? How would our own work change if we had such information? Not that I'm planning on checking out any time soon, but today as I edit I will strive to leave the best impression possible - it's too easy to just try harder next time, and I'm sure Gustav would agree that nothing really good, is easy.
