Thread: Classical Spirituality

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/ar...it_th_20120726

Amen! I'm surprised this concept hasn't been explored more: different faiths being represented by their best composers. Musicians have always transcended dogmatic barriers, like Heinrich Schutz, the Protestant, who learned from Monteverdi, the Catholic.

Originally Posted by Manxfeeder

Amen! I'm surprised this concept hasn't been explored more: different faiths being represented by their best composers. Musicians have always transcended dogmatic barriers, like Heinrich Schutz, the Protestant, who learned from Monteverdi, the Catholic.

And look at next year - Buddhism. Now, that is really branching out. It is the same in art. While there is much great music and art in Europe/America, there is so much in other countries that we know little or nothing about. This does my heart good.

It's a heartwarming concept, and I hope it helps to not just build/rebuild bridges but also sustain existing ones. Nevertheless, I was still annoyed by the reference to the London disruption of Barenboim and the Israelis - were these idiots aware of Barenboim's work with the West-Eastern Divan and/or were they just the usual Highgate set being fashionably right on until it was time to dash home once the chablis was at the right temperature?

Then on the atheist program they can play some Beethoven and Zappa :3

Originally Posted by BurningDesire

Then on the atheist program they can play some Beethoven and Zappa :3

And Berlioz. Don't forget Berlioz.

Originally Posted by BurningDesire

Then on the atheist program they can play some Beethoven and Zappa :3

Beethoven was an atheist?

Originally Posted by MelloHero

And Berlioz. Don't forget Berlioz.

And you'd have to have Delius' Mass of Life for the grand finale.

Originally Posted by Manxfeeder

Beethoven was an atheist?

I've read that somewhere. I've also read something on a fundamentalist christian site about him writing letters about his belief in a god, but I don't put alot of stock in fundamentalists, and even if it were true, it only proves he's a deist, not that he's of any organized religion.

Originally Posted by BurningDesire

I've read that somewhere. I've also read something on a fundamentalist christian site about him writing letters about his belief in a god, but I don't put alot of stock in fundamentalists, and even if it were true, it only proves he's a deist, not that he's of any organized religion.

Haydn called Beethoven an atheist, however I have seen this dismissed as over-piety on his part. Beethoven was not an out and out atheist - the fundamentalists are correct - whether or not he was a deist I can't comment. He was nearly excommunicated once, but he avoided it. He does talk about God however, in his letters etc. He died as a Roman Catholic.