At Home He's a Tourist

He fills his head with culture/ He gives himself an ulcer.

Monday, January 27, 2003

Happy birthday Mozart! Your music is boring, though; here's a theological explanation why:

    It is true that Classicism stands for order, poise, and temperate restraint--for the control of individual fancy and vision in the interests of harmony and reason. But the artistic order and harmony for which Classicism stands presupose the possibility of achieving a stability and perfection at the terrestrial level which the Christian regards as impossible of atttainment within the finite. The Classical spirit in art proclaims by implication that man can achieve on earth representations of beauty and harmony which are wholly satisfying to him. The Classical spirit in music, art, architecture, and literature, is represented in the supposed attainment of forms whose beauty is a completeness, a completeness which offers serenity and satisfaction to the soul of man.

    The Romantic principle is far different. It gives rein to individual fantasy and passion to a degree which opens the door to lawlessness, intemperance, and disorder. But the door which opens to lawlessness, intemperance, and disorder, offers at the same time a clear path to the exploration of limitless yearning and aspiration. In opening this door, Romanticism virtually proclaims that there is no final and complete satisfaction for man within the finite. The rejection of the Classical spirit is the rejection of the possibility of achieving stability and perfection at the terrestrial level. The assertion of Romanticism is that man's profoundest yearnings and aspirations break beyond the bounds of any principle of order or harmony that can be fully manifested within the finite...And this, of course, is the Christian view. (Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind.)

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