May I petition you Julian to build a Spotify playlist of your favorite music? Throughout my younger years I was into rock/modern music. Since my conversion to the Catholic Church a few years back, I have slowly weaned myself off of almost all of that type of music. I'm hungry to find something new to latch onto - but frankly, it can be exhausting and difficult finding the right pieces/composers/conductors, etc... to listen to. I would be extremely interested in a curated playlist from you to listen through and learn from!
I'm actually working on that at the moment. I'll share some playlists in my next couple of Substack posts. Glad you enjoyed this piece, and I'd love to hear more (if you're willing to share) about how you came to move away from Rock music, as this is a topic I'm interested in writing on. Feel free to email me (julian.kwas@pm.me).
Thanks, Aaron. This is Dr. K speaking for a moment. I'll let Julian add whatever he likes at his leisure (he's been outdoors in Utah this past week!).
A few things here that may be helpful:
First, I have a playlist on Spotify called (not very imaginatively) "Dr. K #1" which contains almost 12 hours of generally very mellow classical music from all periods. It's my go-to list when I'd like to listen to music along with my proofreading or editing or writing work:
Thank you for this continued expansion of musical horizons in our household (6, soon to be 7) that was begun by your father when he published the 1P5 article on proper music for a Christian home. I’m finishing his book on Good and Sacred Music, to cover the deeper aspects of this important cultural front. Since listening to Hesperion XXI, I’ve fallen in love with this early music, and have often drawn inquisitive comments from guests to our home when I have it playing in the background.
If I may offer a comment, perhaps a validation, of your cautious note regarding the “historically informed” music movement: your sober take on its strengths and weaknesses is important, which, in my humble opinion, seems to have gone overboard in some fronts when it comes to Bach-and-later composers. While it’s certainly noticeable that as musical tradition over the centuries may have afflicted some interpretation to the point of lugubriousness,
I’ve been mulling over an observation that the HIPP movement is eerily similar to the mid-century Liturgical Movement that destroyed our Church life in the spirit of “going to the sources.” Where wonderful and spiritual works from Bach, Haydn, and even Mozart are sacrificed at the “altar of Brisk Efficiency” because some musicologists think that it ought to be played at breakneck speed and with no sense of the spiritual. I suspect it’s a similar spirit that infected the field of music and the Church.
If I ever have the opportunity to treat Dr. K (and you!) to a beer or a meal, I would likely propose that hypothesis as a topic of discussion. I may even try to write up an article to that effect and see if it could be published somewhere.
Again, thank you for bringing the topic of early and unknown instruments to greater consciousness.
All lovely instruments of which I have never heard. I will pass this on to our daughter who loves old instruments and learning to play them. She last year acquired a hammered dulcimer and it sounds truly intriguing- I recommend you give it a listen. It is one of those instruments that once you hear it played well, you are a fan for life. She also plays a mandolin, a descendant of the lute. And it too is lovely. So many beautiful instruments that also make lovely music.
Wonderful instruments and a great way to familiarize us about these unusual works of art in their own right. Thank you!
Will you be writing about the awful new document from the Vatican. Someone said you had made some excellent points on X (is that the old Twitter? I don't use it). I would like to see your thinking.
The lute, about which I know nothing except that it is an early guitar, is outstanding choice for an instrument. One might surmise that in terms of antiquity it came the morning after discovery/invention of the drum.
May I petition you Julian to build a Spotify playlist of your favorite music? Throughout my younger years I was into rock/modern music. Since my conversion to the Catholic Church a few years back, I have slowly weaned myself off of almost all of that type of music. I'm hungry to find something new to latch onto - but frankly, it can be exhausting and difficult finding the right pieces/composers/conductors, etc... to listen to. I would be extremely interested in a curated playlist from you to listen through and learn from!
