Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This is a fine diminutive work by a man who was arguably the giant of the 20th Century Christian theologians, about the man who is arguably the most brilliant of classical composers. What a terrific combination that is! Karl Barth tells us that he began each day with Mozart and he confesses that when he arrives in heaven -- if such a happy lot is his -- that he will first seek out Mozart, before St. Augustine and the other great theologians of the past. So we know the high admiration Dr. Barth has for Mozart. Some observers are a bit put off by Dr. Barth's scholarship and profundity in others of his works, and that is their prerogative, of course. But in this small volume, he does something that he does in other places as well -- recognize the value of sacred music to the developing soul of a Christian. One need only to recall the famous response he gave to the question about what was the greatest theological truth he had discovered. Dr. Barth's answer was to repeat the simple yet profound lyrics of Anna B. Warner, "Jesus loves me, this I know..." There have ever been and will always be those who have been drawn to the faith by hymns and anthems, as well as those who have become followers of Christ, not because of theologically brilliant arguments, but rather because of the deeply conveyed truths of sacred music. Barth argues that Mozart has a remarkably high ability to do this. He also argues that Mozart knew how to play -- which is entirely in keeping with what we read in the many biographies of the composer. Into adulthood, this former child prodigy kept the child-like ability to find enjoyment and convey it to others. No wonder so many are captivated by his music. If you can get your hands on this little gem, do so. It will be well worth the effort.

Karl Barth, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Eerdmans, 1956)Karl Barth, never the world's most orthodox theologian, released a small number of monographs on Mozart during his life, culminating in a keynote speech at a Salzburg festival honoring Mozart's 200th birthday. Eerdmans reprinted the lot of them not long after the festival. So what is it, exactly, that a theologian, no matter how unorthodox, would have to say about one of history's greatest iconoclasts?Barth makes the argument that Mozart was quite the opposite, the living voice of God on Earth. He attempts to understand the glory of Mozart's music (and in the process refute various tunnel-vision styles of Mozart scholarship popular at the time) in light of Mozart's single-minded, exclusive dedication to music (pointing out a number of times that Mozart was almost impervious to other forms of media, as well as current events). Not an original response to Mozart, but one that, perhaps, had never previously been codified-Barth gives us an understanding of Mozart from the gut, running it through the brain in order to translate it into words.Barth is always a good writer. Where many of his books in English fail is in the translation; German can be a nasty language viewed from the perspective of English speakers. The translation here is hands down the best I've ever seen in a piece of Barth's work. The book is easy and accessible. Too bad the same translator didn't work on the Dogmatics.Wonderful stuff, highly recommended not only for Mozart fans but also for those who want to gain an understanding into why Mozart's music is so revered. ****