TYLER VERSLUIS
  • Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Writings

Mysticism/Empiricism

2/14/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Intentionality is an important part of composed music- but I also realize that there are large portions of musical material that flowed from a hidden source- that is, material whose presence cannot be justified through empirical methods. The idea of musical development is, on a basic level, an empirical process because the development springs forth from that which is already “experienced”, or material heard earlier in the piece.

On the other hand, there is the material that falls outside of the empirical process, the “dark matter” which marks its presence through its “unknownness” but justifies its presence through mysterious and ultimately mystical means. One of my professor’s describes these ideas (klangs, motives,chords, etc.) as “sphinxes”, carriers of hidden knowledge whose secrets remain profound but very much shrouded.

A good composer’s music is wholly intentional- they are able, through mystical processes to make their “sphinxes” feel equally as important as their empirical material. Besides the obvious, some composer that effectively utilized the mystical include J.S. and C.P.E. Bach, Schumann, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Dufay, Mozart.


0 Comments

    Author

    Tyler Versluis is a composer and pianist.

    Archives

    October 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Writings