The Pianist and The War

Memories and Hopes of War & Melodies

“There are eighty-eight keys on a piano and within that, an entire universe.” Said, James Rhodes.

For the first time ever, I heard that “universe” in his house and saw a piano… I felt as if the light was pouring into my soul through the music. I stood still, I couldn’t move, I listened completely, and I wished the music, Woven of cotton and clouds, would never end. It was as if I were Odysseus and his crew who narrowly avoided being smashed into the rocks as they were so attracted to the voice of the sirens of the islands of Capri. The sound of that music still lingers in my memory after all these years, like a sweet apple, like the flavor of the lips that we love, and tender as the hearts soaked in the wine of love. Chopin’s Nocture was the music of that day played by Khaled, a friend, a neighbor, and an amazing pianist.

“There’s nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” Khaled used the words of Johann Sebastian Bach to “ underrate” all the great performances he used to do and repeated all the time “ it is not a big deal….right timing and the right key…..such easy thing”

“ Easy….” I used to think and remember my horrible story of failure with the guitar where there was absolutely no “ right” time or right string.

Growing up, Khaled went to Germany to study piano academically and achieved great success. Having a real life was impossible for him due to his obsession with the piano. His life was a disciplined and focused one around the piano and piano practice time. Everything was in order like the white and black keys of a piano, forgetting that there is another life beyond the piano “castle”. The colors of that life were not black or white, but shades of grey, like those of London’s sky. As Maria Cristina Mena said, “The piano keys are black and white, but they sound like a million colors in my mind.” Khaled lived in this universe of colors that the piano offered, but this made him so sensitive to the breezes and winds that blew through life’s windows and doors.

As the revolution against dictatorship began in Syria in 2011, Khaled was one of those supporting the right of people to a democratic state and equality. Khaled started to compose some music in support of the right of the people and motivate them in the same way Chopin supported the Polish rebels during his short life against the Russian occupation by composing some polonaises. The words of Frederic Chopin describe how he used to act and behave “ sometimes I can only groan, suffer, and pour out my despair at the piano.”

Khaled with his hypersensitivity suffered from the complexity of the revolution and the war in Syria. He dealt with it as he used to do with sheet music. His fight would cover too many fronts: refugee camps, prisons, chemical weapons victims, etc. The lack of success brought a lot of pain and frustration to his heart.

Khaled used to repeat the words of Andre Segovia: “The piano is a monster that screams when you touch its teeth.” The piano seemed to be a “cute” monster when viewed within the context of the Syrian tragedy and the monsters involved in it. It is not to undervalue the gentle power of music and art but despite their importance, you must remember that beautiful masterpieces cannot save nations alone ( so many other factors should be available to let the magic happens). In response to Franco and his allies bombing Guernica, a Basque town in Spain, Picasso painted the Guernica. Despite Guernica’s reputation and recognition, Franco still won that war and remained in power for over 40 years.

Khaled's heart became a field of bitter despairs and it was too much pain to be handled by him. In November 2015, his heart played its last symphony and his heart was silent…..but not forever.

Two things helped me deal with the loss of such a great artist and human: my belief that death is only what happens to those who end up in the grave of forgetting, not a physical grave; and, secondly, I have a piece of music that Khaled composed and asked me to keep until the day when the sun of freedom rises above Damascus and this piece is played in the opera house, and Khaled’s heart will be heard once more against death and ugliness like the beautiful “ Nocturne”.

Subhi Najar is an Alchemist of words, Little Prince, Public Speaker, storyteller, content Creator, and war survivor.

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