William Congreve’s play “The Mourning Bride” (1697) opens with,
Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
William Congreve wrote this before rock music was invented to move Philistine souls; property damage, stolen cars, and murder marked the Altamont Free Concert.
Classical music has charms to move cultivated souls. Has ever there been a murder at a symphony concert?
Rock or classical – which would have drawn Henry David Thoreau? All we have to go on are his words:
When I hear music, I fear no danger, I am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times and to the latest.
(We quote Henry David Thoreau from page 57 of The Power of Music, by Elena Mannes. Walker & Company, 2011.)
For a brief biography of Henry David Thoreau, click here. For images of or relating to Henry David Thoreau, click here.
For a brief biography of William Congreve, click here. For images of or relating to William Congreve, click here.
For a brief biography of Elena Mannes, click here. For images of or relating to Elena Mannes, click here.
For a bit about the Altamont Free Concert, click here.
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