Music Night with the Berkeley Center

Posted May 4th, 2008 by Noah63

Last month the entire Berkeley Gnostic Center came together to put on a Music Night for the public. It was a great night of music, food, and talks on the history of classical music. We used the evening to illustrate where the melody has gone from modern classical music, how the intellectual approach to compositions of classical music today has made it something abstract and out of touch with the public.

The event was put on for free for everyone. Students of the Gnostic courses and members of the community came out to enjoy pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, and more…

It all took place at the Temescal branch public library, just outside the southern border of Berkeley.

We combined a lecture presentation with fragments of piano music to illustrate the music of different time periods, including early choral music by Allegri, Baroque music of Bach and Vivaldi, Classical music of Mozart and Beethoven, Romantic works by Schubert and Debussy, and an example of 20th century music as well. It is unfortunate that the classical music produced today has declined and become based on abstract theories and equations instead of beautiful melodies and harmony which feed the consciousness.

Ralph was the host for the evening, opening with a talk on music history and the development of melody from the ancient engravings of the “Seikilos Epitaph” up to the time of Mozart.