Music and Transcendence - Story of a Dream Team E-Book

Richard Koechli

• Herausgeber: tredition
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 318

Beschreibung

Music exhilarates, enchants, fires, liberates, calms, comforts, heals. Like hardly any other medium, it lets us take off into a world beyond time and space. How does that work? What is the mystery of sound? There are theories, suppositions and hunches from the most diverse fields, but in no epoch has it been possible to lift the veil definitively.Tenaciously, playfully and at times ironically, Swiss musician and book author Richard Koechli searches for answers as to how and why music touches us and, in the sense of transcendence, even takes us beyond ourselves. What processes are going on there, in the brain and in the soul? How has all this influenced the history of humanity? Meticulously, Koechli examines explanations from musicology, natural science, psychology, music therapy, sociology, literature, philosophy, mysticism, spirituality and metaphysics. He passionately quotes legendary stars as they experience the magic. Worried, he also asks why, since time immemorial, the «drug» of music is often not enough for us, why we believe we can top the high with some substance or occult practice. Last but not least, Richard Koechli ends the 200-page book with a fascinating foray through the history of «Psychedelic Rock», because it was this music from the hippie era that taught him how to take off. And in his role as a multiple award-winning blues musician and singer-songwriter, he complements it all with a very personal album: «Transcendental Blues» (download link in the book), a complex musical trip through the ups and downs of being human.For anyone involved in music in any way. A relevant book because it multiplies respect for the mystery of sounds. A stirring one, because it takes the love for music to infinity.

Leseprobe

musicandTranscendenceStoryof aDreamTeam

The mystery of sounds, from Antiquity to Psychedelic Rock

written by

Richard Koechli

www.richardkoechli.ch

[email protected]

© 2023 Richard Koechli

German original edition (2023) written by: Richard Koechli

English translation: Richard Koechli

Proofreading (german edition): Gerd Bingemann

Book cover illustration: Richard Koechli, Evelyne Rosier

Graphic elements licensed under: shutterstock 1445065250

Printed and distributed by order of the author:

tredition GmbH, An der Strusbek 10, 22926 Ahrensburg, Germany

ISBN Softcover: 978-3-347-92836-7

ISBN Hardcover: 978-3-347-92837-4

ISBN E-Book: 978-3-347-92838-1

This work, including its parts, is protected by copyright. The author Richard Koechli is responsible for the contents. Any exploitation is prohibited without his consent. Publication and distribution are carried out on behalf of the author, who can be contacted at:

tredition GmbH

Department Imprint Service

An der Strusbek 10

22926 Ahrensburg

Germany

Sponsors: I would like to thank Walter and Marlise Köchli (my dear parents), Thomas Bühlmann, Sylvia Frey and Cyrill Deschamps for their generous financial support of this project

Many thanks: To all the great artists who have enriched our music history through their lives, their passion and their soulful work. To all those who let themselves be touched by music. To everyone who helped to realize this project here: Evelyne Rosier, Marlise and Walter Köchli, Hape Schuwey, Sylvia Frey, Urs & Françoise Friderich, Thomas Bühlmann, Reinhold Weber, Gerd and Ursi Bingemann, Cyrill Deschamps, Stefan Künzli, Philippe Schneeberger , Blues Festival Baden, the Tredition-, CMS-, Fontastix- and cede-team. To my longtime live band (Fausto Medici, David Zopfi, Michael Dolmetsch, Heini Heitz, Dani Lauk) and to my loyal, fine audience.

Downloads

The link to download Richard Koechli's album «Transcendental Blues» (mp3, 320 kb/s)

www.richardkoechli.ch/images/downloads/transcendental-blues.pdf

Album «Transcendental Blues» (Credits & Lyrics):

Music: Richard Koechli

Lyrics (partially inspired by selected passages from the Holy Bible): Richard Koechli

Vocals, Guitars, Backing-Vocals, Bass, Sound-Collage: Richard Koechli

Piano, Hammond, Mellotron: Michael Dolmetsch

Drums, Percussions: Fausto Medici

Bass (on «Night is not the end of the road»): David Zopfi

Saxophon (on «Night is not the end of the road»): Stefan Künzli

Recorded at: Tirnanog Studio (France), Little Mountain Studio (Switzerland),

Medici Studio (Italy)

