I'll be Bach..

[dubhlinn]

Sorry, but I could not resist the temptation.

I spent some time today listening to the Mass in Bm and the tears were flowing freely. Such a piece of work.

The funny thing is that I am an Atheist but yet I get very emotional about many works of religious music.

I don't believe one word of the sentiment, or thought behind it.. so to speak, but it does move me in ways that other works don't.

This reaction does beg a question.

I'm just not sure what it is.

Answers on a postcard please

Slan,
D.

[emmline]

No postcard Dubh...but of course it stirs your soul. Why wouldn't it? Doesn't matter what beliefs or mindset inspired the composer. Point is, it's an outpouring of his emotions into musical expression, and emotions are universal regardless of one's religious affiliation or lack thereof.

But you knew that.

[izzarina]

Sorry, but I could not resist the temptation.

I wish you had

I don't believe one word of the sentiment, or thought behind it.. so to speak, but it does move me in ways that other works don't.

I don't know if it's always the words....for ME, certain types of music can just touch my soul in ways I don't completely understand. I mean, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture can do that to me at times, depending upon the mood I'm in when I listen to it, as can Beethoven's Ode To Joy from his 9th Symphony. Don't even get me started on Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Heck, when I here Billie sing "I'll Be Seeing You" is always hard to listen to. But only when it's her, so I don't think it's necessarily WHAT she's singing about.

I think that's my round about way of saying I understand what you mean

[Richard Katz]

dubhlinn,

God is pursuing you.

[Coffee]

I don't have an answer for ya Dubh. By an odd coincidence though we've been studying Bach (and baroque period in general) in my music appreciation class of late.
I'd have to say that J.S. Bach is, in my personal opinion, in all of recorded history the single greatest composer.
Goldberg variations anyone? Well Tempered Clavair?
St. Matthew's Passion (I think was the name)?

Who knows why the music affects us as it does. Sufficient enough that it does.
That's what good music should do.

[Lambchop]

dubhlinn,

God is pursuing you.

Beat me to it!

[djm]

Religion had nothing to do with the musical inspiration, of course. Bach worked for a church because that's who had the bucks to employ him. The religion doggerel was just to keep the punters pacified. The music is the music. It needs no reasons or excuses for its existence.

djm

[Coffee]

Religion had nothing to do with the musical inspiration, of course. Bach worked for a church because that's who had the bucks to employ him. The religion doggerel was just to keep the punters pacified. The music is the music. It needs no reasons or excuses for its existence.

djm

Not quite sure about all of that. I've read a few quotes from Bach that make me fairly sure he was a rather devout Lutheran.

[CHasR]

Religion had nothing to do with the musical inspiration, of course. Bach worked for a church because that's who had the bucks to employ him. The religion doggerel was just to keep the punters pacified. The music is the music. It needs no reasons or excuses for its existence.

djm

Not quite sure about all of that. I've read a few quotes from Bach that make me fairly sure he was a rather devout Lutheran.

ah ya beat me to it!

yeah, there's oodles of written evidence that for JSB creating music was communion with his Creator, (and creativity)...it would be very tough to divorce Lutheran piety from the work of JSB, even in a secular moment.

I cant recall any refrence to "pacifing punters with doggerel for a paycheck" in texts or memoirs by JSB. Let me check it out & I'll get bach to you later.





GOTCHA!


ppst...dubhlinn...go listen to something shallow...
sarah palin on flute, maybe...

[peeplj]

There are many fine pieces of human creative endeavor which were inspired by religion.

Religion, however, doesn't own them.

They are the product and property of all humanity.

--James

[Cork]

Ahem...

To my mind there's no question that JS Bach was a gifted composer. Indeed, I have spent many hours over his works.

However, it's apparently also recognized that no less than JS Bach could be suspected of, er, "lifting" otherwise common tunes, for his further use.

So, while perhaps great respect could be due to a master, perhaps it could also be considered that perhaps even he, JS Bach, could have a human side, as well.

;-)

[s1m0n]

The funny thing is that I am an Atheist but yet I get very emotional about many works of religious music.

I don't believe one word of the sentiment, or thought behind it.. so to speak, but it does move me in ways that other works don't.

This reaction does beg a question.

I'm just not sure what it is.

No no, it raises a question. Begging the question is what Sarah Palin is going to do all night long.

~~

But for you, belief and atheism are both functions of the intellect, but music's metier isn't thought, it's emotion.

Bach's music communicates the emotional content of his religious beliefs, not those beliefs themselves. You don't have the beliefs, but you--everyone--has the emotions, and that's what you're experiencing when you listen.

[djm]

music's metier isn't thought, it's emotion.

Excuse me? metier? METIER????

Ya gotta thesaurus up yer butt or what?

djm

[s1m0n]

Ya gotta thesaurus up yer butt or what?

Steely Dan says that Guitar George knows all the chords. I may only know three chords, but I know all the words.

[Joseph E. Smith]

A piece that has always moved me to near tears, is the second movement of Beethoven's 7th symphony. There's a ton of emotion in that one for certain.