basis
of everything that occurs all around as part of evolution: the development
of the individual, the development of whole nations, the development
of entire galaxies, indeed, the development of entire universes.
Everything
external has its inner being.
The external is loud, the inner being quiet, the innermost is inaudible,
but extremely powerful – like the soul, and, if necessary, omnipotent,
like the “Great Soul”.
I
have tried to present and clarify these conditions as archaically
and musically as possible. The person who listens to the tones, is
ruled in his thinking by the tones – up to the knowledge of the
great tonal connections in space and time.
And
the person who in all this action seeks stillness, at the same time
making less and less effort and relaxing more and more, and in the
end only simply listens without any inner resistance and analytical
show of strength, might advance to that stillness of archaic harmony,
which rules the development of the sound in this piece of work.
In
this cosmic stillness of his consciousness and/or thinking, he might
even advance to the fields of his own soul, and perhaps glance briefly
into the world of the “Great Soul” – beyond space and
time, where everything streams as from a boundless golden source,
and enlivens the cosmic stillness of consciousness: animates it.
This person has experienced the “Great Stream”.
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The Rhine
Daugthers
“When
I commenced work on Rheingold in 1853, I was lying in bed. I
felt suddenly as if I were immersed in a flood of flowing water.
I imagined myself lying at the bottom of the Rhine. I could
certainly feel and hear the moving, surging water sweeping over
me.
I was in a semi-trance condition and when I awoke, I immediately
realized that this vision was an inspiration – that my
prelude to Rheingold had taken shape in my inner consciousness.
Then
I understood the real essence of my own nature and that this
vision of the rushing water was to be symbolic of my future
musical creations – that the stream of my life was to flow
from within me.”
Wagner
“I
have very definite impressions while in that trance-like condition,
which is the prerequisite of all true creative effort. I feel
that I am one with this vibrating Force, that it is Omniscient,
and that I can draw upon it to an extent that is limited only
by my own capacity do so.
Why did Beethoven appropriate it to a far greater degree than
Dittersdorf, to name only one of the many minor composers of
that period?
Because
Beethoven was much more aware of his oneness with Divinity than
was Dittersdorf. Beethoven himself said so. We have documentary
evidence to that effect.”
Wagner
Richard
Wagner
“To
begin with, I wish to say that inspiration is a very evasive,
a most illusive subject, which is not easily defined and
about which we know very little. Few indeed there be who
know how to tap the source whence it flows, and this undoubtedly
is the reason why there has been so little written about
it.
I
am convinced that there are universal currents of Divine
Thought vibrating the ether everywhere and that anyone who
can feel those vibrations is inspired, provided he is conscious
of the process and possesses the knowledge and skill to
present them in a convincing manner, be he composer, architect,
painter, sculptor, or inventor.
While
working on my scores, I have had many wonderful and exhilarating
experiences in that invisi- ble realm, which I can define
to some extent at least.
I believe first of all, that it is this universal vibrating
energy that binds the soul of man to the Almighty Central
Power from which emanates the life principle to which we
all owe our existence.
This
energy links us to the Supreme Force of the universe, of
which we are all a part. If it were not so, we could not
bring our- selves into communication with it. The one who
can do this is inspired.”
Wagner
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