Mixed by: Richard Koechli at Tirnanog Studio (France)

Mastered by: Philippe Schneeberger at Lakeland Studio (www.foh-rent.ch)

01 Transcendental Blues The Whole Trip

An epic song in 6 parts

02 Dark Night Of The Soul

(Micah 3:6)

It will be night for me, without vision And darkness for me, without divination The sun will go down on the prophets And the day will become dark over them

(John 1:5)

The light shines on in the darkness And the darkness has never put it out

(John 3:19)

People love the darkness more than the light Their deeds are evil

(Luke 22:42)

Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me Yet not my will, but yours be done

(Matthew 26:42,45)

Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done In this darkest night, darkest night ever Oh my God, why have you forsaken me?

(Isaiah 9:2)

The people who walk in darkness, will see a great light Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them

(1 Thessalonians 5:4)

But you, dear brothers and sisters, you aren’t in the dark about these things And you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief

(Romans 13:12)

The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness And put on the armor of light

(Luke 11:34)

The eye is the lamp of your body When your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light Full of light

03 New Morning

(Psalm 30:5)

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning

(2 Corinthians 4:16)

We are being renewed day by day

(Psalm 118:24)

This is the day that the Lord has made Let us rejoice and be glad in it

Backing Choir:

(Philippians 2:5-11) (2 Corinthians 5:17) (Numbers 6:24-26)

Let the mind of Christ be in you

The old is gone, the new has come

Let his face of love

(grace, peace, glory, hope) shine on you

This day will never happen again

(Isaiah 60:1)

Arise ‚n‘shine, for your light has come

(Psalms 126:5)

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy

(Psalm 23)

The Lord is my shepherd

(Psalm 27)

The Lord is my light and my salvation

(Ecclesiastes 9:7)

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart For God has already accepted your works

(Nehemiah 8:10)

The joy of the Lord is your strength

(John 13:1)

Let not your heart be troubled Believe in God

(Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Against such things there is now law,

(Matthew 5:8)

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

(Proverbs 15:13)

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed

(Proverbs 17:22)

A joyful heart is good medicine But a crushed spirit dries up the bones

(Matthew 5:9)

Blessed are the peacemakers

(Revelation 1:5-6)

He washed the sins away Jesus washed the sins away

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Everything has its own time

Everything has its own time

A time to be born and a time to die

A time to plant and a time to pull out

Everything has its own time

A time to tear down and a time to build up

A time t o cry and a time to laugh

A time to mourn and a time to dance

A time to hug and a time to stop hugging

04 Love Endures Everything

Let‘s talk about life …

(1 Corinthians 13)

Everything should be done in love Love should be shown without pretending Abhor what is evil, and hold on to what is good

If I can speak in all languages, even like angels, but do not know love … If I can see like a prophet, if I know all the secrets, but do not know love, (then) I‘m just a booming braggart

If I can move mountains with my faith If I give all I have to the poor Without love I‘m just nothing, nothing If I dominate my body and make it suffer, if I do all this just to boast, all my sacrifice and pain is for nothing

Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, Love isn’t proud, it isn’t rude, it isn’t self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs Love isn’t happy with injustice, but with honesty

Love endures everything Love believes everything Love hopes everything, stands up to anything

Now faith, hope, and love remain But the greatest is love There is no fear in love, no fear in love For perfect love casteth out fear

Nobody makes it to the top of this perfect love We are falling, again and again We are tired‘n‘weak, again and again Everybody hurts, everybody cries …

(Luke 1:28)

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy Hail, Holy Mary, can you hear us, Mother of Jesus

Here are the sighs and lamentations from our vale of tears Fear disappears when we are in your arms Pain is eased when you are praying for us

(James 5:16)

Pray for us sinners Please pray for us

05 False Promises

(Revelation 12:7)

Now war arose in heaven Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon And the dragon and his angels fought back O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you, because he knows that his time is short

(Isaiah 14:12)

How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn How you are cut down to the ground You who laid the nations low

Sometimes we just have fun

Sometimes we want more, much more A quick peek behind the curtain A trip to paradise A short flight with Luzie in the sky We could sell our soul We could flood our body with heat, flood our mind with colors Light of temptation blinds The psychedelic kings play the theater of redemption, grinning triumphantly .... And then, their torch burns out They lead us into the valley of loneliness Into an eternal darkness The price is too high For a fake it‘s much too high

