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Habemus Pianist: The Pope on Music
New York Times ^ | May 1, 2005 | DANIEL J. WAKIN

Posted on 05/06/2005 4:50:01 PM PDT by ELS

Pope Benedict XVI is a pianist with a penchant for Mozart, which he is said to find more manageable than Brahms, given the limited amount of time he has to practice. (Until his election, he was one of the busiest cardinals in his role as chief interpreter and enforcer of doctrine.) His brother, a priest, was a church Kapellmeister. The Ratzinger boys were born in the part of Bavaria long under the influence of Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace.

As a theologian, he has occasionally revealed some of his thinking about music. When it comes to popular forms, he can be harsh. In his 2001 book "Introduction to the Spirit of the Liturgy," he called rock 'n' roll "an expression of base passions which, in large musical gatherings, has assumed cultlike characteristics or even becomes a counter-cult that is opposed to the Christian" worship. Pop music was a "cult of banality."

On the classical side, he played music critic in a message to Pope John Paul II on the 25th anniversary of John Paul's pontificate in 2003, when a concert in his honor by the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunkorchester included Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Addressing the 83-year-old pope, Cardinal Ratzinger described the symphony as echoing "the inner strife of the great maestro in the midst of the darkness of life, his passage, as it were, through dark nights in which none of the promised stars seemed any longer to shine in the heavens." But in the end, he said, "the clouds lift. The great drama of human existence that unfolds in the music is transformed into a hymn of joy."

Then he took a knock at Schiller, the poet of the "Ode to Joy," saying that his "true greatness blossomed" thanks only to Beethoven's music. Unlike Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" or the Passions, which contain "the intact presence of the faith," Schiller's ode is characterized by the era's humanism, "which places man at the center," he said with some disapproval. But Beethoven was a believer, he said, so the "good Father" of the ode is not just a supposition but an "ultimate certainty." After all, he pointed out, Beethoven composed the "Missa Solemnis."

Bach lovers will also be pleased by the new pope's taste. In the message, he called Bach "perhaps the greatest musical genius of all time." And in fact, as he was driven around St. Peter's Square after his installation last weekend, loudspeakers played Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ. When he received dignitaries later in St. Peter's Basilica, the Hallelujah chorus filled the air. It was not known whether he had made the program choices.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: benedictxvi; mozart; music; piano; pope; popebenedictxvi; rock; rockandroll; rocknroll
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1 posted on 05/06/2005 4:50:02 PM PDT by ELS
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To: ninenot; Goetz_von_Berlichingen; Desdemona


2 posted on 05/06/2005 4:52:07 PM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: ELS

Infallibility in matters of faith and morals aside, he's wrong about Rock 'n Roll. Nothing banal about Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix or Clapton.


3 posted on 05/06/2005 4:54:04 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)
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To: muir_redwoods

Well I agree with Pope Benedict. Most modern music has become an idol which people dance around. And the theme of rock and roll music is anti-war, anti-tradition, free love, and anti-Christian.


4 posted on 05/06/2005 4:58:10 PM PDT by ndkos
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To: All

Hopefully, he's not into Wagner...


5 posted on 05/06/2005 4:58:49 PM PDT by Malcolm (There's no substitute for good manners)
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To: ndkos
"And the theme of rock and roll music is anti-war, anti-tradition, free love, and anti-Christian."

A blanket statement like that about an entire genre is so prone to error I can only be thankful I didn't make it.

6 posted on 05/06/2005 5:11:17 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)
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To: ELS

Agree with him 100% regarding rock and roll.


