This talk by Mahler specialist Benjamin Zander is one of the best short talks on music I’ve ever heard. It has so much to teach chant practitioners and Church musicians in general. It is especially telling for all conductors and directors to consider his claim that without passion there is no music and no message.
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Thank you Jeffrey. This talk is very impressive. He reminds me that music is an expression of love. When we sing chants, we truly express our love of God and His love for us. Without the passion, our music and singing cannot move the heart of listeners.
This ranks right up there with Bernstein's The Unanswered Question. Great stuff.
There's another aspect to the problem of music appreciation that deserves mention, however: the tendency to think of classical music as old and rotten. There is some truth to this, especially amongst those who tend toward an antiquarian mindset, who think that Bach or Mozart or some other composer represents the last music worth listening to. But good music is being written today, and I'm not referring to Lady Gaga. There is excellent "serious" music from people such as Tarik O'Regan and Joby Talbot, and these works can serve as gateways into the larger realm of "classical" music.
Michael, are you referring to an episode of Bernstein's wonderful television series back in the 50/60's? Or the recording of LB/NYP of Ive's "Unanswered Question"?