Of course, it’s the title of a book and a movie, and I was in Crete lately, not in Venice. And I’m still alive!
But when I was sitting at the beach almost alone and as I felt this total solitude, how beautifully it came to my head once the scene of the end of Luchino Visconti’s masterwork, when Dirck Borgarde in the movie: Death in Venice, as Gustav von Aschenbach (actually Gustav Mahler) sitting in his chair in the last minutes of his life, regards the perfect beauty, I thought; isn’t it an ideal death?,,
I don’t know if you have seen this film or are interested in such neorealist Italian movies (I love them all!). It was made in 1971. I saw it some years later, the interesting mix of three Genius Artists: Thomas Mann, the writer, Luchino Visconti, the director and Gustav Mahler (I think he had a unique view of beauty). It makes perfect sense!
Oh yes, the Beauty is, as I think, the most adorable questionable issue of all time! I say this because I, myself, am not and will never be a homosexual, though I had a lot of homosexual friends in Iran.! And I must say that they were all artists. Therefore, we have the same view on beauty, no matter what kind (you can understand what I’m talking about). Beauty was the matter.
In this movie comes first the Author, Thomas Mann https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Mann. He was a homosexual. Gustav Mahler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Mahler I don’t know if he was!? Luchino Visconti was a man who recognised beauty. I know that because I know some movies by him, especially Conversation Piece. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation_Piece_(film)
I can imagine that this one is unknown or might not be so famous, at least for you; as I may be allowed to mention, we, as artists, tried to survive in Iran. The bread was not the problem, but the lack of Art was the main one. That was the motive for us to catch up with all the good things which had to do with the arts. Therefore, we swallowed all the arts at any time (come what may). You know, in those days, Art had a meaning!
And I meant Art; I am convinced that Art is a gracious presence, or “the presence” of God, and it helps us without hesitation find our path, the way to a certain aim. That’s all I can imagine.
In this movie, Luchino Visconti chose an excellent set for his film; Burt Lancaster, an old master of the act. And Helmut Berger, an outstanding actor (plus a handsome Dorian Gray)
Look (searching) for the Beauty “In Meinem Lied”…
By making this video, Stephen Van Woert explains that Gustav Mahler (whom Visconti asserted to be Aschenbach in the film) composed “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” (“I have become lost to the world”) in 1901, ten years before his untimely death. He said of this music, “It is truly me!” The words are from a poem by Friedrick Rückert. If you want to understand Mahler and Aschenbach, you must understand the song’s meaning. Here is a translation:
I have become lost to the world Where I formerly wasted much time… It has heard nothing from me for so long… It may well believe me to be dead… It is of no concern at all to me If it takes me for dead
[These two lines are omitted from the video: I can’t at all contradict it, For in a real sense, I am dead, dead to the world]
I am dead to the world’s turmoil And rest in a quiet realm. I live solely in my heaven, In my loving, In my song!
That’s all about Arts and nothing else 🙏💖🙏😊
lampmagician 
Stephen van Woert made some truly beautiful videos on the topic of Tadzio and beauty. One of them had the music background of the Ronnettes track, “When I saw you.” Others had great classical accompaniment beyond Gustav Mahler. All were very well made and respectful of the topic. There was the sense that Stephen knew the essence and power of beauty and the schism between the viewer and the viewed.
I was quite fascinated by those YT videos and was able to engage Stephen, via the ‘comments’ in a conversation on the topics of beauty, Tadzio, and on those artists leading up to the movie,” Death in Venice.” Fortunately I was able to save the entire coversation to a file outside YT. I say ‘fortunately,’ because, over night, all of Stephen’s productions were suddenly taken off YT as if they had never existed. I know Stephen was 76 years old or so, because I told him I was one year older. I cannot imagine why such meticulously and beautifully made work as Stephgen’s vidoes, which attracted far more views than any other contributions to the Tadzio topic, suddenly disappeared. He gave no indication of that at all. I also did not kow he may have been an artist. And I wish I knew more about him in general. I occurred to me that he may have died and all his net presence was deleted by relatives as a result of it. It would have been great to know just a little more. Anyone knows something, you can contact me on Nickdotmayncatgmaildotcom.
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Thank you for your kind and informative comment. It’s a pity to lose such a beautiful work. I hope there will be a way to retrieve it soon.🤙🙏
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