7 posted on 05/06/2005 5:12:46 PM PDT by LisaFab
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To: Malcolm
Haha, I just picked up a CD of Lohengrin and I think I like it. It does seem he has good taste though;

"In the message, he called Bach "perhaps the greatest musical genius of all time." :)
8 posted on 05/06/2005 5:13:04 PM PDT by Rane _H
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To: ELS
he called rock 'n' roll "an expression of base passions which, in large musical gatherings, has assumed cultlike characteristics


9 posted on 05/06/2005 5:16:47 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: ELS

"Bach lovers will also be pleased by the new pope's taste. In the message, he called Bach "perhaps the greatest musical genius of all time." And in fact, as he was driven around St. Peter's Square after his installation last weekend, loudspeakers played Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ. When he received dignitaries later in St. Peter's Basilica, the Hallelujah chorus filled the air. It was not known whether he had made the program choices."


The way that paragraph reads, it appears that the reporter believes the "Hallelujah chorus" was composed by J.S. Bach. In fact, it is from Handel's "Messiah".


10 posted on 05/06/2005 6:48:23 PM PDT by Enchante (Kerry's mere nuisances: Marine Barracks '83, WTC '93, Khobar Towers, Embassy Bombs '98, USS Cole!!!)
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To: ELS; amom; DLfromthedesert; Alamo-Girl

I keep thinking what a joy it could be to be a mouse in the room (preferably under the piano!) if Condoleeza and the new Pope ever get together with enough time to talk about and play piano.....


11 posted on 05/06/2005 6:54:24 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (Father in Heaven, take command of America and her Mission, her leaders, her people, and her troops!)
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To: Enchante

Well, he is a NYT reporter. If one wants to give him the benefit of the doubt then one could assume the editor cut out some stuff about Baroque music and Handel...


12 posted on 05/06/2005 6:57:54 PM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: TEXOKIE

Dueling pianos? LOL!


13 posted on 05/06/2005 7:00:21 PM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: ELS

Well, he can stick to religion, and I'll stick to music, and we'll both be happy. He probably wouldn't like Charlie Parker either.


14 posted on 05/06/2005 7:01:41 PM PDT by blowfish
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To: muir_redwoods; Agrarian

Regrettably, the Cardinal is correct.

You'd be AMAZED at the number of very good Catholic folks who think the Cardinal is nuts on this topic--but he's not, and he can prove it.

Of course, one begins with an understanding of the term "art" and works forward from there.

Hint: it is NOT "Ars pro gratia artis" which is the underlying principle...


15 posted on 05/06/2005 7:02:05 PM PDT by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: Malcolm
Hopefully, he's not into Wagner...

Harrumph. All true Germans love Wagner.

For that comment, you get to spend a few thousand years sleeping on a rock, surrounded by magical fire, until a beautiful blonde woman in a suit of armor awakens you with a kiss.

And if you do it again, my next punishment will be even worse. Be very afraid!

16 posted on 05/06/2005 7:06:03 PM PDT by Campion (Truth is not determined by a majority vote -- Pope Benedict XVI)
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To: ninenot
"Regrettably, the Cardinal is correct. You'd be AMAZED at the number of very good Catholic folks who think the Cardinal is nuts on this topic--but he's not, and he can prove it.

Of course, one begins with an understanding of the term "art" and works forward from there.

Hint: it is NOT "Ars pro gratia artis" which is the underlying principle..."

Regretably, you are incorrect. Art is whatever the HUMAN spirit finds it to be.

To quote Mel Brooks, "After the birth of the arts came the inevitable afterbirth of the critic."

17 posted on 05/06/2005 7:07:06 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)
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To: ELS
Pop music was a "cult of banality."

Most certainly, and LOL

18 posted on 05/06/2005 7:08:27 PM PDT by Petronski (Pope Benedict XVI: A German Shepherd on the Throne of Peter)
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To: ndkos
Only 70 percent is as you describe it. The other 30 percent is simply mindless drivel.
19 posted on 05/06/2005 7:16:17 PM PDT by Malesherbes
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To: TEXOKIE

Imagine the joy of being in the presence of the Holy Father while the music of the spheres is lifting up your soul.


20 posted on 05/06/2005 8:02:08 PM PDT by DLfromthedesert (Texas Cowboy...you da man!!)
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