A charming blog called "Beobachtung des Unsichtbaren" run by Thorsten Wiesman recently posted my Mozart article. I wrote some reflections, which I tried to post as well. But due to the length, er, my long-windedness, I couldn't post them. Either that or my lack of computer skills is messing up the process. Anyways, here is my post on the matter:
Mr. Wiesman,
I am someone who believes in serendipity. I have had a chance to peruse the often charming corners of your blog, and have been impressed with the fine illustrations done as well for the the literary efforts you are involved in. This has in turn brought up a few reflections for me, which I hope you will allow on your blog here. I am someone who was raised and educated before the heyday of computers, so that the vast mists of the internet still amaze me somewhat. I spend my time working often in a very beautiful library with exquisitely aged books, and feel myself very lucky to work in a field where things still get published in hardcover books. But the mysterious mists of the internet have their significance and specific valences, and even aesthetics as well. And it is with such a silver-lining that I want to address a particular topic, so perfectly fitted for internet amplitude, which might get lost in strict exposition of scholarship. I recently put a review of an art show called "Hide/Seek" at the National Portrait Gallery here in Washington DC on the Amazon site. The particular point of the show is not germane to this discussion, though it has been somewhat controversial here, especially since it appeared at the Portrait Gallery, which of course has the sense of official political memorialization as part of its de facto mission. Well, given that I am mostly involved with quite serious research at this point, where one must be institutionally prudent, and living in a town where that attitude is simply de riguer or a sine qua non with a lot of dialogue in a variety of settings, I was extremely surprised to find a comment left to my loosely- reflected review on Amazon. In fact I was quite bowled-over to find David Ward, one of the co-curators from the National Portrait Gallery for the show responding to my review. Again, his comment is not directly relevant, though it is worth noting that it was not approving. But further research on my part did produce something that is exquisitely relevant for this discussion here, and I think it bears broadly on why Mozart has been misunderstood. Further, in terms of the imaginative valences of your interests I think it is related perhaps, in my guess, to why you have taken an interest in this specific discussion.
In the German-speaking world the particular controversy of this Hide/Seek show may not be well-known. But here it became quite the brouhaha. It centered around a video which contained an image of a crucified Christ which had ants crawling on it. This is surely not my type of artistic production, but the huge protests it engendered from right-wing groups are thematically interesting. Indeed, amazingly they have a direct relation to our discussion here. For David Ward the co-curator said in an interview that he did not really understand the protests because he thought the video related directly to the art- historical matter of Spanish Colonial Art. I thought this was a very brilliant point, and showed the thoughtfulness in which the whole matter was undertaken. But I want to focus on why those protesting, many of whom were conservative Catholics, could not see this clear art- historical connection, even if they did not like the art, and rather chose to be quite offended. Let me make a few educated guesses on the matter because I think it helps clarify the issues in my Mozart paper in a curious way, in terms of modern society's understanding of the great composer. The Counter-Reformation aesthetics of Spanish Colonial Art represent a extreme height of such artistic tropes. One would think that Catholics would be the first to embrace such tropes. But, to my mind, there is a curious desire in the Catholic world to forget their own history, and that includes the very aesthetic impetus for Counter-Reformation art itself, which quite ironically, they created! The smoothing- out of artistic approaches was a very strong part of Catholic aesthetics in the Post- Vatican II era. This is well represented by the famous "Kumabaya" song, which I remember singing often in Church as a child in the seventies. But what is also significant is that this "Kumabaya" aesthetic has become in American culture generally now a symbol, or a short-hand way of referring to any attempt in the wider culture and political life for an attempt to smooth- out differences and challenges in an artificial, and falsely warm emotionalistic way. Well this "Kumabaya" notion has affected even traditionalist Catholics in an odd way, not so much in terms of artistic desiderata but as a way of conceptualizing aspects of artistic history. And this brings us to the connection. What the "Hide/Seek" controversy showed was that Catholics themselves are now put- of, in some deep sense by Counter-Reformation aesthetics, and that to the extent that they must confront them -- in historical spaces like churches or in paintings -- they are likely to be interpreted in an unconsciously "Kumabaya" fashion. That means by definition that they are habitually misinterpreted. I believe the underlying reason goes directly to the over-arching point of my paper. Namely, that Mozart's ability to use the tropes of the Counter-Reformation aesthetic so well, and so personally, was related to the "intersectional" philosophy of Freemasonry. I want to share, further, that such ideas continue to find resonance with those working the field. Fairly recently, I was asked as a Scholar working at the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite to speak with a visitor to the Supreme Council Library, by the librarian who thought it would be appropriate. This distinguished organist and musicologist had very fascinating views on Mozart's last symphony, and its relation to contrapuntal aesthetics of church music of the past. We encouraged her to think about presenting her great ideas at the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry, and to our delight she will be doing so! I feel strongly that her general view bolsters my contentions in a broad way. This gladdens my heart, because we are very interested in seeing that the true nature of our Illustrious Brother Mozart's art becomes better understood. But I want to clarify that the contentions of my position on the matter do not represent the the official view of the matter from the Supreme Council. Such a view would have to be a expressed by the Historian of the Supreme Council. And I have not discussed this matter with him, because of his very demanding commitments. But I do feel confident in asserting that the desire to clarify Mozart's genius, in line with the best of Masonic scholarship, would be an institutional desideratum.
