We would like to introduce the Italian-Sicilian composer and classical guitarist Emanuele Cintura Torrente.
Mr. Torrente creates music with an anti-modern meaning, and in his close study of Julius Evola he recognized a compatible spirit. Not only is he a composer, teacher, and performer, but he is currently working on a philosophical essay on “The Gnoseology of Music”. The manifesto below is from that work.
Samples of Mr. Torrente’s music can be heard here and here.
Manifesto of Music Theoretics
by Emanuele Cintura Torrente
- Music is not only a source of pleasure or recreation as it has commonly been and is still perceived, but also a privileged means to seriously understand the World.
- Music is Not only Art, but Thought, and Not only abstract but distinct Thought. An intense binding of what is real and pragmatic.
- Music is not a form of communication between a man and a woman, music does not communicate: it manifests; it does not employ subjective filters to express the object as the verbal system, Music makes the highest level of human thought palpable in a complete and unquestionable manner.
- Music cannot and must not be submitted to speculations of an economic, political and social tout court nature that alters its Gnoseological Potential and belittles it to fashionable merchandise, to a consumer product.
- Society must give Music and musicians the acknowledgments that, but for very few exceptions, they have been denied throughout the centuries, relegating Music to a mere matter of entertainment. The Musician, of course in the most accomplished form, is not a circus performer, but a serious Thinker, and is to be treated as such, placing this function on the same level as other professional activities commonly considered to be at the top levels of a state community.
- Musical thought cannot and must not be considered inferior to verbal or scientific thought, therefore educating a musical mind at a developing age cannot be separated, through the overestimation of ghetto-schools or academies of music, from the other humanistic or scientific educational realities.
- Contemporary Music is not to be understood as a solipsist elite dedicated to avant-garde experimentation that rises against presumed rearguard reshuffling; likewise, to consider “Atonality” an overrun of “tonality” is simply a mistake which is no longer of any use to any musician. The same dichotomy, Atonal/Tonal Music, is an inauspicious and totally arbitrary invention, a formula with an unfortunate beginning and a suicidal end.
- Although stratification of the musical phenomenon has been taking place in recent times, musical aesthetics must not be broken down into cultured or extra-cultured genres — classical, contemporary, folk, jazz, rock and other under genres, denote sociological-historical definitions, not aesthetic definitions. The only two genres of music that must authentically interest the musical triad (composer, performer, and listener) are those relative to the production of good music that elevates the human condition, and to the avoidance of bad music, be it degraded by the human condition.
- Verbal or scientific-mathematical thought can only sustain, but can never replace, musical thought. Every attempt at a critical, philosophical, sociological, or musicological survey of verbal extraction, or every attempt at a scientific-mathematical formulation in the desire to explore the essence of music is, and always will be, ephemeral and illusory.
- All musicians live in the Age of Bach.
I have an extract on my blog – a piece about the Lambdoma that I found quite fascinating:
http://alchemical-weddings.com/alchemical-weddings/lambdoma
I have a wonderful book calle Cosmic Music, Musical Keys to the Interpretation of Reality, edited by Joscelyn Godwin? It includes articles by Marius Schneider, Rudolf Haase and Hans Erhard Lauer
I am looking for an article or book that addresses musical rhythm in its relation to cosmic rhythm. Any suggestions?
and some more healing music:
And here is another sample of traditional Persian music- this one based on an ostinato cell punctuated by improvisations in one of the more poignant dastgahs (makams). Meshakatian died recently – but he left some unforgettable piece like this one- titled (Song of The Place of No Place) – alluding to the state of Wahdat (Unity):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejfH6jspVW4&list=UULye6XZdzSpcdMwm8DuF9gw&index=1&feature=plcp
It’s a hear-wrenching piece —full of contrasting emotions.
frequency 528 (Mi-ra-gestorum / miracle) from the ancient solfeggio is meant to be most healing to our DNA and is used as such by biochemists
I think edifying music is easier to demonstrate than to explain or define – so here I will submit an example of chant as practiced by the Ahl-e-Haqq dervishes of NW Iran – sung in Farsi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm2hUUPPnTM
In reply to GFJF:
I think that “Modality”, “tonality”, etc. are but attempts at codifying Music, which, because of its nature of pure Thought – and in itself containing its own Gnoseological value, as Torrente writes – shouldn’t be codified to begin with.
However, because as human beings we have a basic need to make the unknown known (we give name to things, place them into structures, etc.), by extension, some sensible codification of Music is necessary, as long as it’s not mistaken for the real thing: it’s only a support.
A music score, for example, isn’t either where Music ends, or where it begins; understanding the concept of “tonality” has its purpose, but won’t make me go and say “Today I really want to write a nice piece in GMaj”…
As regards atonality,
“..Structural coherence is most often achieved through operations on intervallic cells. A cell “may operate as a kind of microcosmic set of fixed intervallic content, statable either as a chord or as a melodic figure or as a combination of both. Its components may be fixed with regard to order, in which event it may be employed, like the twelve-tone set, in its literal transformations. . . . Individual tones may function as pivotal elements, to permit overlapping statements of a basic cell or the linking of two or more basic cells (Perle 1962, 9–10).”
The above quote is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atonality. I have to admit I have a hard time to understand what, if anything, such mish mash of words has to do with Music.
Thanks for reading!
A student of Torrente.
Dear friends, I’m proud to communicate you that finally my cd is available on http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/musica/12431886
also a new book of mine “One thousand sentences” (unmercifully anti/modern), is available here
http://www.lulu.com/product/copertina-rigida/mille-sentenze/12305337
i Think this editor is rather serious, and hope you won’t have any troubles to purchase ‘em.
Let me know.
I’m looking forward to explain the 7th point of my Manifesto. You just should be patient ’cause English, as you have could notice, it’s my second language. Maybe Charles can help us with his Italian.
Pleasantly,
Emanuele Cintura Torrente
“The same dichotomy, Atonal/Tonal Music, is an inauspicious and totally arbitrary invention, a formula with an unfortunate beginning and a suicidal end.”
I was wondering if Mr. Torrente could explain this. I’d email him but I think it’s of general interest. Alain Danielou, for instance, insists on modality and tonality, as does Roger Scruton, another more or less anti-modern theorist.
Wow! I love it! Please let us know when it will be available for purchase. I am looking forward to listening and reading more from you! It’s fantastic…
My music will be available on i tunes music very soon; anyone who have questions or reflections about my music can email me to cinturatorrente@hotmail.com
many thanks to Charles and his interesting and well done website.
Torrente.
Any idea of how to buy a CD or mp3?