Cosmic Music

The idea that the universe is created out of sound or music (and therefore is music) is a very ancient one. In this book, Joscelyn Godwin brings together three contemporary German thinkers who exemplify this tradition in its modern variants: Marius Schneider, Rudolf Haase, and Hans Erhard Lauer. The selections draw on ancient Indian sources and mythology; Kepler's Platonic vision of a musical, geometric universe; and the evolution of the tone systems of music.

While every music lover senses the power and truth that reside in music, very few actually approach music as a path to cosmic knowledge. Godwin takes literally Beethoven's assertion that "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom or philosophy." Godwin writes, ". . .to penetrate the mysteries of music is to prepare for initiation into those fathomless mysteries of man and cosmos."

Introduction by Joscelyn Godwin

Marius Schneider:

The Nature of the Praise Song

Acoustic Symbolism in Foreign Cultures

Rudolf Haase:

Harmonics and Sacred Tradition

Kepler's World Harmony and its Significance for Today

The Sequel to Kepler's Harmony

Hans Erhard Lauer:

Mozart and Beethoven in the Development of Western Culture

A Meditation on Cultural History for Mozart's 200th Birthday

The Evolution of Music Through Changes in Tone-Systems

Appendix and Index:
 
Johannes Kepler:

Mysterium Cosmographicum

Harmonies Mundi (1619), Book V

Index