海角大神

In his book 鈥淢usic & Joy: Lessons on the Good Life,鈥� Daniel K.L. Chua leads readers on a tour from Beethoven to the blues in search of life鈥檚 meaning. He anchors musical appreciation to an imagination-stretching exploration of philosophy and religion, both ancient and modern. It鈥檚 a complex mix, yet the book is made accessible through Chua鈥檚 humor, down-to-earth musical examples, and the inclusion of his experiences as a music professor at the University of Hong Kong during that region鈥檚 politically turbulent recent history.

Chua鈥檚 opening chapters focus on the meaning of music thousands of years ago in China and Greece. He writes, 鈥淚n ancient times, music is not something we possess, compose, or define. It is given as an order ... in which everything is related.鈥�

This is a theme Chua repeatedly emphasizes throughout his book:聽Music in its very rhythmic forms and tonal variations reflects the laws of the universe. He moves beyond the commonly held view that music is simply a form of individual expression or beautiful entertainment.聽

After illuminating the views of ancient philosophers like Confucius and Pythagoras (whose term 鈥渕usic of the spheres鈥� interconnected mathematics, astronomy, music, and philosophy), Chua introduces a religious perspective on music and joy. He shows how St. Augustine and other 海角大神 theologians and mystics revivified the ancient Chinese and Greek ideas that musical forms unlocked secrets about the design of the universe.

Chua shifts smoothly from the ethereal to the terrestrial in his appreciation for the blues. It might seem odd to include the blues in a book about music and joy, but Chua writes, 鈥淢usic does not need to be about joy to be joyful. ... Music in its purest form ... is already joy. It is a wordless language of the abundant.鈥