06 Music Is The Happiness Pill

The true light has its price too But if we trust, endure, wait and love, one day the night will disappear forever The sun will turn us into a ball of fire glowing with happiness One day, when the time is right for us, when it‘s right for us But not when we think it‘s right

Now let‘s celebrate life

Let‘s love, let‘s fall, get up, laugh and comfort each other Let‘s improvise, let‘s have a good jam, all the time, all the way down to earth Music, music, music is the happiness pill Music is the quick peek into paradise, free of charge, without false promises Quick peek into paradise, free of charge, without false promises Enjoy it, without limits Let‘s improvise Music is the gift of the Holy Spirit Celebrate life, celebrate life, with a little help from the Holy Spirit

Music, music, music makes me high …

07 Night Is Not The End Of The Road

Dirty streets, nasty traps, walking on a bed of glowing ashes, scoffers, know-it-alls, birds drowning in a river of tears But night is not the end of the road Love comes down to lighten the load We can be salt of the earth, we can be light of the world A healing breeze will carry us

Mountains fall into the heart of the sea

Liars and doomsayers try to sell the shares of fear But there must be a way to endure At the end of the road is Mercy, I‘m sure If we try to be salt of the earth, try to be light of the world A healing breeze will carry us The Lord‘s breeze will carry us It‘s a breeze, not a storm Storm destroys, breeze heals It makes happy, music is the happiness pill The breeze comes with music …

08 Transcendental Blues Instrumental Trip

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Album «Transcendental Blues» (Credits & Lyrics):

Preface

The Plot

Music Exhilarates! Really?

How Did Music Exhilarate in the Past? How Did the Stars of Different Eras Experience That?

The Historical Origins of Music

Why Does Music Exhilarate or Enchant? What Does Science Say about It?

Trance

Altered Brain Waves

Music Therapy

Magical-mythical form of music healing

Rational-scientific music healing in Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Renaissance and Baroque

Romanticism

The 20th century

Musicology

Music Psychology

Philosophy of Music

Transcendence in Music - How Does It Work? Explained by Legendary Stars

Are There Really No Tricks?

And the Shortcuts …?

False Promises

The Slightly Different View on Psychedelic Drugs

And the Good News?

Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Music - What Was New about It?

The Spirit behind It

The Music

Grateful Dead

Love

The Doors

Jefferson Airplane

Beach Boys

The 13th Floor Elevators

The Velvet Underground

The scene in Great Britain

Beatles

Yardbirds (Shapes of Things)

Rolling Stones

Pink Floyd

Mike Oldfield

Music is the Happiness Pill

More from Richard Koechli (Books & Music Albums)

Music and Transcendence - Story of a Dream Team

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Album «Transcendental Blues» (Credits & Lyrics):

More from Richard Koechli (Books & Music Albums)

Music and Transcendence - Story of a Dream Team

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Preface

“Like hardly any other medium, music serves as an entrance ticket to a world beyond time and space.”

This sentence from Burkhard Reinartz‘s radio show “The world is sound - An approach to the eternal power of music” (Deutschlandfunk, Dec. 25, 2012), let it roll off your tongue. Reinartz is a very interesting person by the way; social scientist, musician, author, journalist, radio play producer and much more.

Well, the sentence reads wonderfully simple, for me as a musician it sounds quite familiar, although of course I don‘t imagine to be able to make the step into the world beyond at any time and by my own power in my work. But I‘m not sure we‘re really aware of the incredible radicality of this phrase.

Think about it - in this understanding of music lies the explosive power of an atomic bomb! A bomb which destroys our enlightened, naturalistic and scientific world view with one blow. A Zeitgeist killer, so to speak. Do you think this representation is exaggerated? Well, all right. Nevertheless, meditate please again on the sentence: “Time and space …”

Of course, since Albert Einstein‘s theory of relativity back in 1905, our classical notions of time and space have changed; we now know that there is no absolute time and no absolute space, and that neither exists independently of the other. But we don‘t have the smallest idea what exists beyond this sphere, and we don‘t even know if there is anything at all (“black hole” is in the end nothing more than a rhetorical trick to say “we know NOTHING”).

