From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst
22 November
Mozart deserves his middle name, Amadeus – “Amare” means “To Love” in Latin; “Deus” means “God” – figuratively translated “Love gift of God.” My daughter Simone, a voice major who has far more experience at this sort of thing than I do, says Mozart is so easy to sing - everything seems always to flow with such effortless mastery, every sfortzando in exactly the right place. I am standing in line for my decaf at the local Starbucks, earplugs in place, listening to his “Requiem.” The “Dies Irae” is truly terrifying, the “Rex Tremendae Majestatis” [translation: “King of tremendous majesty”] the standard by which all men might measure “majesty.” You can't help but be swept up into the emotional state he weaves with such consummate mastery - from beginning to end you are swept along inexorably. In fact I’d go even further, extrapolating beyond Mozart: the outpouring of genius feeds our souls. As a result I think a case can be made that you and I need to put ourselves in the presence of genius on a daily basis, for genius is the gift of the gods themselves.
And if Mozart isn’t your thing, bear in mind genius is a many-splendored thing.
It encompasses not only the visual and performing arts, but also sports, mathematics, politics, child-rearing – you name it. A daily exposure to genius will of necessity impact you and me in a most profound way. The cumulative reward for that exposure is that that genius, the part that has your name on it; as water into parched soil so will genius seep into your soul. Just like it should.
Mozart is always right here in my cell phone, and all I need at my local Starbucks is my earphones and a properly formed sense of values, and profound enrichment is but a click away!
Sure, I agree life is piled high with intractable problems – but, please, don’t miss what feeds your soul!
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