The soul of music - Samir Al-Hajj Shaheen

It is mentioned in ancient Chinese heritage that music, which is considered by Beethoven to be higher than all wisdom and philosophy, is connected to the essential relationships of beings, and therefore must be known to govern affairs of rule. Hermann Hesse mentions in his novel "The Glass Bead Game" that music in legendary China played a leading role in the life of government and the country. The ancient Chinese equated its prosperity or decline with the rise or fall of culture and morals, and even the entire state. Its roots, according to their theory, extend to the Great One who created two poles that in turn produced the forces of darkness and light, and it only reaches perfection when night agrees with day, and the earth harmonizes with the sky, and peace prevails in the world, and things are at ease, following in their transformations those that rise, and desires and passions move away from paths of misguidance. In this state, they originate from the balance resulting from justice, which arises from the spirit of the world, the secret capable alone of exploring the depths of beauty. But if the righteous rulers love pure joyful music, which characterizes an organized era with a balanced, calm government, tyrants prefer loud sad music, characteristic of a troubled era with a corrupt government, a threatened people, and fanaticism. Hesse emphasizes in his aforementioned book that music has the power to dominate spirits and feet, guiding them as if it were a minister commanding and a law that people and states obey. He adds that since ancient times in China, as well as in Greek mythology, there was an important idea: the idea of a perfect life governed by music. From all this, Hesse sees that the poet who praises the grandeur of life and its horrors in his poetic rhythms, and the musician who makes it resonate like pure presence, is a person who brings light and increases joy and clarity on earth, even if at first he leads us through tears, tension, and pain. Within these transparent atmospheres comes Samir Al-Hajj Shaheen’s interpretation of the spirit of music in this book, which as a whole represents a philosophical reading mixed with poetic insights, not devoid of turns toward the psychological dimension of music in human life. Additionally, the author attempted to analyze many musical pieces with clarifying explanations aimed at delving deeper into the philosophy of the meanings, vibrations, and achievements of those global musical works whose echoes still resonate throughout the world. Cover type: Regular paper Size: 21×14