Hildegaard von Bingen

[Wayne Johnson]

Human beings are capable of producing everything from Buchenwald to Amiens
Cathedral.  Music captures the best of what I would call the "human spirit",
the creative urge or the ability to make something which transcends the
normal, every day experience.  Bach, Beethoven, even Wagner, could do this.
Much of medeval music, with its narrow tonalities resonates with emotional
meaning, many of which cannot be easily....for me....transcribed into words.
Music may be, in and of itself, a transcendant experience. (Rap and muzak
notable exceptions.)  Music approaches or surpasses language as a gateway
into the human mind.  While I certainly don't believe in the concept of a
soul in a theological sense, I sure believe in it in a musical sense. The
Billy Holiday or Louis Armstrong or Aretha Franklin sense of soul.

I find von Bingen's chord structure, harmonics, tonal progression and use of
the female voice a magical experience.  It makes things go "wow" somewhere
in the murky recesses of my aging brain.

Beyond this I can't comment.

wayne
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dian Donnell" <meadow@austin.rr.com>
To: <austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 12:32 AM
Subject: Re: Hildegaard von Bingen


> what means this "very spiritual?"
> d
>
> Wayne Johnson wrote:
>
> > Frances.
> >
> > Hildegard von Bingen was an Abbotess who lived from 1095-1179 and
composed
> > wonderful choral music.  She also published two books on medical
practice
> > and was sometimes counsel to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.    See if you
can
> > find the CD "Tapestry" which is a Telarc label. I find these vocal
pieces to
> > be transporting and very spiritual.
> >
> > Atheistically yours,
> >
> > wj
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Frances Morey" <frances_morey@excite.com>
> > To: <austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:05 PM
> > Subject: Hildegaard von Bingen
> >
> > >
> > > What kind of music does she play? Is it contemporary or period music?
> > > FM
> > >
> > > "Check out the music of Hildegaard von Bingen"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  --- On Tue 03/30, Wayne Johnson < cadaobh@shentel.net > wrote:
> > > From: Wayne Johnson [mailto: cadaobh@shentel.net]
> > > To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
> > > Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:00:55 -0500
> > > Subject: Re: surprise! god is in each of us...
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>