Classical Music: For The Intellect and Peace of the Soul
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
“The end of all good music is to affect the soul.” Claudio Monteverdi
Turning From the World
While the Catholic internet world spins further into chaos with Catholics fighting Catholics trying to out-Catholicize one another, I have been enjoying reading great Catholic books and enjoying my music collection. One thing I am learning is that avoiding getting bogged down in much of the Internet news and instead feeding the intellect with good reading and rewarding music is much more conducive to the spiritual life. It is little wonder that the Desert Fathers went out away from the chaos of "civilization" to free themselves of the world. I think we can accomplish some of this for ourselves in our homes. I have written at length on this website concerning good reading material. This article is taking another direction.
Music has always been a big part of my life. I consider music to be a gift God has given to us, first to praise him and secondly so that we can empathize with one another in our times of gladness, sadness, our ups and downs and everything in between. While I enjoy a vast variety of music and play guitar and a little piano, there are certain types of music that are more conducive to the intellect and peace of the soul. In this post I would like to talk a bit about Classical music and some of my recommendations to add to your music collection.
Musical Journey
Growing up I was not familiar with classical music. My first memories of hearing music was on the car radio and on my little yellow transistor radio hearing songs of the 70s like Gordon Lightfoot's 'The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald', Eric Clapton's 'Layla', Carol King's 'It's Too Late' Glen Campbell's 'Rhinestone Cowboy', and Wing's, 'Band on the Run.' As the 80s hit MTV brought music into the living room and I was forever changed. Rock music, metal music and pop music was in the airwaves and the TV waves and so I became a product of my environment. John Cougar, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and others were played on rotation on MTV and so the image of the rock star was popular among my age group.
From 1981 when MTV started, my musical interests deepened and I started growing my cassette collection which reached to over 300 or so before I switched over to CDs which number now much higher. I had every Led Zeppelin album, every Pink Floyd album every Beatles and Elvis album that I could get my hands on. Soon after joining the military in 1989, and being stationed in Petaluma, California, I bought my first guitar and so my interest grew even further. I got into some of the heavy metal and hard rock music such as Metallica, Guns and Roses, and Megadeth. I eventually settled into blues and blues infused rock such as BB King, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher. For a time I played in rock bands and hosted acoustic open mic night, and for most of my young adult life I remained largely attached to this type of blues/rock music.
As I grew into my 30s I began to get into some jazz, country and folk music. It wasn't until my mid30s that I began expanding into classical and choral music. Since then I have enjoyed all genres of music. Over the past few years however my interest in jazz and classical music has grown much deeper. This has opened me up to a whole new world of musicality. While rock, blues, country and popular music revolves primarily around simple syncopated rhythms and repetitive chord structures, jazz and classical music are not so limited in their compositions. In a general sense, when you enter into the realm of classical and jazz music, you move from what is known as the song format to what is known as a composition or piece. While jazz is often improvised in a much more free manner than classical, they both were able to expose me to more complex musical arrangements. One thing I immediately noticed was that it took more effort to get something out of these types of music than popular music demanded. Nevertheless, it was as if there was actually more enjoyment to be had from this required attentive listening.
Music Structure
All types of music are sound waves structured or composed of particular elements which make it recognizable to the ear as music rather than mere noise. Generally we say that music contains a melody (Succession of notes causing movement) , harmony (Relation of notes to one another in chords or varying instruments or voices played or sung together), rhythm (The time, meter, tempo, or flow of the piece) and dynamics (The loudness or softness or variance of in the piece). All of these elements then cause a sense of movement from the beginning of the song or piece to the end generally conveying an emotion or series of emotions depending on the composition.
Rock, country or popular music generally conveys one basic movement that fit the lyrics or topic of the song underpinned by a simple repetitive beat. These songs are usually simple in their composition consisting of a verse, chorus and sometimes a bridge. A song written in a minor key conveys a more somber movement, but obviously a song can change key in order to convey more movement or emotional expression. An example of a simple song with one simple movement is Bob Dylan's 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' played predominantly in G or A major, totaling four chords for the entire song. The lyrics follow along with the simple chord changes, G, D, Am, then to G, D, C. The simple rhythm guides the song along with minimal dynamics. Many blues, rock and country songs are composed of these simple structures. Think of how many 3 chord country and pop songs there are. Famous songs like 'Louie, Louie', 'Twist and Shout', 'Hound Dog', 'Surfin USA' and the list goes on, are all 3 chords! As one musician once said, "You can get a lot of mileage out of three chords". This type of music however can become repetitive and certainly require less effort for the intellect to obtain its intended emotional reaction than classical or jazz compositions.
