ABSTRACT
Since I have compiled, translated, and written so many pages about the speculative and spiritual aspects of music, people sometimes ask me about my views on the practical aspects as well, and especially on the connections between the three. They want to know, for instance, whether I regard any particular type of music as superior, when judged from the principles of the Pythagorean tradition? Is there a spiritual hierarchy in music? Was Plato right in wanting to control the music of his Republic, and if so, what are the implications for today’s music? As I brood on these questions, I feel a profound scepticism about any general claims or dogmatic statements. I realise the degree to which one’s musical preference is affected by one’s personal history, and especially by the trio of influences: taste, snobbery, and spiritual style. Taking my own case as a specimen, I invite the reader to make an analogous review. However different his or her history may be, the exercise of selfknowledge is bound to be revealing and rewarding.
