Frisson

Goosebumps are passe. One hasn’t lived unless you have experienced what the French call “frisson”. I saw a BBC short reel on a subject that I have been learning more about and I have been introduced to this new word 2 weeks ago. The physical experience the word captures is something that I have experienced before; mostly when listening to music. The interesting idea behind the word does not limit the experience to only music, it could be absolutely anything. 

I won’t get into the sensation and the mental experience. What I can get into to is however the reason for the experience.  I love all kinds of music save probably Rap. The music that really gets me is opera and rock; specifically heavy rock / metal. There is something in the music composed for opera or heavy rock that has me weak at my knees. I am not musically educated and as such the musically educated need to forgive me if I make a mistake here.  Opera and Rock have clear sections that take you thru what can only be called a rollercoaster of an experience. The start is slow and then it reaches a crescendo before slowing down again. The complexity of the rhythm and instruments on which the notes are played is front and centre. There is a movement in Europe that takes popular rock, metal and heavy metal tracks and plays them in the format of an opera. No changes to the notes or the composition - its just the instruments that change. 

My mental state cannot be expressed or explained by me due to a lack of enough words in the language. Frisson is probably the closest word to the experience. The works of Queen, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden , Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd etc played in an orchestral setting need to be listened to by the most devout of rock and metal haters. Nothing else matters on 4 cellos or Iron Maiden played by an orchestra. On the other side the works of Wagner (not a popular person due to his antisemitic  views), Strauss , Tchaikovsky  generate the same mental state. There are so many more musical works that I can think of that have helped me experience frisson. There have also been movies that have made me feel the same; though at a lesser extent.

What is your story ?

C