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Odes to Joy

The Great Gate in Kiev
Listener Submission: Wedding Music You Wish You Could Have Played

I married my best friend in the house of the cousins through whom we met. Though the string quartet that played that lovely April day did a magnificent job, I always wished a bride could walk down the isle to "The Great Gate in Kiev" by Mussorgsky. Imagine the thrill!

Sunlight streaming in through the stained-glass windows onto hundreds of musicians and attendants. Gleaming brass contrasts the soft hue of wood and string. Bows in simultaneous motion as the piece progresses to its dramatic ending. As the timpani and chime enter, the bride takes her first heart-stopping satin step. In this rite of passage, each measure draws her closer to her life as wife, lover, soul mate, companion, and friend. Crescendo and diminuendo, accent and slur, Andante and Allegro swirl bride and groom in an embrace to last of lifetime. Indeed, "The Great Gate in Kiev" musically alludes to the journey of married life.

Kathleen L. Hansen
Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota Public Radio