Popular songs can however be more complex and it shows with those musicians who are more familiar with classical music. Even legends such as Paul McCartney who was only vaguely familiar with classical music (Bach) nevertheless conveys more complicated movements in many of his songs in both the Beatles and throughout his solo career. His song with Wings, 'Band on the Run' is a great example of a more complex song. It begins with the slow Dm7 movement, "Stuck inside the four walls" then moving into more sublime uptempo Am movement, "If I ever get of of here, thought of giving it all away...". The song then transitions with a short series of chordal orchestration which finally moves the song into a more uplifting and resolving C major movement. "Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash..." McCartney effectively takes you on a musical journey from a sad sounding movement to an uplifting concluding movement ending the song on a high note so to speak. This is what is known as a narrative, which all memorable music possesses. With Classical music the narrative is also there but often requires more attention to obtain it.
It is rare that these types of more complex pop songs are able to make it onto the radio. These types of more complicated or varying movements are more rare in popular music. Popular music that sells generally possess a beat and repetitive chord structures which often convey a simplistic emotion to the listener. The repetitive rhythm which appeals more to our lower nature and the lack of intellectual effort means we have to work much less to obtain the emotional gratification of the popular rock song. It requires even less effort for rap or hip-hop music which emphasizes an even more heavy repetitive beat which often posses little musicality or musical instrumentation. As I see it, a general rule is, the less talent and effort it takes to compose and make the music, the less valuable it is worth.
Classical Music and the Intellect
Although not all classical pieces are extremely complex changing movements spanning several minutes, they do often have more complex melodies, harmonies and rhythms to which the intellect has to pay closer attention to obtain the intended emotional response of the composer. In general, classical music appeals more to the intellect than the lower appetites which heavy syncopated rhythms and simplistic repetitive chord progressions tend towards. It is not my intention in this piece to demonize popular music. I personally still enjoy much popular music such as country, rock, blues, and bluegrass. I would however point out the obvious. In popular music the lyrics often drive the emotion of the song. If the lyrics are obviously glorifying immorality I would recommend avoiding it! What I desire to illustrate in this article is that there is an objective difference in the human response to these types of music. In general, popular music is less appealing to the intellect and more to the lower bodily appetites while classical music is in general more conducive to engaging the intellect and hence bringing more peace and joy to the soul. In short, Classical music is more rewarding.
This is not to say that all classical music is created equal. There is a vast difference between a Schoenberg piece and a Bach piece. Although the evaluation of music is largely subjective, I would argue that many of today's modern classical compositions are often completely void of anything memorable and more resemble chaotic noise than music. Once there is a complete loss of melodic structure void of any narrative or resolution whatsoever, can this sound be classified as music? I would argue it ceases to be music at the point in which the sound is completely random and communicates only the emotion of confusion, chaos. Notice how a film soundtrack can often get away with this type of sound due to the narrative of the film, which emphasizes the visual scene rather than the music standing on its own. For an example of what I consider to be an unbearable listen, check out Edgard Verese' 'Ionisation'. The sound element is more like sitting on the porch of a New York City apartment building hearing the sounds of the neighbors fighting with the police en-route than music.
Personally I prefer many of the Baroque composers such as Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Handel, Bach, and Telemann, as well as later more "traditional" classical composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms and Rachmaninov. These composers offer much enjoyment if one takes the time to sit down and actually listen attentively to their music. They often take you on a wonderful journey illustrating what it means to communicate movement through music rather than the often 'stuck in a rut' over-simplified repetition of popular music.
Digital or Vinyl?
