Florian Lang

Säntisblick

I originally composed the music without any images in my head. The foundations of the piece are two melodies that haunted me during a leisurely hike. I derived the rest of the piece from these two melodies.

In retrospect, however, the piece could tell the following story: Cool fresh mountain air drifts through the valley. Wisps of mist rise from the hilly forests as the hiker sets off. High above, the summit can be glimpsed. But it is still shrouded in soft clouds. The hiker sets off with great enthusiasm and anticipation. He whistles a lively tune as he covers the first few meters of altitude.

On reaching the tree line, the hiker takes a break. His gaze wanders over the hilly landscape that opens up at his feet. The beauty of the Swiss mountains continues to fascinate him. He spontaneously yodels a few bars to himself before moving on. Now comes the strenuous part. Many hairpin bends, stones and other obstacles make his progress difficult. The momentum from the start is still there and the beautiful landscape still stretches out behind him. And yet he is beginning to feel the strain of the hike. The closer he gets to the summit, the more he feels his legs. At the same time, his anticipation of the magnificent view that awaits him increases. Once he reaches the top, he is filled with a joy, pride and gratitude that only those who have climbed a summit themselves can understand.