While perusing past entries of the Recovering Choir Director, I happened to stumble upon this post by Erik Keilholtz. Here, Erik wades into deep waters, probing the question of the inherent morality in different kinds of music.
Music is a complicated matter, and what I have written here barely scratches the surface of what one needs to know to be informed what is at stake. This post, then, is my introduction. I am currently working on a gigantic work on the Theology of Art, and a third of it is dedicated to music (painting and bullfighting make up the rest, at least for now, although food seems to be on the sidelines taunting me, daring me to ignore it).I figure that anyone who can, with a straight face, put bullfighting in the same artistic category as music and painting, must necessarily have an unique and interesting perspective. No offense intended against that contingent of my blog readership with an affinity toward the sport.
In this first entry, Erik gives us a foundational understanding of the concept of "dissonance", which is critical to the understanding of the larger topic at hand.
I am actually being quite boring in my approach. Mostly Aristotle, Aquinas, Bonaventure, that sort of thing. I put bullfighting squarely in the camp of music, as it is fundamentally about proportions, with some gestural rhetoric thrown in for good measure.
Anyway, thanks for bringing this up, as I am still amazed to hear otherwise smart people talk about the moral danger of listening to Tchaikovsky or Charlie Parker or whatnot, and the fact that they know almost nothing of music theory (or in the case of graduates of a certain beloved school in Schloss Katolische, nothing of music theory and little of philosophy).
Dear readers:
I would tend to concur with Mssrs. Keilholtz and Rex that a broadscale rejection of dissonance in sacred music would be foolish and shortsighted.
Igor Stravinski's "Symphony of Psalms", (and his "Otche Nash" [Eng.: "Our Father"]) Arvo Part's "Passio" (Eng. "Passion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ"), and even Sir John Tavener's "The Lamb", I believe are sufficient exceptions which would disprove the proposed rule.
I have noted, however, that in each of these works, the dissonance is most effective in presenting the brokenness of human nature, and works most successfully in sacred music when the dissonances finally resolve into harmony.
I would like to say, however, that I have some strong doubts as to whether non-melodic structures like Schoenberg's "tone rows" or other "developments" in serial music would have any place in sacred music. If anyone would have any contrary opinion, or more importantly, would be able to show examples where serialism was successfully used in a sacred work, I would appreciate hearing about it.
I have decided that I do not have enough basic knowledge to have the kind of high level conversations that you all are about music and art. I simply know what I like and what I don't, and I have a feeling for what belongs in the context of the Mass and/or other worship, and what is not appropriate. But I can't give you much of a philosophical basis for it.
Now, if you were to ask me about birthing babies........
Dear Alicia:
My apologies for the high-flown rhetoric of my previous entry, if it was a cause of offense for you. Sometimes it is good to remember that just as there are some unfortunates that carry a tune like a concealed weapon, there are others who try to batter other people over the heads with their education.
Translated into english, I was saying that the sacred music I listed in my previous entry used dissonance, and yet was both beautiful and prayerful. I also stated that I could not find modern serial or "atonal" music that was beautiful and/or prayerful, but that I would be happy to listen to any music that anyone could recommend.
not offended at all, just making a comment about my relative lack of education in one field. I mean, I sing, I play a couple of instruments and I have 2 semesters of music theory (undergrad level) under my belt, but I can't say that I really know the tech stuff. furthermore, I don't have the time or inclination to really study it. Were I to try to learn anything musical right now, it would be how to read the chant neumes.
When I get into my own fields of expertise, I can be just as obtuse as the best! Fortunately, my patients have a way of bringing me down to earth and forcing me to explain stuff in simple common language. But get me in a room with a bunch of midwives or OBs and out come the $64 words.
Wow, wow and wow.
Never thought to be reading such stuff.
It is difficult for me to continue reading a conversation that began with a trashing of Brahms, but per my confessor, i am working on tolerance. (I find I can even love people who enjoy Paulie Shore movies.)
Working with several different choirs, I am finding the least sophisticated (least "tolerant?") attitude toward dissonance among Middle Schoolers. I attribute it to their listening habits.