We really can‘t know. Though the famous mantra “… if there is anything, it can be explained tomorrow or the day after tomorrow”, but this does not really calm us down. Sincere researchers intuitively sense a crying contradiction behind this mantra: According to its self-conception, science can only be based on knowledge, but never on hope or prophecy. “Everything can be explained, if not now, then later” is thus a deeply unscientific sentence. What remains is what can be measured, what can be personally experienced, and, of course, what can be guessed. However, hunches hardly count in the modern world - for the enlightened they are about as insignificant as hallucinations.

In any case, however, something like an intellectual consensus prevails here in the realm of space-time: We don‘t have it, this key into the beyond; or just, we can dream at best of finding it tomorrow, perhaps also only the day after tomorrow, or then the day after the day after the day after tomorrow. We have to put up with it - today and until further notice the gate remains closed!

Apropos, why actually? For the simple reason, because the speed of light holds us captive. Let me explain it (I didn‘t know it until now either, but I have researched, so that I can play the smart aleck here now):

The division of events into past, present and future is done with the help of a space-time diagram (the MINKOWSKI diagram): From the point of view of relativity, all events lie within or on a cone formed by light signals. It is also called an event cone. Cause for a future event can be thus only a present event, whereby the future event takes place in the future cone. The speed of light is now exactly the spoilsport; it limits the spacetime areas in which events can take place. Differently formulated: If it would be possible to send signals with a greater speed than the vacuum light speed, we could receive information from the future or send information into the past - to pick the lock and to penetrate into the world beyond. However, both contradict any earthly experience. We can‘t do it.

Yeah, that toad can be swallowed with a little humility. But hey, now comes a certain profession, the musicians, in general simply the artists, not system-relevant daydreamers…. - and they brazenly call out: “What are you looking for? We have the ticket.

Music is the key! We have it, the access to this world beyond time and space.”

Now you probably understand what I mean by “atomic bomb”. And if you know my previous books, or at the latest now after these first lines of the preface - you will certainly also notice that I always write with a pinch of irony and provocation. Nevertheless, things are very serious to me. I want to go into depth, to learn more - about the wonder of music, the mystery of being human, about cultural history, about philosophy, natural science, metaphysics, spirituality, and all these wonderful interdisciplinary things that can at least partially decode our existence, or at least enrich it enormously. I want to learn more about all this, in the hope of being able to understand music history better, to live music more intensely.

And what I discover and recognize on these voyages of discovery, I can share with you, dear readers, right away; I really enjoy it! Don‘t worry, this will not be a mission here. However, a fire wants to multiply, that is clear. Let‘s put it this way: As a tour guide, I somehow become a missionary; the tour group should reach the promised goal (igniting passion, gaining depth and knowledge), and should also be protected from going astray.

Astray paths? Yeah, there are plenty of them on these trips to the other world. Despite all the paradise that awaits us, it is unfortunately also teeming with dangers - at least this is what people who have gained access or at least a glimpse tell us. Especially the attempt to force the door to this world, for example with a key bought from a chemical dealer or stolen in the mushroom forest - something like that can bring nasty surprises and cause lasting damage.

Okay, that it is not advisable to gain access to this world at any price seems to be somehow obvious. Nevertheless, people are easily seduced - we know countless great artists who fell into the trap, created fascinating and legendary works, enriched us with them, but paid a far too high price. You know what I mean; I can summarize it somewhat casually and briefly as follows:

I am interested in the mystery of sounds, I am interested in music. How and why it touches us, exhilarates us, enchants us, sometimes heals us and - in the sense of the much-said “transcendence” - even leads us beyond ourselves. How the hell (or even better: for God‘s sake) does that work? What processes are going on, in our brain for example, or in our soul. And how has all this played into the history of mankind and music?

On the other hand, I am interested in the question of why, since time immemorial, the “drug” music is often not enough for us, why we believe that we have to top this high with some substances or occult practices. Or rather, why we believe that without these crutches we are not even able to produce exhilarating music or to let ourselves be enchanted by music.