A popular debate among audiophiles is whether digital or vinyl has the best quality of sound. This all depends on who you ask. There are however some rules of thumb to follow to enhance your musical listening experience of classical music. For one, never, never, never listen to low quality MP3 files. The sound is so compressed that you will never hear the separation of the instruments, nor will the music ever breathe. A quality Compact Disc, SACD, a quality 16 or 24 bit digital FLAC file, or a vinyl record are the best sounding mediums. I usually prefer the warm sound of vinyl especially if the recording was originally recorded on analog equipment, but that does not mean that I only listen exclusively to vinyl. With today's recording technology, the sound of a quality digital recording can be equally gratifying. For portability sake, obviously a CD, or a FLAC file on a drive are the best formats.
For sitting down in your music room with a cup of coffee or glass of scotch, nothing in my opinion beats a clean piece of vinyl. Who doesn't love looking at the cover, or a quality gate-fold, and reading the liner notes? Although you can still find some deals on used classical vinyl recordings, new pressings are limited and are usually expensive. As a result although I picked up quite a few used vinyl selections back before vinyl was popular, when it comes to new releases most of my choices are CD since the cost of a vinyl record is usually upwards of 20 bucks.
Stereo System Required
To maximize your listening experience invest in a decent stereo system, not necessarily a home theater system. Enjoying classical music requires decent speakers,which can provide decent dynamic range. Often canned home theater systems with the small speakers simply do not provide a quality listening experience. In my opinion, speakers like Bose which add in too much of their own tonal color are also to be avoided. I recommend buying your receiver and your speakers separate so you can build your own custom setup which is conducive to both movies and music. One example of a reasonably priced front speaker set would be the Pioneer SP-FS52 Home Audio Andrew Jones Designed Floor Standing Loudspeaker. Denon and Marantz are making some affordable receivers that handle both Home Theater and Musical mediums quite well for the money. When it comes to music, nothing beats a strong stereo system with nice speakers. When listening to music, be sure to disable any surround sound unless the audio disc itself happens to be in surround. Finally, be sure to get a decent Blue-Ray player, preferably one that will also play SACDs, which you can usually find on several of the Sony players. Although I would not consider this a make or break deal, there are many classical discs which offer a hybrid CD/SACD format and you will miss out on some great quality recordings if your player does not support SACD. (Super Audio)
The Turntable
The turntable is another matter altogether. I would highly recommend getting a decent turntable. With the rising cost of vinyl records you do not want to damage your records with a cheap turntable, nor do you want them to sound poor. Be prepared to drop 400 or 500 bucks, but it will last you. You will not regret the listening experience and your records will last much longer with a properly balanced tone arm and a quality stylus. I recommend the Rega Planar 1 for an entry level quality turntable. It comes with a decent cartridge and is easy to set up for the beginner. It also sounds great. Another option is the PRO-JECT - Debut Carbon. Please, do not play your records on a Crosley record player!
What is just as important which many people fail to realize is the quality of the pre-amp. You will need a decent pre-amp to go in between your turntable and your receiver unless your receiver has a built in pre-amp for a turntable. Be careful on what you buy, it can greatly effect the sound of the music. For the money Schiit Audio's Mani is the best I have found in its price range running at $125.00 at the time of this writing. I also recommend getting a nice cork mat for your turntable. Do not skimp out on your turntable. I have owned some cheaper ones and I have regretted it.
The Lost Leisure of Listening to Music
There is a unique pleasure to be gained by sitting down and listening to an entire album recording whether it be on CD or vinyl. Sadly it seems that gone are the days of actually dedicating time to listen to music as one does to watch a movie, a sporting event, or a television sitcom. It is an entirely different exercise of the human intellect to focus solely to listening to a piece of music. It is also uniquely rewarding. With so much attention today given to the visual elements of media production we are missing out out on some of the most beautiful times of leisure, that of music. In my opinion, nothing outside of prayer lends itself more to the elevation of the intellect and the movement of the soul than a great classical music recording. Be sure to dedicate some time in the near future to actually listening to the music, rather than having it on for something to work out to or something to fill in the gap while you are cleaning the house.
Music Recommendations
Now for the music recommendations! Where to start? There are so many quality recordings that it is hard to choose my favorites. If you are just beginning to build your classical collection you can browse the many composers online on YouTube or other websites to see what appeals to you. There are many great Catholic composers in the Baroque period so you may want to begin there.