(But I am in a mood to blame everything on rock and roll that I don't balem on politicians.)
My 70 and 80 year olds, and 7 and 8 year olds, ("mine?" arrogance...) are much more open, but attempts at learning works where the sops and alts sing tones a second apart infuriate or "bore" the 13 year olds. Demonstrations that what sounds "wrong" resolves in the next measure get nowhere.
A relatively simple song (and very beautiful, IMO,) that does not end on the chord they "want to hear" (I am thinking of Schalk's "Now the Silence,") is rejected out of hand, as "stupid."
Their younger brothers and sisters are much more adventuresome, but soon THEY will own iPods, and be lost...
Pop music (post 1960 at least - Cole Porter is not in this camp) is the epitome of how a lack of dissonance is deadly.
I don't like Brahms as a rule. There are exceptions, though. My dislike is partly based on theory (objective, or at least quasi-objective) and the fact that I lived with a string quartet that played a lot of Brahms. I never got sick of the lead violinist always practicing Stravinsky's Violin Concerto, but I sure did get sick of Brahms. It was almost as bad as listening to the composer housemate's boring music as rendered on his computer. That was intolerable.
I think that 12-14 year olds definitely have the narrowest range of tastes in general. It is part of the "fitting in" process. Anything that smacks of the unusual makes them worry about being seen as geeks. They are the most affected by mass media and advertising.
Greetings, folks. Interesting thread. Bernard wrote:
"I have noted, however, that in each of these works, the dissonance is most effective in presenting the brokenness of human nature, and works most successfully in sacred music when the dissonances finally resolve into harmony."
I wonder if the dissonance of some of Bach's crucifixion settings was a conscious rendering of this, or whether the dissonances were simply meant to convey pain, i.e., less theological freight.
Bernard continues:
"I would like to say, however, that I have some strong doubts as to whether non-melodic structures like Schoenberg's 'tone rows' or other 'developments' in serial music would have any place in sacred music."
Perhaps they would do nicely for setting texts from Ecclesiastes. Wandering around, vexed, without resolution... Self-appointed tone rows could also be seen as little tyrannies of the will, or products of sheer will-to-power. These would be of limited use (the kyrie?), granted, but why rule them out?
Incidentally, too much unresolved dissonance sounds heavy-handed when used for obvious effects. To my ear.
Related: pan-tonality could be thought of as "pre-tonality." I know of a fascinating piece by Orlando di Lasso which renders the prophecies of sibyls before Christ in roughly pan-tonal form. There is a good recording by the Hilliard Ensemble of this "Prophetiae Sybillarum" on the ECM label. It's an interesting episode in music history and has a good story behind it.
I wonder of a similar approach could render Old Testament texts...
Atonality or pan-tonality would not do as well, I suspect, for rendering specifically Christian dark nights of the soul, which in their tempestuousness are still oriented toward God.
.02,
Anthony
Dear Anthony:
Thank you for your thoughtfilled (and thoughtful) comments. This is one of the many reasons (besides the astute comments of the respective weblog hosts) that I enjoy reading and commenting in and concerning Mr. Rex's and AAE's weblogs.
Regarding your comments on Bach's crucifixion settings, I suspect that Bach's motive for using dissonance in his Passions was to express pain, but I would not be surprised if there were deeper motivations. It would be worth listening more critically to them for that purpose.
Regarding Atonality/Pantonality being used as a mark of willfulness, while again I have my doubts about its use for Ecclesiastes, I have no doubt that A/P could be used for a dramatic reading of portions of the book of Job, or for depictions of the Devil or of Hell. As a matter of fact, I recall that the film composer (Toshiro Mazayumi) in John Huston's "The Bible" made considerable use of atonality for the serpent's temptation of Eve, and for George C. Scott's rant when he, playing Abraham, was commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac. If I recall correctly also, that rant was a pastiche of quotes from Psalms and Job. Perhaps atonality could be used in a work on the Temptation of Christ, in the portions where Satan speaks.
Thank you for the recommendation of di Lasso's "Prophetiae Sybillarum". I've liked just about everything that I've heard of the Hilliard Ensemble. I'll try to give it a listen.