Thinking as a partner

Gustav Mahler[1] and Freud’ carefulness.

Original painting by Stefano Frassetto[2].

“Abysses and dizzinesses”[3], sometimes impenetrable, as in the Symphony n°2, enflaming and unreachable other times : Gustav Mahler called Symphonies his own uncontrollable emotions[4].

Very appreciated as a conductor[5], although not so popular among orchestral players due to Mahler’ experimental perfectionism, managed – when youngest but already talented and tireless – to oppose his father Bernard – rough and unfortunately violent man with his own family[6] more than in his grocery store for which he obtained a license in 1860 – and to profitably pursue the musical studies he adored and from which Bernard, who nurtured and financed Gustav’ talent, did give him proud reviews.

Second born with fourteen brothers and sisters, many of whom died in their early childhood, and considering himself a support of his mother Marie, so humiliated and unhappy, the young Gustav soon learnt, in front of choleric outbursts, to keep out himself of them, inventing an ‘elsewhere’ where music “opened the doors of a fairy world”[7] and not accessible to other ones, as in his famous ‘Adagio’ of Symphony n°10.

Once achieved success and reached an unexpected comfort that allowed him not only to lead a lively intellectual and sentimental life in Wien, but also to spend long and profitful summers in the lovely Maiernigg, on Wörthersee lake, where he swam and rowed with pleasure, Mahler did never distance from his pain as it was prolific for his works : he worked in a very little cottage of a few square meters he had built in the wood behind his house, and which also now is proposed to visitors.

He was fifty and with an enviable curriculum behind him, put up note by note, concert by concert, opera by opera without sparing of strength and sentiments. His young wife Alma, which from Latin language is translated with ‘soul’ and that as a middle name was Marie like Gustav’ sad mother, was at that time a very brilliant violinist, sure a lot of men envied her to him : she came into the severe musician’ home, she infact not the least of an undefined number of emotional relationships, so candid and passionate on the musician part, and she accepted at first the solitary habits of a thoughtful composer.

In 1920, as a newlywed, he had finished setting to music five poems of the German Friedrich Rückert and, with a special passion, the one known as : “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen…”, ‘I am lost to the world… and I am resting in a kingdom of peace’ (editor’s note) which brings back an imaginary but possible world also in the daily life, but for the best intellects only.

While identifying himself in a reconciliation of the deep pain to which he did never get up to be able to sublimate it, drop by drop, in a living levitation from which one’s body could slip as a distant echo, he was able to obtain a music which, also through the use of strings and a frequent ‘march’ time, could even be hypnotic.

Physically prostrated by the disease, in 19100 “Mahler sought advice to the Wiener neurologist Richard Nepallek, who suggested to consult Sigmund Freud[8].

Freud was at Leyden, in Netherland. Mahler gli telegraphed to him, Freud answered inviting him to come soon.

Then Mahler, fearing the diagnosis, found an excuse not to go, and so on for three times. Finally,  Freud wrote to him that the last possible chance was the end of August, because then he would have left for Sicily.

Mahler set off with reluctance, and along the way wrote to Alma passionate teenage letters : after all, he perfectly realized their qualities, and with some humour too.

Freud spoke with him in the afternoon of August 26, or 27. They talked about for almost four hours, walking together for Leyden.

Freud reassured Mahler : explained to him that his age was not an obstacle, because Alma in him was looking… his own father, lost too soon. Also Mahler, on the other hand, was looking for his own mother in Alma. When Mahler said that his mother was named Marie, and that Marie was Alma’s middle name, Freud decided that Mahler suffered from ‘Marienkomplex’…

Gustav came back to Toblach more relaxed, but… Alma became definitely the ‘myth of Alma’, and their marital love did translat its earthly reality into a wonderful unreal projection…”[9] According to what Freud reported after their talking, Gustav Mahler knew enough about psychoanalysis[10].

However he never practiced it.

                                      Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio – August 7, 2020

[1] Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Austrian of a Jewish family, was a great musician, also composer and conductor.