The reportedly great love of the current Catholic Pope for Mozart's music is a point of consideration in itself, based simply on the numerousness of Catholics in the world. But this makes it all the more striking that Mozart's Church music has received such short shrift, if you will pardon the oblique pun. There is a tragic irony in the fact that the Catholic Church has cooperated strangely in the continued misunderstanding of Mozart by not pushing for greater use of his Masses. Part of this has to do with the aforementioned "Kumbaya" aesthetic. Part of it is related to the deep sense that these Masses represent something intersectional in a thoroughly Masonic way, and that they allow us to visualize the invisible, like your title here, in a sense that both uses religious tropes and signifies a realm that transcends their contradiction. To me this can be the only explanation for the Church's collusion in a cultural avoidance of the some of the greatest artistic products inspired by their own tradition. But let me end on a positive note. To the extent that we are able to accept the openness of a position of visualizing the invisible, even the as- yet invisible, or unattainable, in today's culture both in Europe, America, and the world, to that extent will we be able to grasp the very complex genius of Mozart. So mote it be!
Mr. Wiesman,
I am someone who believes in serendipity. I have had a chance to peruse the often charming corners of your blog, and have been impressed with the fine illustrations done as well for the the literary efforts you are involved in. This has in turn brought up a few reflections for me, which I hope you will allow on your blog here. I am someone who was raised and educated before the heyday of computers, so that the vast mists of the internet still amaze me somewhat. I spend my time working often in a very beautiful library with exquisitely aged books, and feel myself very lucky to work in a field where things still get published in hardcover books. But the mysterious mists of the internet have their significance and specific valences, and even aesthetics as well. And it is with such a silver-lining that I want to address a particular topic, so perfectly fitted for internet amplitude, which might get lost in strict exposition of scholarship. I recently put a review of an art show called "Hide/Seek" at the National Portrait Gallery here in Washington DC on the Amazon site. The particular point of the show is not germane to this discussion, though it has been somewhat controversial here, especially since it appeared at the Portrait Gallery, which of course has the sense of official political memorialization as part of its de facto mission. Well, given that I am mostly involved with quite serious research at this point, where one must be institutionally prudent, and living in a town where that attitude is simply de riguer or a sine qua non with a lot of dialogue in a variety of settings, I was extremely surprised to find a comment left to my loosely- reflected review on Amazon. In fact I was quite bowled-over to find David Ward, one of the co-curators from the National Portrait Gallery for the show responding to my review. Again, his comment is not directly relevant, though it is worth noting that it was not approving. But further research on my part did produce something that is exquisitely relevant for this discussion here, and I think it bears broadly on why Mozart has been misunderstood. Further, in terms of the imaginative valences of your interests I think it is related perhaps, in my guess, to why you have taken an interest in this specific discussion.
