Music is the mirror which most perfectly reflects
man's inner being and the essence of all things.
Ruskin saw clearly that he alone can love art
well who loves better what art mirrors. This may
5especially be applied to music, which offers, as
Beethoven has said, a more lofty revelation than
all wisdom and philosophy.
Having no model in nature, being neither an
imitation of any actual object, nor a repetition
10of anything experienced, music stands alone among
the arts. It represents the real thing, as
Schopenhauer has it, the thing itself, not the
mere semblance. Were we able to give a thoroughly
satisfactory explanation of music, he declares,
15we should have the true philosophy of the universe.
"Music is a kind of inarticulate, unfathomable
speech, which leads us to the edge of the
Infinite, and impels us for a moment to gaze into
it," exclaimed Carlyle. Wagner found in music the
20conscious language of feeling, that which
ennobles the sensual and realizes the spiritual.
"Music is the harmonious voice of creation, an
echo of the invisible world, one note of the
divine concord which the entire universe is
25destined one day to sound," wrote Mazzini.
Literature is rich in noble definitions of the
divine art.
The tendency to manifest feeling by means of
sound is universally admitted, and sound,
30freighted with feeling, is peculiarly exciting to
human beings. The agitations of a mob may be
increased by the emotional tones of its prime
movers, and we all know that the power of an
orator depends more on his skill in handling his
35voice than on what he says.
A craving for sympathy exists in all animate
beings. It is strong in mankind and becomes
peculiarly intense in the type known as artistic.
The fulness of his own emotions compels the
40musician to utterance. To strike a sympathetic
chord in other sensitive breasts it becomes
necessary to devise forms of expression that may
be unmistakably intelligible.
Music is often mentioned in literature as a means
45of discipline, inspiration and refreshment. We
read in Homer that Achilles was instructed in the
art that he might learn to moderate his passions;
Pythagoras, father of Musical Science, counseled
his disciples to refresh themselves at the fount
50of music before retiring to their couches at
night in order to restore the inner harmony of
their souls, and to seek strength in the morning
from the same source. Plato taught that music is
as essential to the mind as air is to the body,
55and that children should be familiarized with
harmonies and rhythms that they might be more
gentle, harmonious and rhythmical, consequently
better fitted for speech and action.
"Song brings of itself a cheerfulness that wakes
60the heart to joy," exclaimed Euripides, and
certain it is a large measure of joy surrounds
those who live in an atmosphere of music. It has
a magic wand that lifts man beyond the petty
worries of his existence. "Music is a shower-bath
65of the soul," said Schopenhauer, "washing away
all that is impure." Or as Auerbach put it:
"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday
life."
An art that in some form is found in the varied
70activities of all people, at all times, must be
the common heritage of humanity. "It does not
speak to one class but to mankind," said Robert
Franz, the German song writer. Alexander Bain
called it the most available, universal and
75influential of the fine arts, and Dr. Marx, the
musical theorist, thought music beneficial to the
moral and spiritual estate of the masses.
Truly indeed has it been said that its
universality gives music its high worth.
80Mirroring neither your inner life alone nor mine,
but the world's essence, the transfiguration of
what seems real, the divine Ideal, some spark of
which glows in every bosom, each individual may
feel in it whatever he is capable of feeling. The
85soul's language, it takes up the thread dropped
by words and gives utterance to those refined
sentiments and holy aspirations words are
inadequate to awaken or express. Its message is
borne from heart to heart, revealing to each
90things unseen, according as it is prepared to
receive them.
As a means of culture music is a potent factor in
human civilization. It is destined to wield even
greater influence than has yet been known. It has
95become the household art of to-day. As it enters
more and more fully into the heart of the home
and social life it will more and more enrich
human existence.
Music kindles our finer sensibilities and brings
100us into an atmosphere superior to that which
ordinarily surrounds us. It requires wisdom to
beautify commonplace conditions with what has
been enjoyed in aërial regions. Rightly applied,
music can lend itself to this illumination. As it
105is better known, its advantages will be more
completely realized.
(Source)
Music is in nearly all households these days, which makes it a part of the daily lives of a large and diverse group.
Music appeals to our purest selves and allows us to rise above the difficulties and impurities of daily life.
Music appeals to our souls due to the great many references in music to the difficulties of daily life.
Music is in most households these days, which makes it a nuisance for people of all walks of life.
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The most accurate summarization of the passage is:
Music appeals to our purest selves and allows us to rise above the difficulties and impurities of daily life.
This statement aligns with the passage’s emphasis on music's ability to elevate human experience, foster joy, and serve as a means of expression for deep emotions and aspirations. The other options either misinterpret the passage or do not capture its intended message.
1 answer
2 answers
1 answer
1 answer