Purpose and Mastery
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
I became fascinated with the great composers Bach and Handel. Both were born in Germany in 1685, and both have changed the hearts of people and the world of music. Bach stayed home and wrote music for the church, and Handel went to the empire where the sun never set--England. They have each inspired me and led me to ponder what it is like to live a life dedicated to mastery and to live with such purpose.
While I took that sabbatical from work in 2009, I immersed myself in the world of music, playing the piano and dreaming.
Johann Sebastian Bach
I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.
J.S. Bach
For most of his life, Bach was beset with tragedy and sorrow. He was orphaned at the age of ten when he lost his parents within a year of each other. He had 20 children, but 11 of them died. He lost his young daughter, three sons and then his first wife. He then remarried and lost four more daughters and three more sons, 11 dear children total. When he was old, he was in poor health and had cataracts that made him blind. How could someone produce such a treasure chest of music while being overwhelmed by such loss and hardship?
Perhaps Bach set his heart on fire by composing the world's most beautiful and meaningful music. Bach's music was the first music sent into space. He set his heart on composing music for God and man; perhaps that is why we feel so peaceful listening to his music.
At the beginning of each piece of music, he wrote, "Lord help." At the end of his music, he wrote, "Soli Deo Gloria" (Only Glory to God). His music was praise, prayer, and honour to God--a conversation between man and God in the form of musical notes.
Bach was prolific, writing over 1,000 works. The depth and complexity of his music pushed the boundaries of what was possible with music, and his music became the standard of excellence.
Bach believed his music should have a higher purpose. His sacred works like "St. Matthew Passion" were composed to honour God. His music was an expression of his faith and for mankind to feel the passion and love of the beloved Creator.
His works were not well known outside his country, but 70 years later, Felix Mendelssohn praised Bach and revived his work to worldwide acclaim. Bach's unmarked grave was discovered and raised to prominence, as his music inspired and lifted the great musicians and crowds who would listen to his music.
I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.
J.S. Bach
George Handel
My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertained them. I wish to make them better.
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Despite suffering from poor health and financial distress himself, he put on concerts to raise funds for people imprisoned for unpaid debts.
Handel's profound sense of purpose is evident in his great Magnum Opus "Messiah" (Hebrew for 'Anointed One'), which, at 260 pages, he wrote in just 24 days as he set the words of the Bible to music. Handel said it was as if the music were dictated to him by God, and he just transcribed the notes furiously onto paper. The Hallelujah Chorus in "Messiah" is said to have inspired and uplifted King George II so much that he stood up during this part. It has now become a tradition to stand up during that moment of the performance. The delightful and powerful Hallelujah ("Praise the Lord") chorus has the power to transform the heart through the power of its music and singing.
Handel composed over 40 operas and 29 oratorios, but when he first incorporated Scripture into his music (though now very accepted and praised), it was a point of contention among the civil and religious communities of his time. He fell into hard financial times and struggled until his revival with the popularity of "Messiah."
I have been most industrious and have achieved much with my music. However, I desire to create works that will outlast even my lifetime.
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven was inspired by Bach and Handel and throughout his lifetime, he relentlessly pursued musical mastery despite much hardship. In 1797, around age 26, Beethoven started to lose his hearing, and by age 44 (in 1814), he was almost totally deaf.
Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5 was written in 1804 and Symphony No. 9, considered his Magnum Opus, was composed between 1822 and 1824.
How could it be that he wrote his greatest work of music while completely deaf?
He knew and felt music intuitively. During his "late period," he became an innovator. He pioneered the transition between classical and romantic music periods, reinventing the symphony, sonata, and string quartet. He stirred souls with emotional depth and complexity that were familiar yet entirely new.
He believed that music had the power to stir the human soul and convey profound human emotions and ideals. Through his music, he expressed his beliefs in freedom, justice, and the triumph of the human spirit.
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
John Milton
The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.
John Milton (1608-1674)
John Milton had a dream to write an epic poem like Homer's Odyssey and Virgil when he was just a teenager. He studied Latin and Greek, literature and theology and studied at Cambridge.
In a letter written in 1645, when he was 37 years old, Milton expressed his long-held ambition to write a great epic poem. He referred to the project as something he had been contemplating for many years.
His early writings and sonnets also reveal that he was formulating ideas for an epic narrative even before he began working on "Paradise Lost."
The concrete work on "Paradise Lost" began in the early 1650s, when he was in his early forties. Yet as he embarked on his dream, his vision faltered until he was completely blind in 1652, at the age of 44.
He thought he had to give up on his dream of writing the epic book he had envisioned. This caused him unspeakable agony. He valued the power of vision and the loss of his sight was devastating. He expressed his sorrow and frustration in his poetry, "Sonnet 19," where he laments his inability to serve God through his writing due to his blindness.
“When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;”
Despite his despair, Milton also saw his blindness as a test of faith and resilience. His struggle with his disability became a part of his creative and spiritual journey. He started to envision his book deeply in 1658, recited it to his daughter, and completed his Magnum Opus in 1667.
While his epic took nine years to complete, it was in his heart from a young age. He had composed much of the book in his mind and recited it to his daughters by memory so they could transcribe it.
It is considered one of the England's greatest literary works.
My Life Questions:
The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.
William James (1842-1910)
What is my Purpose in Life?
Each of us has a purpose in life. What is yours?
A chair has a purpose. A building has a purpose. You have a purpose.
I have many dreams. Most of them I will never realize, but why?
Perhaps because you do not have the courage to start.
We limit ourselves. These limits prevent us from ever starting.
My Life Lessons Then (from my younger self):
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
John Wesley (1703-1791)
1. I wish to do something for someone that outlasts my life.
This is called a legacy. Deep down we all have this deep seated desire to matter, to have purpose, to have mastery of something.
2. Mastery takes time, with deep thought, deep work and practice over a lifetime.
Every master starts as a baby, an apprentice, a novice who was not great at their dream. Over time, with deep focus, deep practice, deep work, they became a master. So it is the great lesson of life.
The adage, “Practice makes perfect” rings ever true.
Life Advice Now (from my present 53 year old self):
We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.
Chuck Swindoll (1934-)
1. I will create my own Magnum Opus, my great work for which I am purposed.
Just like these masters reinvented what they experienced with the dream in their heart, they took something familiar and made it entirely new, imbibed with the passion in their heart. People recognize this passion, as it sparks life in your soul.
I believe everyone has a Magnum Opus, but it must be pursued like these great masters.
2. You will be beset with trouble, obstacles and resistance. Yet you should push on.
As I struggle with my own likelihood of blindness—due to severe wet macular degeneration, that I was diagnosed with at a relatively young age of 50—I wonder how many more years I will have my sight.
Draw inspiration from John Milton, who wrote his Magnum Opus while he was blind and Beethoven, who composed Symphony No 9 while he was deaf. And, Helen Keller who wrote 12 published books and flew a plane while being both blind and deaf.
3. Dream for that things that bring spice and joy to your life. And when you make your dream come true, that will be your legacy. Through that action, you will inspire others to dream.
Go for it, always.
Next week:
My Dream: God.com
A pipe dream in the making
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
See you next Thursday!
Subscribe to my Compounding Wisdom newsletter and start transforming your life.