[2]Stefano Frassetto is born in Turin in 1968. After his degree in Architecture at ‘Politecnico’ he begun as graphic novelist for local magazines. In the ‘90s he edited in France, on ‘Le Réverbère’ and on ‘Libération’ : then he created ‘Ippo’ for ‘Il Giornalino’ and then the stripe ‘35MQ’ for the swiss magazine ‘20 Minuti’. In 2000 he came into ‘La Stampa’ newspaper as portraitist for cultural page and the insert ‘Tuttolibri’, then for the weekly ‘Origami’. Today he works also for the swiss magazine ‘Le Temps’. In 2022 Frassetto published his first comic review ‘35MQ : 2012/2022 Dieci anni di inettitudine’.

[3] “Mahler. La musica tra Eros e Thanatos”, Quirino Principe 2002 / Bompiani, p.608

[4] The title of this article imitates the refrain of the Italian singer Lucio Battisti song, ‘Emozioni’.

[5] In 1897 he was called to conduct the ‘Imperial Royal Court Opera’, now ‘Wiener Staatsoper’ : in order to accept the job, he decided to be baptized, so converting to Catholicism. From 1909 to 1911, when he died, he was conductor of the ‘New York Philarmonic’, obtaining broad consensus and concerts success.

[6] “Mahler. La musica fra Eros e Thanatos”, cited., pp.86-89

[7] “Mahler. La musica fra Eros e Thanatos”, cited., p.109

[8] Freud was at the time fiftyfour, only four years more than Mahler and already published, among others, “Psychopathology of dailly life” (1901) and “The wit and its relation with unconscious” (1905). Mahler however thought about they both were Jewish by origin and Wiener by adoption, what favoured the musician’s request for that consultation.

[9] “Mahler. La musica tra Eros e Thanatos”, Quirino Principe cited., pp.775-776

[10] “Vita e opere di Freud”by Ernst Jones (1879-1958, neurologist and British psychoanalyst : he was the protagonist in welcoming in England the psychoanalysts persecuted by Nazis; between 1920 and 1939 he founded and directed the ‘International Journal of Psycho-analysis; between 1932 and 1949 he was president of the ‘International Psychoanalytical Association’). Translat. By A.Novelletto and M. Cerletti, Vol. II, Ed. ‘Il Saggiatore’ pp.107-108

“Astarte”, by Andrea Pazienza[1].

Screenshot from “Astarte”, by Andrea Pazienza – ‘Fandango Libri’ (2010).

Is “Astarte” a dream ? Net, impressive, melancholic.

However it is a pleasure when you look at Andrea Pazienza drawing[2]. I hazard : it is even comforting to think that Paz, as he was called, had found at least some satisfacion, even if from blank sheets of paper and large walls. When you look at him, it seems even easy to follow his suddenly sure hand,  intent on making a runaway horse, an armed man, a furious bear.

Astarte is the fighting puppy of Hannibal, excellent African strategist and leader of the Second Punic War (218 – 201 b.C.) : Paz, who comes from a detoxification pathway, gets so passionate about it that he want make out a wonderful story. In 238 b.C. Hannibal had left very young, at nine, from Carthage[3] together with his father, the General Amilcare Barca and his younger brother Hasdrubal, at the head of a mighty army to challenge Rome that threatened them with its power; he had been staying in Italy for fifteen long years, arriving to cross the snow-capped Alps with their African elephants and worrying the Romans themselves, who were already been beaten in Italy several times before deciding to fully commit themselves to annihilate Carthage. As a matter of fact, ‘Storia di Astarte’ relates the preparations and the battle of 217 b.C. won by Hannibal on Trasimeno Lake, as he could take advantage of a local typical mists that enveloped the whole place : since that defeat the Romans decided to change tactic and structure in their army.

And it was already a tradition in any war, for both the opposing parties, to free those enormous dogs, the Molossian from Anatolia enchanting Paz, which were armed with a deadly sword to attack by surprise the horses and the first lined up ranks.

