Music of one of the Liberal Arts

“Music is the Art of sounds and their variations. It causes impressions in our soul to the extreme, producing sounds, expressing successively joy and sorrow, pain and intoxication of pleasures, triumph of glory and shame of defeat, hope and despair, happiness and misery, vigor of life and atonement of mourning. It also has the power to inspire unstoppable enthusiasm, to restore undisturbed serenity to the spirits, to provide the human heart with the enjoyment of virtue and to awaken the remorse of the conscience.”

The Art of Music is a higher spiritual function which causes a great inner power which Nietzsche, philosopher and composer, said is a feeling of transformation and enlightenment born of the mysticism of the texture of Music.

Schopenhauer said that Music is nothing more than a spiritual reminiscence inherent in the Will (Drosos, 1997).

Pythagoras considers Music as a means of mental integration of man, considering it as a sensual form of “Harmony”.

Music has an inextricable relationship with the inner-spiritual dimension of Freemasonry. With the internal search that is achieved by “descending into the depths of our consciousness”.

In Freemasonry, the equality of intellectual, moral and aesthetic activity is preached, here Art is not considered fun but a therapy of an existential need – a prerequisite of Being. Here the contribution-significance of Art (experiences and symbols) becomes fundamental and Music becomes the reminder of “our attunement to the Universal Rhythm”,(Tassios, 1996).

The Masonic philosopher Herder said that Music makes us feel the movements and vibrations of the spirit of the Universe.

Composers who largely shaped human Music Education were Masons and their Masonic course enriched both the spiritual dimension of Freemasonry as well as Masonic Music and Poetry.

The main exponent of these is Mozart.

On December 14, 1784, at the age of 28 years old, Mozart was admitted as an apprentice to the Masonic Lodge called “Zur Wohltätigkeit” (“Beneficence”) in the East of Vienna. Due to the Lodge’s small size, he was eventually initiated into the Rank of the Entered Apprentice in the mother Lodge “The True Concord”.

 His decision was certainly influenced by the fact that his father, Leopold, was also a mason.

Even before he was initiated, he had written in Masonic lyrics the “Ode to Joy, Der Hölle Rache (Queen of the Night)”. In 1773 he wrote another Masonic work, “Thamos, King of Egypt”.

He believed that he had the spirituality that enabled him to embrace the high principles of Freemasonry and to become a fervent preacher of these ideas, which would lead humanity to its spiritual uplift.

The Lodge for him was a workshop full of Light and Wisdom, where on the one hand his inner world calmed down and on the other hand the Mason Brothers provided him with security of friendship and solidarity.

Mozart composed many musical pieces about Masonic ceremonies and events, and gave many concerts to financially support musicians of his lodge, who had financial problems.

In 1791 Mozart begins composing the “Magic Flute”, this work is rich in symbolisms and meanings and is inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment and Freemasonry.

The premiere of the “Magic Flute” was held on September 30, 1791 in Vienna, and nine weeks later Mozart moved to the East, at the age of just 35.

His last composition is the Little Masonic Cantata, which he conducts on November 18, 1791, at the inauguration of the Masonic temple of the lodge to which he belonged.

In addition, other equally important Masonic composers should be mentioned.

• Johann Christian Bach

Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a classical German composer. He was the 18th child of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, who was 50 when Johann was born. His father, seeing his son’s musical talent, was involved in his musical education. Johann is known as ‘England’s Bach’.

In 1764 Johann was Mozart’s music teacher when Mozart was 18 years old. At the end of 1770 he began to have spiritual pursuits and in 1778 he was initiated into the Lodge “Nine Muses”, No. 235, in London.

Johann Christian Bach was honoured by the Premier Grand Lodge of England in London, on New Year’s Day 1782.

• Franz Liszt

Franz or Ferenc Liszt ( 22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian romantic composer and pianist. Along with Frederic Chopin, they are considered the most important romantic composers for piano and two of the greatest pianists of that time.

He was initiated in 1841 into the ” Zur Einigkeit” Lodge in Frankfurt.

• Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin(1888-1989), was a Russian-American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in history. His music is a big part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, he arrived in the United States at the age of five. He wrote almost 500 songs. Composer Jerome Kern wrote that Irving Berlin was not just part of American music, he was American music itself.

He was initiated in 1910 in the Lodge “Munn Lodge No. 190”, in New York City.

• Jean Sibelious

Jean Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was a Finnish composer. He started studying law, but quickly gave up and started music studies in Helsinki, and then in Berlin and Vienna.

His works were initially inspired by German music, but he quickly turned to the myths and folk tales of his homeland and became the symbol of Finnish nationalism. His great works are his 7 symphonies, his symphonic poems: “En Saga”, “Karelia”, “Swan of Tuonela”, “Finlandia”, with which Sibelius became known throughout the world.

He was initiated into the “Suami Lodge” No. 1, in Helsinki.

• Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn ( 31 March 1732– 31 May 1809) was an Austrian composer, one of the most important ones for the classical era of music. He is considered the “father” of the symphony and the string quartet. He had developed a strong friendship with Mozart, whose work had a significant influence on Haydn .

SOURCES

1. Drosos G.,(1997), “Music and Freemasonry”, 5th Open Event ART AND FREEMASONRY, MASONIC FOUNDATION, Athens.

2. Tassios Th.,(1996), “Contribution of Freemasonry to the organization of popular concerts after 1700”, Open Event The HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC, MASONIC FOUNDATION, Athens.

3. Janos Cegledy, P.M., “A Masonic View of the “Musical Offering”, Research Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Japan

4. www.wikipedia.org