Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-qdpjg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-22T07:43:27.993Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

CHAPTER III - THE LIFE OF MUSICAL ART

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2010

Adolf bernhard Marx
Get access

Summary

It was the mystery of art which we endeavoured to fathom in our last investigation. Those amongst my fellow labourers who do not live “from hand to mouth,” who are not satisfied with merely trotting over the ground of their daily work, but look about and before them, will not require to be told that an investigation of such a nature cannot be successfully carried out, unless we enter as deeply into the matter as our powers permit.

The mystery of art consists in that perfect blending of the spiritual and material elements,—of the inner life with the outer world—in that embodiment of the spirit, and spiritualization of sensual things which calls forth the energy of will and power which we have designated by the term of “creative love.” It is impossible to contemplate this mystery of art without being forcibly reminded of that of the Hindoos and other nations of antiquity respecting the incarnation of divinity,—the appearance of the Supreme Spirit in human or animal shape, and the assumption of the divine nature by beings born mortal and finite. Both mysteries refer to the commencement of all things; they touch upon the insoluble enigma of man's existence. Is man a twofold being, consisting of an immortal, creative, and governing spirit, and a perishable body serving as its temporal abode and obedient organ?

Type
Chapter
Information
The Music of the Nineteenth Century and its Culture , pp. 34 - 51
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009
First published in: 1855

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×