Music, a way to heal despair

Everything that is true of a painter, who is a visionary by way of his art, can be said of all the great artist in the proper development of each of their arts. The musician, thanks to the development of his art, can live in his own world: a world of rhythm, of harmonious sounds, of song. He carries in his heart, in his entire being and life, his passional, imaginative, spiritual sensibilities; he is in an ecstatic state, so to speak, a new universe of harmony and everlasting grandeur. He is completely captivated in his sensible and corporeal being: he dances. He thereby escapes the sadness and despair of a world that is so often sad! Man needs to proclaim, to shout, the deepest desires of his heart by singing, by dancing. Playing different instruments, the depth of his heart vibrates in harmony with his idealized yet so true universe. He becomes a child of the universe once again, completely sensitive to its life, its breath, its tenderness, its strength, its brilliance and its profound silence! Through song, dance and music, he can proclaim how much he quivers to the call of the universe, the ocean, the mountains, the desert. And through his art he can communicated between men; it calls to battle by awakening their anger, their revolt, but it awakens their religious sentiments also, which is magnificently expressed in certain psalms:

Alleluia! Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary;

Praise him in his might firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his exceeding greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with timbrel and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD! Alleluia!

Musical art-the art of song and dance- is the closes art to religious man; it is the most primitive and elevated art, because it captivates the heart of man in both its most elevated and most sensible aspects. The dimension of the human person of his cosmic individuality and sentiments of communion with the universe and the Creator of the universe is then exalted and proclaimed, which can lead to a kind of individual and passional ecstasy and equally to a kind of collective fantasy.

Everything that is true of a painter, who is a visionary by way of his art, can be said of all the great artist in the proper development of each of their arts. The musician, thanks to the development of his art, can live in his own world: a world of rhythm, of harmonious sounds, of song. He carries in his heart, in his entire being and life, his passional, imaginative, spiritual sensibilities; he is in an ecstatic state, so to speak, a new universe of harmony and everlasting grandeur. He is completely captivated in his sensible and corporeal being: he dances. He thereby escapes the sadness and despair of a world that is so often sad! Man needs to proclaim, to shout, the deepest desires of his heart by singing, by dancing. Playing different instruments, the depth of his heart vibrates in harmony with his idealized yet so true universe. He becomes a child of the universe once again, completely sensitive to its life, its breath, its tenderness, its strength, its brilliance and its profound silence! Through song, dance and music, he can proclaim how much he quivers to the call of the universe, the ocean, the mountains, the desert. And through his art he can communicated between men; it calls to battle by awakening their anger, their revolt, but it awakens their religious sentiments also, which is magnificently expressed in certain psalms:

Alleluia! Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary;

Praise him in his might firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his exceeding greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with timbrel and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD! Alleluia!

Musical art-the art of song and dance- is the closes art to religious man; it is the most primitive and elevated art, because it captivates the heart of man in both its most elevated and most sensible aspects. The dimension of the human person of his cosmic individuality and sentiments of communion with the universe and the Creator of the universe is then exalted and proclaimed, which can lead to a kind of individual and passional ecstasy and equally to a kind of collective fantasy.

br. Marie-Dominique Philippe o.p.