However the giant puppy which is Astarte is likeable indeed, even in the savagery of the battle where, innocent, he is sent. He’s likeable because that youngest patient dog does obey and, differently from the humans who every time make up a new war, Astarte only does what he has been trained to do… “I came back to the cages – Astarte says, exhausted after the battle in the last plate by Andrea Pazienza – where already Baal and a few other dogs were. The proud trainer gave us something to eat and cuddled. While the battle still was raging, me and Baal fell asleep, side by side for the last time…”

The story would have finished at Zama with the first defeat of Hannibal and Astarte’ death but, astonishingly, the narration stops at the victorious battle end. How to reconciliate, infact, the human and introduce it into the story ?

A few days after, the evening of June 16, 1988 Andrea Pazienza died in his beautiful house in Tuscany where he was living with his second wife and their two dogs.

“Comics are an escape… and the word itself, ‘escaping’ is a very beautiful word…” – Roberto Saviano remembers in his ‘Preface’ what Paz said. To be able to tell, infact, Astarte has to approach the author and the author to come inside a little more that giant puppy so far from him, so docile and terrible, so lighthearted and, finally, so cruel.

“…It remains the the handwriting of a child”, Paz admits with reluctance when commenting upon his texts in an interview of 1987[4]. But his graphic sign is not : it was not a child’s sign. “I don’t want to be wrong…” he still says, even better he repeats three times and he appears excessive, as it refers only to something he doesn’t remember in front of the interviewer. “I don’t want to be wrong…” and then again : “I don’t want to be wrong…”

“…For us dogs it’s difficult to come into mens’ dreams, I succeeded with you because I am a very strong dog. And you clearly a very weak man…”, Astarte says to Andrea Pazienza in one of the first plates, here he portrayed himself ugly, with a potato nose and an ordinary look which wasn’t really his own.

Fulvia Serra, former editor of ‘Linus’ who worked together with Paz, comments[5] on Andrea Pazienza’ ability to grasp any tension, any torment from young people, so that appreciation for him still remains today : however, what would be an honour for Paz, instead condenses condemnation, a pressure from many sides, neither collective nor innocent, which would have needed a proper defense, unfortunately not implemented by him.

According to some, he would have revolutionized the comic strip in Italy : according to others, also a ‘genetic’ ability to draw would have made it unnecessary for him to learn, but Paz didn’t disdain it notwithstanding he was easily distracted. Too heavy, intrusive, expensive voices.

Contemporary to him, in the 50s that ‘chicken game’[6] was arising, where the ‘chicken’ was the one who was trying to ‘save’ himself, jumping out of a moving car. And experts today know they can easily predict anything from those who are sensitive to flattery and promotions.

Andrea Pazienza’ biography is a very rapid and exponential hyperbole, between 1977 and 1987 his works were expected and in demand by a number of anxious clients : this young author, shy and perfectionist, who called himself ‘lazy’ has instead passed very quickly through cinema[7], teaching[8], journalism[9]. Paz however offered only whereas a bloody challenge had to be met, a duel which make bleed profusely, a hand-to-hand conscientious and lacerating.

Astarte is a monster with whom Andrea Pazienza maybe would have liked to make peace : but no peace is possible, by keeping the monster.

A totem, as a matter of fact, is not an ordinary enemy.

                                           Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio – July 20, 2020

[1] “Astarte”, ‘Fandango Libri’ (2010) from “Storia di Astarte” (1988) by Andrea Pazienza, Preface by Roberto Saviano.

[2] ‘Fumettology’, October 23, 2014 ‘Rai4’.

[3] “Vite degli uomini illustri”, Cornelio Nepote, Chapter II.

[4] Interview April 4, 1987 by Carlo Romeo, director of TeleRoma56, then broadcasted again also by Rai3 a few years ago.

[5] Andrea Pazienza was 21 in 1977, being born in 1956.

