Organ as Mysterium Tremendum

BOOM. The first, thunderous chords resounded through the basilica and my body instinctively jerked. The "minor-keyed" opening coupled with the cold and fairly empty church frightened me, and I was instantly struck with a thought: “mysterium tremendum.” The beautiful organ at the Strahov Monastery continued to play, and I contemplated Otto’s ideas of the holiness of God as expressed through mysterium tremendum. Yes, the organ seemed to fit and I concluded that these grand organs in the great church basilicas were used to convey the numinous! Along with candles and incense, I really think the organ is another communicator of the holy.

Otto describes mysterium tremendum as an element of “awefulness,” of “absolute unapproachability,” “absolute overpoweringness.” It is wholly other, fascinating, and daunting. As I listened to the organ, I sat in awe of the tremendous instrument and the overpowering beauty created by the melodious singing of the pipes. The music of the organ seemed to fill the whole room, and as it moved between incredibly loud parts and quiet, more melodious sections, I continued to contemplate the tremendum of the experience. The sheer volume created a sense of wonder in me. The stanzas in a minor key conveyed the mysterious to me, and I think another aspect of mystery was present in that I couldn’t see the organist, nor most of the pipes. Even if I could have, however, I think it would have remained a mysterious element because it is difficult for my mind to fully comprehend how all these pipes of varying sizes create different notes, and how the small, ivory keys the organist plays control the entire instrument, which spans the width of the church!

Reflecting on the experience, the contrast between that church and my own church in America comes to mind. I think our less ornate, Protestant churches have their benefits, but they generally do not inspire feelings of creature-consciousness that follow an experience with the numen, as described by Otto. I have come to appreciate that aspect of the older European churches, and was delighted to find the organ –an instrument I have never been particularly fond of— to be an excellent revelation of the mysterium tremendum. I feel like it is a true expression of the numinous because the experience of hearing it played sent my thoughts directly to the mysterious tremendum and subsequently the holy, and there they remained throughout the duration of the magnificent music.

eks