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Music and the Practice of Beauty

Anthony Rooley

Anthony Rooley

“The art of lute playing is not about projection, it’s about drawing in.” — Anthony Rooley

The lute is the quietest and one of the most subtle, evocative instruments. In the words of Anthony Rooley, “Everything about the lute has symbolism attached to it; and you can’t avoid becoming more and more aware of philosophy if you’re a lute player.”

In this thirty-minute presentation and performance, Rooley discusses the history and symbolism of the lute, its relationship to the Renaissance philosophy of Marsilio Ficino, and how such a wonderful thing as the lute became “obsolete.”

Perhaps most importantly, Rooley discusses how music can transport us beyond our limited selves and awareness to experience a taste of a larger reality.

 

Related Resources

  • Performance: Revealing the Orpheus Within by Anthony Rooley (Shaftesbury: Element Books, 1991)

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