I find it interesting that our devil is tone deaf. This made me think about Hildegard of Bingen’s morality play, The Order of Virtues (or, Ordo Virtutem), composed in the twelfth century. This musical drama details the struggle between the Virtues and the Devil to control the Human Soul (the subject of the drama). I thought about this medieval work because while almost all of the roles in it are musical, the Devil’s is the only non-singing part. This is because Hildegard of Bingen did not believe that the Devil could possibly sing and produce mellifluous notes (I remember learning about this in college). I believe it had something to do with the belief that music was divine in nature. Something like that. I am a little fuzzy on the details.
Ohh that’s so interesting! I think I have learned/heard of the belief that music is divine in nature as well, especially from my medieval architecture history class. We talked a lot about the structures of cathedrals, how voices would echo and amplify when the monks sing hymns. It’s been so long and I’m probably just spouting nonsense at this point lols.
The Devil being tone deaf is such a comic relief detail in this drama. He can bring the dead back to life, but oops, he can’t carry a note.
I haven’t had a chance to check this drama out yet, but that’s a really interesting observation. I know the drama supposed to be based on loosely on Faust, something I remember studying at least twice, possibly three times while getting my degree. I’m hazy on the details but there were definitely musical parts in that play as well: I have a very distinct memory of a really obnoxious classmate singing during his group presentation and the whole lecture hall trying to keep a straight face – it was so awkward. He stood up on a table. I’m cringing just remembering this and it’s been a decade at least.
I digress. Anyway, I guess I’m saying I’d not be surprised if there were other medieval influences as well – Faust itself drew from many sources, including morality plays. There are a lot of interesting questions of morality and the soul to be mined from the literature of the medieval period and early Elizabethan times because the of the deeply religious undercurrents and I’m fascinated by how they get reinterpreted in the modern day.
But music being divine in nature is a fascinating contrast – especially if one sells their soul to make it. It would lead to the question of whether one can make something that is divine if they are damned? Anyway, I’m probably getting too analytical of something I haven’t even had a chance to watch yet. But I love your insight, and I love seeing the influences literature has on dramas.
Thanks for sharing this bit of background. I confess to not having read Goethe’s Faust, but I do know the basic plot. I will have to read it one day.
I hope I am not getting the detail about music being divine in nature wrong. I do remember specifically that Hildegard deliberately made the devil’s role a non-singing one. If anything, she didn’t believe that the devil was capable of singing.
“..whether one can make something that is divine if they are damned?”
Good question. There is also the idea that music can be corrupting if it incites the wrong kind of feelings in an individual. I guess music can be both divine and not so divine. Maybe after you watch the episodes, you could come back to this thread and share some more of your thoughts.
Peridot
August 1, 2019 at 7:47 PM
When the Devil Calls Your Name:
I find it interesting that our devil is tone deaf. This made me think about Hildegard of Bingen’s morality play, The Order of Virtues (or, Ordo Virtutem), composed in the twelfth century. This musical drama details the struggle between the Virtues and the Devil to control the Human Soul (the subject of the drama). I thought about this medieval work because while almost all of the roles in it are musical, the Devil’s is the only non-singing part. This is because Hildegard of Bingen did not believe that the Devil could possibly sing and produce mellifluous notes (I remember learning about this in college). I believe it had something to do with the belief that music was divine in nature. Something like that. I am a little fuzzy on the details.
strawberry
August 1, 2019 at 7:53 PM
Ohh that’s so interesting! I think I have learned/heard of the belief that music is divine in nature as well, especially from my medieval architecture history class. We talked a lot about the structures of cathedrals, how voices would echo and amplify when the monks sing hymns. It’s been so long and I’m probably just spouting nonsense at this point lols.
The Devil being tone deaf is such a comic relief detail in this drama. He can bring the dead back to life, but oops, he can’t carry a note.
SnarkyJellyfish
August 1, 2019 at 9:48 PM
I haven’t had a chance to check this drama out yet, but that’s a really interesting observation. I know the drama supposed to be based on loosely on Faust, something I remember studying at least twice, possibly three times while getting my degree. I’m hazy on the details but there were definitely musical parts in that play as well: I have a very distinct memory of a really obnoxious classmate singing during his group presentation and the whole lecture hall trying to keep a straight face – it was so awkward. He stood up on a table. I’m cringing just remembering this and it’s been a decade at least.
I digress. Anyway, I guess I’m saying I’d not be surprised if there were other medieval influences as well – Faust itself drew from many sources, including morality plays. There are a lot of interesting questions of morality and the soul to be mined from the literature of the medieval period and early Elizabethan times because the of the deeply religious undercurrents and I’m fascinated by how they get reinterpreted in the modern day.
But music being divine in nature is a fascinating contrast – especially if one sells their soul to make it. It would lead to the question of whether one can make something that is divine if they are damned? Anyway, I’m probably getting too analytical of something I haven’t even had a chance to watch yet. But I love your insight, and I love seeing the influences literature has on dramas.
Peridot
August 3, 2019 at 10:10 AM
Thanks for sharing this bit of background. I confess to not having read Goethe’s Faust, but I do know the basic plot. I will have to read it one day.
I hope I am not getting the detail about music being divine in nature wrong. I do remember specifically that Hildegard deliberately made the devil’s role a non-singing one. If anything, she didn’t believe that the devil was capable of singing.
“..whether one can make something that is divine if they are damned?”
Good question. There is also the idea that music can be corrupting if it incites the wrong kind of feelings in an individual. I guess music can be both divine and not so divine. Maybe after you watch the episodes, you could come back to this thread and share some more of your thoughts.
Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
August 1, 2019 at 10:13 PM
“music was divine in nature”
Except for the noise coming from the boom box in the car next to me at the stop light.
Peridot
August 3, 2019 at 9:58 AM
LOL