In the German-speaking world the particular controversy of this Hide/Seek show may not be well-known. But here it became quite the brouhaha. It centered around a video which contained an image of a crucified Christ which had ants crawling on it. This is surely not my type of artistic production, but the huge protests it engendered from right-wing groups are thematically interesting. Indeed, amazingly they have a direct relation to our discussion here. For David Ward the co-curator said in an interview that he did not really understand the protests because he thought the video related directly to the art- historical matter of Spanish Colonial Art. I thought this was a very brilliant point, and showed the thoughtfulness in which the whole matter was undertaken. But I want to focus on why those protesting, many of whom were conservative Catholics, could not see this clear art- historical connection, even if they did not like the art, and rather chose to be quite offended. Let me make a few educated guesses on the matter because I think it helps clarify the issues in my Mozart paper in a curious way, in terms of modern society's understanding of the great composer. The Counter-Reformation aesthetics of Spanish Colonial Art represent a extreme height of such artistic tropes. One would think that Catholics would be the first to embrace such tropes. But, to my mind, there is a curious desire in the Catholic world to forget their own history, and that includes the very aesthetic impetus for Counter-Reformation art itself, which quite ironically, they created! The smoothing- out of artistic approaches was a very strong part of Catholic aesthetics in the Post- Vatican II era. This is well represented by the famous "Kumabaya" song, which I remember singing often in Church as a child in the seventies. But what is also significant is that this "Kumabaya" aesthetic has become in American culture generally now a symbol, or a short-hand way of referring to any attempt in the wider culture and political life for an attempt to smooth- out differences and challenges in an artificial, and falsely warm emotionalistic way. Well this "Kumabaya" notion has affected even traditionalist Catholics in an odd way, not so much in terms of artistic desiderata but as a way of conceptualizing aspects of artistic history. And this brings us to the connection. What the "Hide/Seek" controversy showed was that Catholics themselves are now put- of, in some deep sense by Counter-Reformation aesthetics, and that to the extent that they must confront them -- in historical spaces like churches or in paintings -- they are likely to be interpreted in an unconsciously "Kumabaya" fashion. That means by definition that they are habitually misinterpreted. I believe the underlying reason goes directly to the over-arching point of my paper. Namely, that Mozart's ability to use the tropes of the Counter-Reformation aesthetic so well, and so personally, was related to the "intersectional" philosophy of Freemasonry. I want to share, further, that such ideas continue to find resonance with those working the field. Fairly recently, I was asked as a Scholar working at the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite to speak with a visitor to the Supreme Council Library, by the librarian who thought it would be appropriate. This distinguished organist and musicologist had very fascinating views on Mozart's last symphony, and its relation to contrapuntal aesthetics of church music of the past. We encouraged her to think about presenting her great ideas at the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry, and to our delight she will be doing so! I feel strongly that her general view bolsters my contentions in a broad way. This gladdens my heart, because we are very interested in seeing that the true nature of our Illustrious Brother Mozart's art becomes better understood. But I want to clarify that the contentions of my position on the matter do not represent the the official view of the matter from the Supreme Council. Such a view would have to be a expressed by the Historian of the Supreme Council. And I have not discussed this matter with him, because of his very demanding commitments. But I do feel confident in asserting that the desire to clarify Mozart's genius, in line with the best of Masonic scholarship, would be an institutional desideratum.
The reportedly great love of the current Catholic Pope for Mozart's music is a point of consideration in itself, based simply on the numerousness of Catholics in the world. But this makes it all the more striking that Mozart's Church music has received such short shrift, if you will pardon the oblique pun. There is a tragic irony in the fact that the Catholic Church has cooperated strangely in the continued misunderstanding of Mozart by not pushing for greater use of his Masses. Part of this has to do with the aforementioned "Kumbaya" aesthetic. Part of it is related to the deep sense that these Masses represent something intersectional in a thoroughly Masonic way, and that they allow us to visualize the invisible, like your title here, in a sense that both uses religious tropes and signifies a realm that transcends their contradiction. To me this can be the only explanation for the Church's collusion in a cultural avoidance of the some of the greatest artistic products inspired by their own tradition. But let me end on a positive note. To the extent that we are able to accept the openness of a position of visualizing the invisible, even the as- yet invisible, or unattainable, in today's culture both in Europe, America, and the world, to that extent will we be able to grasp the very complex genius of Mozart. So mote it be!
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Posted by: Account Deleted | 08/01/2011 at 06:17 AM