Kabbala
Soul Music
Rabbi DovBer
Pinson
Generally,
it is maintained that there are two distinct styles of music. Let us term
these, for convenience's sake, as "Western music", music which
originates from Western society, and "Non-Western", music which
is derived from all other cultures, particularly those of the East and
Africa. Western music is usually recognizable as "goal oriented music".
This means to say, music that is narrative in structure, consisting of
a series of progressive "events", so to speak. The listener
feels the progression of the music, and it evokes a sense of movement
within him. It feels like the music has a destination, and it takes the
listener on its journey.
Non-Western
music is characterized by a prolongation of a single note, or a select
group of sounds which continues in a set pattern throughout the entire
melody. This type of music arouses a more contemplative state, evoking
within the listener a sense of timelessness and inner space.
Appropriately,
these moods of music reflect the essential theology of these two civilizations.
In the West, the predominant belief is that Creation began at a period
of time, as time is linear, culminating in a future: Creation, Revelation
and finally Redemption. Reflecting this reality, the music the West produces
follows this pattern. It begins, reaches a high point and climaxes. By
contrast, in the East, where time is viewed to be cyclical, with no "beginning",
"middle" or "end", its music, too, is cyclical and
repetitive.
The Kabbala
and Jewish mystical teachings, on some level, meld these two together.
Yes, Creation began at some point in time, and time itself was created;
nonetheless, Creation is continuous, moment to moment anew. Nothing is
merely in the past, nor hoped for purely the future. Everything is within
the eternal present. As such, the music that the Jewish mystics produced,
especially the songs of Chassidim known as "nigunim", are reflective
of both these musical spectrums.
There are
some nigunim that are structured and progressive. These tunes are to the
Western ear "sophisticated" tunes, consisting of a beginning,
a body and a climax. There are other nigunim that contain repetitions
of single, individual sounds with little or no words. And some contain
both.
While Neitzsche
suggested that the "fire magic of music" is to be found in its
anti-rationality, and what he sought in music was its "ecstatic irrationality",
the Jewish mystic looks to unveil within music its transcendence. Perhaps
not the transcendence within the music itself, as some would argue that
music is nothing more than "sonorous air" or, as Leibniz had
it, "unconscious arithmetic"; rather the reaction to the music,
the transcendence reached as one reacts to the music.
A wordless
tune (as is much of Jewish mystical song, particularly Chassidic) is the
way two individuals can communicate on a transcendent soul level. Any
breakdown in the verbal communication mode can be repaired by creating
a conduit that transcends words. When a person feels alienated from his
Source, or for that manner, from his fellow man, a wordless tune which
exists on a realm that defies distinctions, separations, and disharmony,
is the most fitting remedy, causing a unity of souls.
[Reprinted
with permission from www.iyyun.com - copyright The Iyyun Institute.]
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