RE: Stockhausen, R.I.P.

["Qua Veda" <qua@oregon.com>]

Though not talking about art, but rather an atomic bomb tests, J.Robert
Oppenheimer cited a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, "If the radiance of a
thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the
splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of 
worlds."
This was slightly misquoted according to Gita experts, and Oppenheimer
mistakenly attributed it to Vishnu.  I think it may have been Shiva (in the
Hindu scriptures, Shiva is the destroyer,  Bhrama is the Creator, and Vishu
the maintainer - if I recall correctly).   In any case, distructive power 
of
nature (and man) can inspire awe, and wonder.  These particular qualities
are not dissimilar to art.   In this mythology, Shiva , unlike Lucifer, is
not evil, but simply the force of nature that transforms creation.

-Qua

-----Original Message-----
From: Daryl Shawn [mailto:highhorse@mhorse.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 8:18 AM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Re: Stockhausen, R.I.P.

Well, no question he didn't endear himself to anyone with his comments. 
However, other than referring to "Lucifer" as the spirit of rebellion 
and anarchy (which is positive in my book :-D ), Stockhausen says he's a 
destructor, who does not know love. To me it doesn't seem as if he's 
praising the act itself, at all. If he'd have simply said "it was a work 
of art by the Devil himself", or "it was the ultimate masterpiece of 
destruction", I think it'd be accepted that the sentiment is that it was 
an evil act.

BTW, my personal definition of art is wide-ranging, and I accept 
anything that involves creation with the intent of generating an 
aesthetic reaction - a terrorist attack doesn't fall under this 
guideline. I just think here that if someone as fearless as Sr. 
Karlheinz actually admired the act, he'd have stood behind the simple 
misquote of his words, or said something like "well, it certainly was a 
brilliant plan" or something similar (and similarly offensive).

Daryl Shawn
www.swanwelder.com
www.chinapaintingmusic.com


> In general, invoking "Lucifer" in a positive sense does not further
> endear yourself to the sort of audience that doesn't see terrorist
> acts as a form of art.
>