How Brahms kept me centered in a time of terror
In 1982, Cinda Yager found herself terrorized by a strange, threatening caller. To help herself stay calm and brave, she turned to the music of Johannes Brahms.
When reading a good book, the world picks itself up and rearranges things into a different perspective. Music does that too. When combined, the two are amazing conduits to spaces that are timeless and wholly dreamy. You can find these spaces in these five compositions.
I'm hard-pressed to think of a more relaxing piece of music than Gabriel Faure's Pavane. The orchestral arrangement, taken at a slow, deliberate but delicate tempo, always puts me in a pleasingly melancholy mood, its gently swooning main melody being perfect for a quiet rainy day or an afternoon free of classes.