Sorry, but I could not resist the temptation.
I spent some time today listening to the Mass in Bm and the tears were flowing freely. Such a piece of work.
The funny thing is that I am an Atheist but yet I get very emotional about many works of religious music.
I don’t believe one word of the sentiment, or thought behind it.. so to speak, but it does move me in ways that other works don’t.
This reaction does beg a question.
I’m just not sure what it is.
Answers on a postcard please 
Slan,
D.
No postcard Dubh…but of course it stirs your soul. Why wouldn’t it? Doesn’t matter what beliefs or mindset inspired the composer. Point is, it’s an outpouring of his emotions into musical expression, and emotions are universal regardless of one’s religious affiliation or lack thereof.
But you knew that.
I wish you had 
I don’t believe one word of the sentiment, or thought behind it.. so to speak, but it does move me in ways that other works don’t.
I don’t know if it’s always the words…for ME, certain types of music can just touch my soul in ways I don’t completely understand. I mean, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture can do that to me at times, depending upon the mood I’m in when I listen to it, as can Beethoven’s Ode To Joy from his 9th Symphony. Don’t even get me started on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Heck, when I here Billie sing “I’ll Be Seeing You” is always hard to listen to. But only when it’s her, so I don’t think it’s necessarily WHAT she’s singing about.
I think that’s my round about way of saying I understand what you mean
dubhlinn,
God is pursuing you.
I don’t have an answer for ya Dubh. By an odd coincidence though we’ve been studying Bach (and baroque period in general) in my music appreciation class of late.
I’d have to say that J.S. Bach is, in my personal opinion, in all of recorded history the single greatest composer.
Goldberg variations anyone? Well Tempered Clavair?
St. Matthew’s Passion (I think was the name)?
Who knows why the music affects us as it does. Sufficient enough that it does.
That’s what good music should do.
Beat me to it! 
Religion had nothing to do with the musical inspiration, of course. Bach worked for a church because that’s who had the bucks to employ him. The religion doggerel was just to keep the punters pacified. The music is the music. It needs no reasons or excuses for its existence.
djm
Not quite sure about all of that. I’ve read a few quotes from Bach that make me fairly sure he was a rather devout Lutheran.
ah ya beat me to it!
yeah, there’s oodles of written evidence that for JSB creating music was communion with his Creator, (and creativity)…it would be very tough to divorce Lutheran piety from the work of JSB, even in a secular moment.
I cant recall any refrence to “pacifing punters with doggerel for a paycheck” in texts or memoirs by JSB. Let me check it out & I’ll get bach to you later.
GOTCHA!
ppst…dubhlinn…go listen to something shallow…
sarah palin on flute, maybe…
There are many fine pieces of human creative endeavor which were inspired by religion.
Religion, however, doesn’t own them.
They are the product and property of all humanity.
–James
Ahem…
To my mind there’s no question that JS Bach was a gifted composer. Indeed, I have spent many hours over his works.
However, it’s apparently also recognized that no less than JS Bach could be suspected of, er, “lifting” otherwise common tunes, for his further use.
So, while perhaps great respect could be due to a master, perhaps it could also be considered that perhaps even he, JS Bach, could have a human side, as well.
No no, it raises a question. Begging the question is what Sarah Palin is going to do all night long.
~~
But for you, belief and atheism are both functions of the intellect, but music’s metier isn’t thought, it’s emotion.
Bach’s music communicates the emotional content of his religious beliefs, not those beliefs themselves. You don’t have the beliefs, but you–everyone–has the emotions, and that’s what you’re experiencing when you listen.
Excuse me? metier? METIER???
Ya gotta thesaurus up yer butt or what? 
djm
Steely Dan says that Guitar George knows all the chords. I may only know three chords, but I know all the words.
A piece that has always moved me to near tears, is the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony. There’s a ton of emotion in that one for certain.
Even if that’s true, be sure that he left them quite different than he found them. There is no composer with a greater insight into the very nature of music and how music works than Bach.
The funny thing is that I am an Atheist but yet I get very emotional about many works of religious music.
Hmmm…perhaps there is a common musical thread in the tunes that really “get” you? Or you are picking up on the emotions the composer intended?
Or is it that you are wrong 
and it really is GOD sayin’ “hey” to you…
it’s my second night of being up waaaay too late at night and I can’t think any more…
Dunno about Bach, but I love some gospel blues songs, even though the lyrics don’t mean anything to me. Still can’t stand christian rock though. It’s like they forgot that it’s still supposed to, well, rock.
But is there a point when the song meaning is too important to ignore? I can listen to religious inspired music and ignore the meaning behind the song or make excuses for myself to like it, but what about other stuff I disagree with? There’s a certain type of hardcore punk for example that writes white supremacist songs, would it be ok to listen to that if the music was good? Personally I can’t sell myself that argument, but it’s a thought that occurs to me now and then when I hear Kelly Joe Phelps singing “I Am The Light Of The World” or some other religious song I actually like.
beatin’ bach
nice shot dear!
No, it has no more meaning than you choose to give it. It’s all in your imagination. There’s nothing wrong with imagining all sorts of things to the music, as long as you know enough to leave it behind when the song is over.
No, that’s the bach beat.
djm