Romance and partnerships are what immediately come to mind when hearing “love” in February, but this compact little word is so much more complex and holds a multitude of meanings. You can love your significant other, your family of origin, your family of creation, your chosen family, your friends, and your dog. You can also love your neighborhood, your community, and those you teach or help. And, you can feel love for a little boy in a blue bunny hat who you’ve only seen on television, or for two strangers who are grieving the murder of their child, a healer whose last words to were to ask if someone was okay. Love can be romantic, platonic, hopeful or painful; it can be joyfully exuberant, or quietly steadfast. Today’s piano selections offered a glimpse of some of the ways love can appear in our lives: a promise, ardor, care, compassion, the sacred, healing, and affirming.
Make You Feel My Love is surprisingly simple in its presentation. There is no flowery language, dramatic imagery, or big musical/emotional climax; instead, the song is a quiet vow of steady, enduring love. Bob Dylan wrote this contemporary standard, but rather than hoarding the recording rights, he shared advance copies of the music with other artists, and the world was first introduced to Make You Feel My Love by Billy Joel. Bob Dylan eventually released his own performance, and as the song became a hit, countless other musicians covered this song, drawn to its tenderness and statement of unconditional love.
To Love You More sharply contrasts Dylan’s song about peaceful and plainspoken love with its sweeping, romantic intensity. Originally written as the theme song for a Japanese TV drama, it skyrocketed to the top of the charts around the world and is now one of the signature power ballads that Celine Dion is known for. With its theatrical dynamics, virtuosic vocal writing, and impassioned lyrics, To Love You More is a declamation of passion being shouted from the rooftops. Its energy and momentum are perpetual, and the fervor of both the text and music propel the song to its end, never relaxing.
Burt Bacharach’s What the World Needs Now Is Love asks us to think of love as a necessity; not just a personal emotion but a universally shared good that the world cannot function without. Its easy-going melody, conversational feel and repetition throughout the song send the message home that yes, “what the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some but for everyone.”
Elaine Hagenberg’s stunning O Love is probably the least known of all the music offered today but in the choral world it is considered a contemporary masterpiece and has been sung by choirs around the world. Its reverent text and luminous setting invite reflection and even played as a piano solo without lyrics, the harmonic dissonances and their resolutions evoke sighs that always transform into hope. The lyrics are based upon text by 19th-century Scottish minister George Matheson. Matheson’s words were originally sacred in nature, but can hold meaning for anyone whose heartache has been healed by love.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thy ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seeks me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
The smooth groove of the Bee Gees’ How Deep Is Your Love reframes the age-old query: I love you…do you love me? This question really is many questions wrap into one, as it is also asking: Do I matter to you as much as you matter to me? Can I trust you? Am I safe with you? Will you leave me? Does my happiness – or sorrow – mean anything to you? Feeling loved isn’t just something that gives people a warm fuzzy feeling; it provides security, strength, and hope. Feeling loved is more important than ever in the world we live in today. In addition to make sure that the people we care about know that we love them, performing acts of love – to those in our lives, to strangers, to whole communities – is a way to deal with our frustration, our fear, our insecurity. We may not be able to solve homelessness, erase racism, or provide justice for all who have been wronged…but any difference we can make, no matter how small, is putting love into action. Whether in personal relationships, in community, or in the pursuit of social justice, let’s answer the question “How deep is your love?” with both words and deeds.