[6] “…In ‘Rebel without a Cause’ (transl.: ‘Gioventù bruciata’, a film of 1955), a few teen-agers in Los Angeles are driving towards  the cliff, winner will be who can jump out the car at the last minute”, p.85 “Calcoli morali. Teoria dei giochi, logica e fragilità umana”, by Lazlo Mero - Ed. Dedalo Bari 2012.

[7] Andrea Pazienza is the author of the poster for ‘La città delle donne’ (1980), directed by Federico Fellini.

[8] In the early ’80s Paz had been teaching at the ‘Libera Università di Alcatraz’ (Gubbio-PG), directed by Jacopo Fo.

[9] In 1980 Paz founded the monthly magazine ‘Frigidaire’, which also his friend Tanino Liberatore worked for, former colleague at the College they both attended in Pescara : for ‘Frigidaire’ Andrea Pazienza created the very negative character of Zanardi, but Paz considered his own ‘alter ego’.

Sigmund Freud, ‘Letters to his fiancée’ (1883)

Original painting by Stefano Frassetto[1].  The painting in the background is ‘Christ of the tribute, or of the coin’ (1568) by Tiziano Vecellio (now at Dresden, ‘Gemaeldegalerie’).

“My dear love,

(…) Another painting enchanted me, ‘Christ of the tribute’ by Tiziano, that I already knew but without particularly noticing it. The head of Christ, my dear, is the only likely one that we can believe had such a man. Even I felt like I had to believe that he had been so important indeed, because the representation is so successful. And in all of that, nothing divine, a noble human face very far from beauty, and severity, innerity, depth, a superior gentleness, a deep passion; if you cannot find all this in that painting, then physiognomy doesn’t exist. I would have gladly taken it away, but there were too many people : young English women copying, or sitting and speaking softly, or walking and watching. Therefore I walked away moved…”

Sigmund Freud, ‘Letters to his fiancée’ - December 20, 1883

Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio - June 14, 2020 Sunday

[1] Stefano Frassetto is born in Turin in 1968. After his degree in Architecture at ‘Politecnico’ he begun as graphic novelist for local magazines. In the ‘90s he edited in France, on ‘Le Réverbère’ and on ‘Libération’ : then he created ‘Ippo’ for ‘Il Giornalino’ and then the stripe ‘35MQ’ for the swiss magazine ‘20 Minuti’. In 2000 he came into ‘La Stampa’ newspaper as portraitist for cultural page and the insert ‘Tuttolibri’, then for the weekly ‘Origami’. Today he works also for the swiss magazine ‘Le Temps’. In 2022 Frassetto published his first comic review ‘35MQ : 2012/2022 Dieci anni di inettitudine’.

When describing the construction of the huge temple of Solomon[1] king, around 950 b.C., the Bible returns it with a barely accurate value of three : but is certain that it was known already 5.000 years ago, as the ancient Egyptians were able, thanks to it, to draw and to measure the course of the Nile river, whose regular and devastating floods were twisting the geography of the local sites.

However it wasn’t yet named until 1706 when the mathematician William Jones, establishing his value equal to 3,14159 periodic, called it π – maybe the initial letter of ‘perimeter’ which in Greek language sounds περιμετρος – and Euler[2] adopted the symbol in 1737, so rapidly spreading it as a standard.

Since the beginning described as a numerical ratio, constant and mysterious, between the circumference and its diameter, for dozens of centuries π was singled out as 22/7. You can even say that the most ancient definition of π – able as it was said ‘to link the earth to the sky’ – marked the beginning of the Geometry too, a science not requiring a priori theories but effectively conjugating the abstract figures with the livable reality. The critical issue of the borders – always forebonding of risky enmities – at last did find a solution with the science of Geometry, thanks to the areas and solids measurement which well represented Countries and properties to be defended. If a flood of Nile, when receding had changed the geographic feature, the technical measurements before the event returned the reality and a social peace : but that ratio, so constant and ‘unfinished’ and also connecting every bend, halph-spheric then, of the river with its diameter was amazing any incredulous technician in the ancient Egypt.