In the last part then an exciting excursion into the history of that music which shaped me personally at that time, taught me to take off and inspires me to this day; psychedelic rock, folk rock, the music of the hippies from the revolutionary era of the 1960s and 1970s - music that often did not get along without chemical or occult crutches. My view of this period and its works will be full of admiration and respect, and yet I cannot and will not hide the high price that was paid (and is still being paid, because the drug misery is one of the biggest current world problems).

Parallel to this, as always, an attempt by me as a musician to underline my credo with a work of my own (the audio album enclosed with this book): “Transcendental Blues”, an 80-minute blues trip to musically-personally process the alternating bath of life between sky-high rejoicing and saddened to death. The centerpiece of the album is a 30-minute, rather psychedelic composition with mystical lyrics, divided into 6 scenes. The scenes are also available as individual songs, and beyond that even the whole thing as an instrumental mix to chill out.

A thousand thanks to you, dear readers - without your interest in my work, this trip here would be purely an end in itself. And it would not succeed in complete loneliness anyway; as an author I can think best, interpret information and develop visions, if I permanently imagine an imaginary readership, deal with them, try to convince them or learn from their point of view. Not very much comes out of me alone - we are all connected. For good luck.

The plot

When I‘m working on a book project, I always have to outsmart my simple-minded brain, because if I give it a precise script, it quickly becomes stubborn. That‘s why I‘ve gotten into the habit of reducing the plan for a book to the simplest thing imaginable, to a few simple, down-to-earth keywords. That will have to do - the rest is improvisation, coupled with the hope that passion will set something inspiring in motion. Don‘t ask me how this works. If only it works! It‘s the same with music - the journey of a guitar solo begins with the first note. Let‘s be surprised …

Well, the keywords:

• Music “exhilarates” (I also use this term sweepingly as a synonym for touching, enchanting, delighting, uplifting, comforting, healing, etc.).

•  How did music exhilarate in the past, how did these ecstasies make history in different eras?

• Why does it exhilarate? What exactly is going on?

•  How do famous artists experience this exhilaration, how do they describe it?

•  Are there tricks to create or intensify this exhilaration? How can I get the mojo going as a musician, how can I touch people?

•  How do such tricks work or affect people?

•  What is the price for such tricks (not in monetary terms)?

•  How do people find their way out if the price was too high?

•  What was going on in the time of psychedelic rock, that music of the hippies, which socialized myself at that time?

That is my approximate plot. With the emphasis on the fact that I would like to consider these questions in each case as interdisciplinary as possible; I am interested in answers from the most diverse fields: Music history, musicology, natural science, psychology, sociology, literature, philosophy, mysticism, religion, metaphysics. All poles, in other words, that sometimes contrast harshly or even contradict each other - and that‘s exactly what makes it exciting. A sauce with all these ingredients has perhaps the best chance of bringing us a little closer to the great mystery of sound..

Okay, so those were the last words of welcome, so to speak, from your tour guide right before the starting line to an exciting trip. It‘s good to have you with us! When the starting signal is given, and this happens in the next moment, there‘s no turning back - so at the very last moment, the obligatory reference to the small print in the package insert:

Possible risks and side effects go in the direction that you may no longer listen to music in the same way after reading this book - or that you may even no longer be exactly the same person …

Music exhilarates! Really?

Really? For me as a musician, the question is moot, but if it absolutely must be asked, I would shift it to the famous 5-letter question, “Where?”

Let me explain: If we do not experience the slightest loss of control when listening to or making music, if we know exactly where we are, in our bodies and in the here and now, controlled by neurological software and biochemistry - then I would answer no to this question. Music would then hardly exhilarate us, it would not abduct us, and all the millennia-old ballyhoo about the mysterious effect of music would be nothing but imagination.

In his book “Weltfremdheit” (World Alienation), German philosopher, cultural scientist and publicist Peter Sloterdijk asks, “Where are we when we listen to music?” His answer to that is, “In the way there and in the way back.” This sounds mysterious, and what is probably meant is the way to exactly that world beyond time and space of which Burkhard Reinartz speaks (Sloterdijk was in fact Reinartz‘s actual inspiration for this sentence).

