A string quartet confronts a suicide

A string quartet confronts a suicide

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norman lebrecht

March 15, 2018

The Artemis Quartet suffered a terrible trauma when its viola player Friedemann Weigle took his own life in 2015.

Their colleague and friend had been suffering from a bipolar disorder and talked about it with the group, but no-one expected the awful outcome.

Now, for the first time, the survivors talk frankly about suicide and mental health in an interview with Zsolt Bognar.

A compelling video, essential watching for everyone who is involved in music, where so many live close to the edge.

Comments

  • Sharon says:

    Thank you so much for posting this. Mentally ill people can really enrich our lives.

  • Sue says:

    We need ‘awareness’ of mental health? We hear about it morning, noon and night already!!!

    • msc says:

      “Awareness” is not knowing that it exists, but rather how pervasive it is, what it is and what it is not, what it means for people with it, and how to deal with it.
      I would like to watch the video but I have an ad covering half of the “screen” and I cannot make it go away.

      • Zsolt Bognár says:

        Thank you so much for leaving this comment about why the discussion of mental health is important—we do hope all will take the time to watch the story—also we would like to know from the team of the Living the Classical Life show a little bit more about the problematic ad you are seeing—is it within the Vimeo app, or does it appear to stem from this site? Sorry you are experiencing this issue!

  • I.M. Noman says:

    Only 7.6 billion humans on this tiny planet that is for our personal pleasure only. We have to stop suicides!

  • Bruce says:

    Some perspective (not that people like Sue or “Noman” are interested in gaining any):

    https://www.inspiredtoreality.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/howdeepisthemuddependsonwhoyouask-1509940761p8cl4.jpg

  • dar says:

    ‘Who-knew-dept’: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/dangerous-placebos-depressing-thing-about-antidepressants-they-re-placebos-side-e

    Dangerous Placebos: The Depressing Thing About Antidepressants Is That They’re Placebos With Side Effects
    ….A recently published article documents that, in the case of antidepressant drugs, the drugs may be as dangerous as the disease they are intended to treat (Psychother Psychosom 2016;85:270-288). .. Amazingly, up to 43% of people with depression discontinue their medication because of side effects.

    Some of the most common side effects, according to the article, include gastrointestinal side effects, liver toxicity, weight gain, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, eye diseases and suicide.

    http://thefreethoughtproject.com/big-pharma-has-spent-millions-covering-up-suicides-and-mass-murder-caused-by-antidepressants/

    Big Pharma Paid Millions in Secret Settlements After Antidepressants Linked to Mass Murder
    Major pharmaceutical companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars covering up lawsuits over suicides and mass murders caused by popular antidepressants…

    https://davidhealy.org/the-junkies-take-over-the-asylum/#comments
    Dr. David Healy
    Psychiatrist. Psychopharmacologist. Scientist. Author.
    The Junkies Take over the Asylum

  • Marg says:

    As an avid follower of Anthea Kreston’s blog about life in the Artemis Quartet, I loved this – it gave an opportunity to get to know a little about the other players, and to see the Quartet in action was wonderful too. As for the snarky comments above about mental health – thank you to the Quartet for finding a way to share about your former colleague’s struggle in constructive and life-giving ways. People with great artistic gifts so often walk such a fine line in their inner world and are afraid to voice to their struggles for fear of being judged. I hope the Quartet’s openness on this issue can help some who have that same struggle to find an inner peace.

  • Ozzie guy says:

    I wouldn’t normally comment but having lived with Borderline for years, I can say it can be/is a life-threatening disorder without adequate treatment. Happily, I live in Australia and have had the safety net of our healthcare system, however, I’m aware that the privelige does not extend to everyone. I would just express how vital it is that awareness of mental health issues continues to be raised in order to remove stigma and extend support and treatment to all those who need it.

  • Dan Koppel says:

    I’m trying to figure out what is the piece with 2 pianos at the beginning of the video. I know it but can’t figure out. Is it a piano concerto?

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