Organ Grinder

Heart Pounding Music
Garrett Lambur

We recently heard a special performance in the Strahov Monastery on the same organ that Mozart composed on. It was heart pounding, literally. When he used the pedals to create the massive chords the whole church began vibrating. The performance was moving and beautiful, drastic and impressive, and scary and awe-inspiring. I can understand why they use the organ within the Church, it makes a human being feel small before that amount of sound. Not only does it succeed in making a human feel small but it is music at the same time, not a tangible piece of art but nothing more than sound waves in the air. You cannot touch it but can only listen and feel it. The church was intelligent in using the organ to enforce the idea a human is small before God specifically within a church. It can create the Mysterium Tremendum that Otto identifies.

Otto also talks about where exactly in music that a human feels the most of the numenious. He states that there needs to be a pause in the music long enough to “hear the silence” (pg 70). He goes on to state that in Bach’s Mass in B minor the quiet structure that dies away pianissimo helps to create the mysterium. I believe that some of this is true. A piece can be made more impressive by making sure there is significant difference between soft and loud, this is done by making the quiet parts softer. As a player you reach point where playing any louder begins to make the instrument sound worse and lose it correct tone. Thus to make the louder sound louder without losing quality you make the quiet more quiet. But it is after this that I begin to disagree with Otto. A piece of music to me is at its most moving with the crescendo to an impressive chord. As with the Organ I felt most moved in a religious manner, whether it be mysterium or tremendum or both, when he was playing the massive chords that shook the church. I am not saying that during the quieter parts it is impossible to notice any mysterium tremendum but I usually feel more during the thundering parts. Some would say that it is right after this, when you can still hear the echo of the note setting in as it quiets down is more impressive. But as my past in playing music and being involved in those loud notes I view this time as time where you either hold your breath or catch your breath. During either my mind is not focused on the quiet setting in but on “thank you sweet sweet oxygen!” Some may disagree but personally I love to hear the massive overlaid chords played extremely loud and it is at that moment that the music most moves me toward whatever it may be.