Well, basically it is already enough if only one single person on earth asks himself that question. If that place of the music would be tangible, would be without any doubt in this world, so no single person would get the crazy idea to call “where are we?” Or nobody would at least consider the question unnecessary (with what natural scientists probably actually flirt, because sound waves are measurable, spatially limited and representable). But the question is asked again and again, since the beginning of mankind, until today. According to all laws of anthropology, this must be a proof that music is more than just sound waves, infinitely more. And that it exhilarates us.

By the way, “exhilaration” is a delicate term, it is misleading. I‘m not talking about a befuddled or confused state in which people are no longer able to use their senses - but rather about how music takes hold of us, enchants us and carries us away, while in our heads we usually remain completely lucid. The loss of control consists in the fact that we do not know where we are being abducted to, and that we do not know what exactly is happening. It is an enchantment, and perhaps we should indeed speak of “enchanting” rather than “exhilarating”.

Okay, music enchants; a truism, so to speak, we can check that off. If you didn‘t trust music to do that, you wouldn‘t have bought this book. So before we examine in an interdisciplinary way where the magic might come from and what exactly is going on, I would first be interested to know how the whole thing was experienced and perceived in the past. Looking back seems to me to be the most natural thing in the world - because, for all our uniqueness and progressiveness, we only ever represent one thing: the continuity of the past decades, centuries, millennia …

How did music exhilarate in the past? How did the stars of different eras experience that?

Of course, a thick book could be written about this alone, because history is full of musical examples and of reports by famous composers, musicians, music critics, writers, philosophers and mystics about how they felt the magic of music. The magic itself cannot be described - only the personal experience, it becomes tangible through words. Music in itself basically plays outside the level of the word, but when we arrive here again after the way back, we want to describe how the way there was, what happened over there in this other world - and this often succeeds very well with words and pictures..

I‘ve done some research in the literature and found fascinating, inspiring statements from all sorts of eras - about how music has enchanted since time immemorial. The best thing I can do now is just quote them here loosely and without chronological order; basically they all speak for themselves and are spicy enough so that I wouldn‘t even have to add my two cents. Nevertheless, it is of course highly interesting to bring them into our context by commenting on them and, in addition, to make the authors a bit more “tangible” by telling some anecdotes.

Let‘s best start with a modern mystic. Music is incomprehensible; trying to put incomprehensible things into words somehow is part of the daily business of mystics. We are talking about Emil M. Cioran (1911-1995), a legendary Romanian philosopher and essayist who lived mainly in France. Although his work was generally characterized by a strong pessimism and nihilism, he was clearly taken by music in a divine way:

“To think that so many philosophers and theologians have lost days and nights searching for proofs of God - and lost the real one. After an oratorio, a cantata or a passion, he must exist.

Otherwise, the whole work of the cantor would be only a heartbreaking illusion.”

“If we feel the longing for paradise with Bach, we are in it with Mozart. This music is paradisiacal. Its harmonies are dances of light in the eternal.”

“Music is the ultimate emanation of the universe as God is the ultimate emanation of music.”

Great, as Cioran described this several times. The man was an eternal sense-seeker, could never really satisfy his religious longing, remained forever a doubter, a provocateur - but as soon as music came into play, he miraculously succeeded in believing. And then, as soon as it faded away, he became a provocateur again. When the Académie Française wanted to honor him as one of the most important cultural critics of the twentieth century with the most highly endowed Prix Morand, he turned down the award.

Stubborn! Only music managed to calm him down for moments. “Paradisiacal. Dance of light in the eternal. Proof of God. Final emanation (radiation) of the universe.” Wow, these words! Basically, almost everything is said with it, we could go straight to the conclusion. But stubborn as I am too, I want to experience more on my author journey. Let‘s continue …

Music is not of this world. Or it is of this world and leads into the other world, as Reinartz just describes it. In his radio show (“The World is Sound”) he formulates it even further:

“Maybe music always shows a supernatural quality when it reflects a struggle for the ultimate mysteries of existence or celebrates the beauty of the world. Especially when it deals with the great themes such as fate, love, death or the meaning of life. For all these questions there are ultimately no linguistic answers. It is the musical messages woven into tones and melodies that foreshadow answers.”

The last secrets of existence, the language that finds no answers to them, the musical messages, woven into tones and melodies, which, on the other hand, let us guess at answers - you notice, dear reader, again we land without further ado at this guessing, of which I spoke in the preface.