Below is a list you can use to do some exploring. I highly recommend each of the listings. I have split them up into three categories: CD, vinyl and DVD/Blue-Ray recommendations. To my knowledge all of these are available for purchase online. The first place I look for classical music is on Amazon due to availability and prices. However, I am always looking for alternatives to Amazon, so Presto Classical or Ebay are always viable options for a good selection and decent prices. I have not linked to a store for each recommendation. You can search for the titles online at the stores you prefer. They should be easy to find if you cut and paste the recommendation into your search engine.
Some of My Favorite Selections
CD
1. Sol Gabetta- IL Progetto Vivaldi Vol 1-3
2. Gabriela Montero- Piano Recital
3. Martha Argerich- Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
4. Daniel Barenboim- A Retrospective - The Complete Sony Recordings
5. Vladimir Horowitz- Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
6. Vladimir Horowitz- Chopin Collection
7. Helene Grimaud- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2
8. Antonio Vivaldi- Edition 66CD Set Brilliant Classics
9. Jakob Lindberg- John Dowland: Complete Music for Solo Lute
10. Luigi Boccherini- Fandango, Sinfonie, La Musica Notturna di Madrid (Jordi, Savall)
11. Mela Tenenbaum- Locatelli: l'Arte del Violino
12. A Scalatti- La Santissima Trinita (Biondi, Europa Galante)
13. Telemann- String Concertos (Musica Antiqua Koln, Reinhard Goebel)
14. Mozart Requiem, K626 (Sir Georg Solti-Wiener Philharmoniker)
15. Mozart Mass In C Minor- Dessay, Gens
16. Glenn Gould- Bach: The Goldberg Variations
17. Beethoven Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' Overtures: Leonore Nos 1&2- Otto Klemperer
18. Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos 8,14 & 23- Daniel Barenboim
19. Beethoven Symphony No. 9 'Choral' Live in Berlin- Daniel Barenboim
20. Handel: Dixit Dominus- Balthasar-Neumann Chor
21: Paul O'Dette- Lute Music: Melchio Neusidler
22. Giuliano Carmignola- Baroque Violin: Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos
23. Giuliano Carmignola- Vivaldi (Andrea Marcon)
24. Giuliano Carmignola- Concerto Veneziano (Andrea Marcon)
25. Valentina Lisitsa- Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos
26. Yo Yo Ma- Bach: Cello Suites nos 1,5 & 6
27. Bach: Mathaus Passion- Otto Klemperer (Great Recordings)
28. Giaches de Wert- La Gerusalemme Liberata (La Venexiana)
29. Vivaldi: Bajazet (Fabio Biondi- Europa Galante)
30. Helene Grimaud- Beethoven: Piano Concerto no. 5 'Emperor'
31. Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610 (Martin Pearlman)
32. Buonamente: Balli, Sonate & Canzoni (Huggett, Beier, Galatea)
Recent Releases on Vinyl (It goes without saying, all of these are also great on CD.)
1. Martha Argerich- Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
2. Helene Grimaud/Sol Gabetta- Duo
3. Sol Gabetta- II Progetto Vivaldi
4. Daniil Trifonov: Destination Rachmaninov: Departure
5. Daniil Trifonov: Destination Rachmaninov: Arrival
6. Khatia Buniatishvili- Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos no 2 & 3
DVD/Blue-Ray
1. Martha Argerich and Nicholas Angelich- Live at the Théatre Antique D'Orange
2. Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim- Piano Duos
3. Daniel Barenboim- Box Set 1 (14DVD) EuroArts Music International
4. Verbier Festival 25th Anniversary Concert
5. The Sixteen- Sacred Music BBC Coro DVD
6. The Sixteen- An Easter Celebration BBC Coro DVD
7. The Sixteen- A Handel Celebration BBC Coro DVD
Links For Classical Music Labels
3. Arkiv Music
5. Hyperion
Links for Websites About Classical Music
2. Gramophone
6. Bachtrack
Links for Audio Equipment and Reviews
2. Stereophile
3. What Hi-Fi
4. Music Direct
6. Schiit
9. Denon
10. Marantz
But wait, there's more!
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