Hi Aaron,
I'm actually working on that at the moment. I'll share some playlists in my next couple of Substack posts. Glad you enjoyed this piece, and I'd love to hear more (if you're willing to share) about how you came to move away from Rock music, as this is a topic I'm interested in writing on. Feel free to email me (julian.kwas@pm.me).
Thanks, Aaron. This is Dr. K speaking for a moment. I'll let Julian add whatever he likes at his leisure (he's been outdoors in Utah this past week!).
A few things here that may be helpful:
First, I have a playlist on Spotify called (not very imaginatively) "Dr. K #1" which contains almost 12 hours of generally very mellow classical music from all periods. It's my go-to list when I'd like to listen to music along with my proofreading or editing or writing work:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hqnPSCCpo8jYpuKORjnPF?si=142b31ca4b1a44a0
Second, I give some concrete suggestions in this article:
https://onepeterfive.com/library-classical-music/
An expanded and revised version of that may be found as a chapter of this book, which overall would be of interest to you given your comments:
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Music-Sacred-Silence-Liturgy/dp/1505122287/
Lastly, if you go to the show notes posted right beneath this video, there's a lengthy list of my folk and classical recommendations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lglpok3a8eM
God Bless!
~ Dr. K
Young Master Kwasniewski,
Thank you for this continued expansion of musical horizons in our household (6, soon to be 7) that was begun by your father when he published the 1P5 article on proper music for a Christian home. I’m finishing his book on Good and Sacred Music, to cover the deeper aspects of this important cultural front. Since listening to Hesperion XXI, I’ve fallen in love with this early music, and have often drawn inquisitive comments from guests to our home when I have it playing in the background.
If I may offer a comment, perhaps a validation, of your cautious note regarding the “historically informed” music movement: your sober take on its strengths and weaknesses is important, which, in my humble opinion, seems to have gone overboard in some fronts when it comes to Bach-and-later composers. While it’s certainly noticeable that as musical tradition over the centuries may have afflicted some interpretation to the point of lugubriousness,
I’ve been mulling over an observation that the HIPP movement is eerily similar to the mid-century Liturgical Movement that destroyed our Church life in the spirit of “going to the sources.” Where wonderful and spiritual works from Bach, Haydn, and even Mozart are sacrificed at the “altar of Brisk Efficiency” because some musicologists think that it ought to be played at breakneck speed and with no sense of the spiritual. I suspect it’s a similar spirit that infected the field of music and the Church.
If I ever have the opportunity to treat Dr. K (and you!) to a beer or a meal, I would likely propose that hypothesis as a topic of discussion. I may even try to write up an article to that effect and see if it could be published somewhere.
Again, thank you for bringing the topic of early and unknown instruments to greater consciousness.
Pax Christi,
Ed Crow
All lovely instruments of which I have never heard. I will pass this on to our daughter who loves old instruments and learning to play them. She last year acquired a hammered dulcimer and it sounds truly intriguing- I recommend you give it a listen. It is one of those instruments that once you hear it played well, you are a fan for life. She also plays a mandolin, a descendant of the lute. And it too is lovely. So many beautiful instruments that also make lovely music.
Wonderful instruments and a great way to familiarize us about these unusual works of art in their own right. Thank you!
Will you be writing about the awful new document from the Vatican. Someone said you had made some excellent points on X (is that the old Twitter? I don't use it). I would like to see your thinking.
Thank you. I have a post this Monday about the Vatican document.
Meanwhile, for two good perspectives, I recommend:
https://voiceofthefamily.com/dignitas-infinita-rethinking-human-dignity/
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2024/04/counterpoint-dignitas-infinita-as.html
Thank you, Dr K.
Managed to go back and have a listen to the musical smorgasbord you supplied.
Fascinating! I was pleasantly accosted by evocative hints of Shetland fiddle, A Man for All Seasons, Bach, and Jethro Tull!
Enjoyed that! Quite an education.
The lute, about which I know nothing except that it is an early guitar, is outstanding choice for an instrument. One might surmise that in terms of antiquity it came the morning after discovery/invention of the drum.