Well, of course, things are not always quite so supernatural; there are certainly great personalities of world history who cannot imagine a life without music, but nevertheless do not immediately drift into the hereafter. It is probably also a question of world view; we cannot expect religious images from someone like Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who shouted “God is dead” and went to great lengths to deconstruct Christian culture. Nevertheless, he too loved music above all else, was enchanted by it, and his well-known phrase “without music, life would be a mistake” is an abridgement that does insufficient justice to this passion. Nietzsche‘s statement about music was longer and more telling:

“Music expresses not only this particular joy, this or that affliction, but sorrow, joy, peace of mind. No art has such an immediate and profound effect on man as music, precisely because none of them allows us to recognize the essence of the world so deeply and immediately. Without music, life would be a mistake.”

With these words, someone obviously makes every effort not to push open the door, not to enter the realm beyond time and space - but his writing fingers itch, he can hardly hold himself back. When Nietzsche speaks of the “essence of the world”, his spirit leaves the world at the same moment, because that essence cannot be explained, certainly not with words. In this way, Nietzsche carefully suggests that music leaves this world (or even comes from another world) - and yet he does not put his own world view in danger. Refined; as we may expect from a philosopher of his caliber, after all.

From about the same era and at least in the same league was a German-Swiss writer, poet and painter, a certain Hermann Hesse (1877-1962). The label does not really play a big role with him; thanks to his legendary narrative art, which can hardly be surpassed in depth, he also played in the Champions League in the genre of philosophers and mystics. In any case, Hesse is one of the most important German writers of all time; his collection of trophies (more than 10 top-class awards, including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946) is as impressive as his sales (more than 150 million books sold worldwide). Long story short: When Hermann Hesse says something, it carries weight - and about music, after all, he said these words here:

“That is the secret of music, that it demands our soul, but demands it completely. It does not demand intelligence and education, it always represents, beyond all sciences and languages, in ambiguous, but in the last sense always self-evident, only the soul of man.”

“Music has a primordial power and a deep healing magic; more than the other arts, it is able to replace nature.”

Hesse sets the tariff. The very fact that he sees music as a “secret” speaks volumes; there are no real secrets in this world. And then, of course, this reference to the “soul of man” makes everything clear. Who speaks of souls, thinks in the category of eternity - and leaves science (which still or even more than ever denies the existence of a soul) on earth.

Well, and with “primordial power” and “healing magic” he almost lands in the psychedelic area. No wonder, by the way, Hermann Hesse became a real leading figure of the hippie movement in the 1960s. This is highly remarkable, because it is very possible that world history would have been different without Hesse - that the hippie movement, which set the deconstruction of our Western culture in motion at that time, would never have emerged in this way and with this intensity. Exaggerated, this analysis?

Hermann Hesse in fact became the guru of the flower power movement in the USA. His legendary masterpiece “Siddharta” had little success for 30 years in the USA, and then the youth counter-movements emerged in the 1950s, the Beat Generation, the Nature Boys, and a little later the hippies. Hesse‘s mystical books were now suddenly discovered and reached incredible circulation figures. Hesse did not trigger the hippie movement, but he inadvertently gave it a great deal of impetus, became its spiritual fuel, so to speak. His book “Steppenwolf”” (a novel comparable to Goethe‘s Faust), published in 1927, became a huge boom in the U.S. in 1969 and also triggered a cult in the music and art world. A pop group called itself Steppenwolf and launched the world hit “Born to Be Wild” - the rest is music history. Carlos Santana released the album “Abraxas”, inspired by Hesse‘s “Demian”. Andy Warhol created a poster that made Hesse a pop culture icon. In Kathmandu, a city on the Hippie Trail, a “Hermann Hesse Society” was founded. The American psychologist Timothy Leary, known for his drug experiments, was crazy about Hesse‘s books and announced that “Steppenwolf” was the perfect textbook for an LSD trip. There were protests in the U.S., and the book was blacklisted in part because the novel was accused of propagating drug abuse and sexual perversions - but finally the movement could not be stopped.

Well, the worldwide drug abuse gained steadily terrain until today, the sexual perversion basically as well. It‘s not Hesse‘s fault, and certainly not the fault of the wonderful music that was created in those hippie times.