More over, they started when reporting to their seniors, and the seniors whispering to the highest officials, and up to the divine Pharaoh, why in that mysterious ratio any string of numbers could be included, any formula and even complex simulation were included, without no explanation at all…

Reality was incredibly of a divine lowered among humans and hidden, although present - who know how long and what other forms - incomprehensible but representable, therefore a mistery and a treasure that the society of the Pharaohs was able to to well sip in the centuries, so granting submission and governing too.

In 1906 as a matter of facts, the discovery of a written page was finally enlightening about the goals achieved using the rule of the lever to calculate areas, volumes and centres of gravity : it was the ‘Letter about the method’[3] which Archimedes[4]  of Syracuse, a rare scientist and devoted to the monarch and tyrant Gerone II[5] who couldn’t do without him, wrote to Eratosthenes[6] of Alexandria in Egypt, director of the richest Library, right where Archimedes had studied thank to the subsidy of Gerone.

Studying in Egypt, Archimedes[7] could get to analytical tests, datas and very ancient and precious documents which opened the way to a new method, the one to demonstrate a theory by mechanical entities : covering a spiral, for example, let measuring its perimeter, nearest to a circumference which so linked with any curved line and even to the straight, which is a special case of the curved one. And the point itself, then ? Try to measure it without at least you can imagine to zoom it.

We still wonder that Archimedes couldn’t take advantage of algebraic or trigonometric information, because he derived each of his own results by only geometrical media, then surfaces and solids which allowed him to get to concluding theses, and so finally establishing the ‘infinitesimal calculus’ and the ‘limit’ : the circumference was certainly formed by an infinity of equidistant points from a single centre, but it could be assimilated to an ever increasing number of polygons with equal sides, i.e. very regular and in increasing number, and themselves stackable to the circumference, so prooving measurable and no more mysterious indeed.

A proved scientific nature of the motion became preferable to the incomprehensible and unrelated immobility of an abstract, and divine, a priori. 

We can say that π has been able to split its audience between aggressive theorists, who always point out issues still open, and on the other hand users, simply thankful for the service offered by this humble value.

Will this be how we govern ?

                                               Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio - May 31, 2020 Sunday

[1] J.J.O’Connor / Honorary Senior Lecturer in ‘Computational Algebra’ e E.F.Robertson / Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at ‘School of Mathematics and Statistics’ - University of St. Andrews (Scotland) are the authors of ‘A history of Pi’ / Agosto 2001 : they cite a verse from the Bible which is both in ‘Book I King 7, 23’ and in ‘Book II Chronicles 4, 2’.

[2] Leonhard Euler (1707 Basilea, Swissland –  1783 Saint Petersburg, Russia), mathematician and physicist, often known as Euler.

[3] The page was at first titled ‘The method of Archimedes of the mechanical theorems, to Eratosthenes’ by the researcher Heiberg who found it at Istanbul, mixed to other papers : the paper is also the Premise to the Treatise of Archimedes ‘On spirals’.

[4] Archimedes ( 287 b.C. – 212 b.C.) was born and dead at Syracuse, in Sicily but he stayed for a long time in Alexandria of Egypt to finish and perfect his studies.

[5] He too from Syracuse (308 b.C. – 215 b.C.), Gerone seized power with the support of the popular classes, but he didn’t twist any law or preceeding institution : so that any ‘tyrant’, in a city-state like Syracuse established by former Greek colonists, was accepted in the Greece of VII and VI century b.C. and by the authorities of Athens too.

[6] Eratosthenes of Cyrene (Cyrene, 276 b.C. – Alexandria of Egypt, 194 b.C.) was a mathematician and a famous geographer : he was appointed as Librarian of the Library in Alexandria of Egypt, the most important Library of the ancient time.

[7] I’d like to cite the interesting Exhibition 2019-2020 ‘Archimedes at Syracuse’ with the machinery of Archimedes but wooden reconstructed to be ‘touched’ and very ‘clapped’ indeed, at the ‘Galleria Civica Montevergini’ in Syracuse-Ortigia, attended by Giovanni Di Pasquale and with the scientific advice of G. Voza e C. P. Voza.