Mystery of Musical Creativity

HERMANN BECKH (1875-1937) studied Law and later Sanskrit, becoming Professor of Oriental Studies at the University of Berlin. A master of ancient and modern languages, he wrote extensively on religious and philosophical subjects, including Buddhism, Indology, Christianity, Alchemy and Music. In 1911, he heard a lecture by Rudolf Steiner and was inspired to join the Anthroposophical Society, where he soon became a valued co-worker. In 1922, he helped found The Christian Community, a movement for religious renewal. His many books are gradually being translated from the original German and published in English.

• Introduction by Alan Stott - The Human Being and Music - 1. The Polarity of the Musical Element: the Airy and the Sound-Etheric (the Earthly and the Cosmic Element) - 2. The Two Elements as the Soul and the Spirit of Music. The Two Biblical Creation Stories. The Human Soul-Air. The Fall of Man - 3. The Two Elements in the Music from Bach to Beethoven and Chopin. The Earthly Element - Dust. The recent Epoch of Music - 4. The Two Elements of Music as 'Wind and Wave'.Strindberg's The Dream Play. Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin - 5. The Union of both Elements in the Theme of Longing in Tristan and Isolde - 6. The Motif of Longing in Tristan and Isolde - 7. The Primordial Root va - 'blowing', and the Experience of Pain. The Hibernian Mysteries. The Magic of the Mother. The Christian Mystery and Parsifal - 8. Parsifal. The Starry Quality. Karfreitagszauber and the Liebestod. A 'Super-Tonal' Style. Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. Planets, Stars and the Musical Keys - 9. The Trinity of Instruments: Strings, Woodwind and Brass in Wagner and Bruckner - 10. The Mystery of Death in Tristan and Isolde and Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. The Key of D-minor - 11. Earthly and Cosmic Music. Strindberg's The Dream Play - 12. Novalis. Nature and the Musical Element. The Mastersingers. Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony - 13. The Life of Initiation. Opera and the Musical Future. Novalis and the Musical 'Homeland'. Wagner and 'not music'. Opera and Absolute Music. Mystery Back-grounds. Tannhauser - 14. Mystery Contexts in Wagner. The Mystery of Human Life; Prophecy, Fulfilment and the Future - 15. The Christian Mystery dramatised in Music - Appendix One: Hermann Beckh: The Mystery of the Night in Wagner and Novalis - Appendix Two: August Pauli: Memories of Hermann Beckh. Harro Ruckner: A Memory of Hermann Beckh - Appendix Three: Donald Francis Tovey: Wagnerian harmony and the [possible] evolution of the Tristan-chord. Chopin's Mazurka, op. 68, no. 4, bb. 11-14 - Appendix. Book Reviews: Hermann Beckh: Buddha's Life and Teaching, Hermann Beckh The Parsifal=Christ=Experience in Wagner's Music Drama. Hermann Beckh: The Language of Tonality in the Music of Bach to Bruckner. Christoph Peter: The Language of Music in Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' - Notes - Bibliography

Select Guide Rating