
In 1946 Hermann Hesse received the Nobel prize in literature for his book: The Glass Bead Game.
The principles of the Glass Bead Game are:”… a new language, a sign and formula of which mathematics and music equally partake, enabling one to combine astronomical and musical formulas, a common denominator for mathematics and music.”
The law of the octave is this principle where mathematics and music equally partake. This law makes it possible to combine astronomical and musical formulas. It is the common denominator of astronomy, mathematics, music and colour. Hermann Hesse writes further on in the Glass Bead Game:
- “I suddenly realised that in the language, or at any rate in the spirit of the Glass Bead Game, everything actually was all-meaningful, every symbol and combination of symbols led not to single examples, experiments and proofs, but into the centre, the mystery and innermost heart of the world, into primal knowledge. Every transition from major to minor in a sonata, every transformation of a myth or a religious cult, every classical or artistic formulation was, I realised in that flashing moment, if seen with a truly meditative mind, to be nothing but a direct route into the interior of the cosmic mystery, where in the alternation between inhaling an exhaling, between heaven and earth, between Yin and Yang, holiness is forever being created.” –
Our life unfolds today in a stressful environment. The world is looking for an “antidote”. A part of this ” antidote” can be found in music. As we are looking for the forest and the meadow to heal our souls, in the same way we should look for music. Our Earth was born from the Universe’s Song. That is why everything that exists in nature,expresses itself through a song that can be perceived by the souls who live in contact with it. All these songs form a symphony that is vital for humanity. Music of the spheres, so dear to Pitagoras, is a reality: celestial bodies that slip in their orbits have sound vibrations, creating a cosmic music. There is a music of human nature which resonates with the music of the spheres being it’s echo.
The music blends toghether in a perfect harmony. If the music of the Universe comes to us then as a normal reaction we should turn to the universe through music.
Music is a universal bridge, crossing the barriers of culture, age, and language. Perhaps, eventually, we will learn that it also spans those of time… and space.