John Borstlap

composer | author

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Revival?

Posted on February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 by John

Given the state of contemporary culture, the idea of a revival of classical, tonal music may seem to be a rather cavalier idea, and without much perspective of succeeding. But often it is exactly the dissatisfaction with the times which inspires the search for a better alternative:

Someone then might say: “What is all this, my friend? Have you determined to revive a custom that is beset with inherent difficulty and has long since fallen into desuetude? And this in the face of a hostile and recalcitrant fortune? Whence do you draw such confidence that you would decorate the Roman Capitol with new and unaccustomed laurels? Do you not see what a task you have undertaken in attempting to attain the lonely steeps of Parnassus and the inaccessible grove of the Muses?” Yes, I do see, oh my dear sirs; I do indeed see this, oh Roman citizens. “Sed me Parnasi deserta per ardua dulcis raptat amor,” as I said at the outset. For the intensity of my longing is so great that it seems to me sufficient to enable me to overcome all the difficulties that are involved in my present task.

Words by the brilliant Italian poet Francesco Petrarca (1304 – 1374), one of the earliest humanists.

Also:

This age of ours consequently has let fall, bit by bit, some of the richest and sweetest fruits that the tree of knowledge has yielded; has thrown away the results of the vigils and labours of the most illustrious men of genius, things of more value, I am almost tempted to say, than anything else in the whole world….

This was a first stirring of the spirit of the Renaissance, which would evolve into a new world view and especially, into a strong inspiration for the arts, dominating Western culture until the last century, when an abyss of disaster opened-itself up to a perplexed modern humanity.

Renaissances can always happen again, in different contexts, in different times and places, and they are created by people who let themselves be inspired by the best achievements of the past which embody universal human needs, and still reflect the human condition as it really is, far removed from the fake, the nonsensical, the primitive, the superficial, the commercial.

To Orchestrate a Renaissance

 

 

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Recent Posts

  • Two short essays on Euro News Website
  • The modernity of revival
  • For further reading
  • Deep Listening
  • Revival?

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