It is truly incredible how real miracles could happen in the middle of turbulence and uncertainty.
A brief recap: nearly a month ago, just before my 45th birthday, I was talking to my FB friends and mentioned the name of Sven Grünberg, a prominent Estonian composer and an absolute genius of contemporary music. He wrote the soundtrack to one of my forever-favourite movies, “Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel” (“‘Hukkunud Alpinisti’ hotel” in Estonian, «Отель “У погибшего альпиниста”» in Russian), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the Strugatsky Brothers, famous Soviet sci-fi writers (they also worked on the screenplay).
I remember watching the movie as a child for the very first time (I hadn’t even read the book yet), and I loved everything about it: the eerie and uncanny atmosphere, the strange characters and, of course, the music. It was especially powerful, because it sounded like nothing I’d heard before—intense, exquisitely decadent, formidable, heavy in a good way (mighty) and it felt like it deeply resonated with something inside your mind. I would say—and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration I guess—that it enchanted me forever.
Time flies quickly, and I was going about my life, although always—at least once a year—returned to the Hukkunud Alpinisti hotel, and always put on repeat the Ball scene: that was the most beloved fragment of mine (“It is not nice to separate yourself from us, Mr Inspector; I want to dance with you”). How marvellous is that? If you can find something more non-Soviet created at this time (and don’t you forget: it was 1979, when it seemed that the Iron Curtain would be there forever!), that would be Grünberg’s music in all its hallucinogenic, psychedelic, and macabre glory; maybe, just maybe it could be loosely compared with certain pieces by Pink Floyd, although I don’t want to diminish Grünberg’s talent by any comparisons, no matter how legit they might be.
But let’s come back to the current time: so, we were talking about this and that, I mentioned the Hukkunud Alpinisti hotel and Grünberg’s genius in there, and my beloved friend pointed me to an interview with him, which I highly appreciated. And then, we proceeded to this day.
Today I got a parcel from her.
When I opened the parcel, there were two compact discs with the original score recordings to the Hukkunud Alpinisti hotel and the DVD with the movie. All signed by Sven Grünberg himself!
To say that I was stunned, staggered, flabbergasted and astonished (and all that at the same time) is simply doesn’t translate all my emotions. Imagine that you suddenly met a person who has been an icon for you for decades, and this person was kind to you, and talked to you as your friend. That is what happened to me.
But, of course, it would not happen without the magical help of my friend Oksana, who is absolutely precious and made this miracle possible! I am deeply in your debt, my dearest, and I hope that one day I will be able to brighten your life just like you did today for me. Your present is priceless: it means so much to me, to my past and present. My gratitude to you is endless! You are a real angel. Love you.
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