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Death compared in different religions
Death and dying in differnet religions and cultures
Death and dying in differnet religions and cultures
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Johann Sebastian Bach’s Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus Tragicus), BMV 106 focuses heavily on the concept of death, considering it is a funeral cantata. The various movements of the cantata demonstrate the overall theme of death: God’s will being the right time, the inevitability of death, and the long-awaited meeting with Jesus after death. These different aspects of the concept of death are either representing death under the Law (the Old Testament) or under the Gospel (the New Testament). The ‘Sonatina’ that begins the piece displays the overall concept of death, while the second movement focuses on the concept of death under the Law.
The work begins with a ‘Sonatina’ in a major key, EbM. Initially, this seems counterintuitive,
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considering a major key is normally used for optimistic subjects. Most of the time, a funeral is not something that is seen in a positive light. However, Bach might have chosen a major key because in the 18th century, when this piece was written, death was not as dreaded as it currently is in the 21st century. Bach chooses to insert many seconds, such as in the Flauto I and II parts in m. 7.3, to establish a funeral-like ambiance. Phrase ax ay bw bw’ bx by bz cx Harmony V42 – I6 V/V-V V7/iv Key Eb M Bb M Measures 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Phrase cx’ cy cy’ Cy’’ Cz bw Harmony iv V7/VII VII V/III III V7/IV V7/VII VII V/III-III-V/IV-V/VII Eb pedal Key F m Eb M Measures 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 While the late were obviously mourned over, people found comfort in the belief that God’s will is always correct, and that their deceased loved ones were with their Lord. This demonstrates that while death itself is almost always an unhappy experience, the people of the time were hopeful that their loved ones would be with the Lord. Bach’s decision to start the piece in EbM shows that there was an overall sense of peaceful rest and knowledge that the dead would be with the Lord, but the inclusion of the seconds suggest a bit of sadness due to deceased loved ones. The second movement can be divided into sections a, b, c, and d.
These sections can be divided into even smaller sections, with section a having three subsections. All of section a is based on Acts 17:28 from the Bible, which reads “For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, we are His offspring.” This is from the Old Testament of the Bible, otherwise known as the Law before Christ. This theme is extremely important to this work; so significant, in fact, that this work’s alternate title, Actus Tragicus, suggests the concept of God’s will. Actus Tragicus is translated from the German Trauerspiel, which is a tragedy play that focused on bereavement over the human condition. From a Lutheran standpoint, humans cannot overcome their own selves, and they must trust in God and His plan. (232 online) According to Acts 17:28, humans are unsustainable without God, so they live for and through him. They must trust that God is ever-knowing and to believe in His will. Using the word “offspring” also proposes that humans must have respect for him, considering the fifth of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and your mother. Calling people the offspring of God implicates that He is the almighty father, meaning people must honor Him. This, in turn, calls on humans to have trust and respect in His will, and to believe that they will meet Him someday. Acts 17:28 also states that we “move” and “live” through God. While this obviously means that people live not for themselves, but for God, it also suggests that life is dynamic, whether it be through events that occur or the fluctuating emotions people feel throughout their time living for God. Even in just this one section of the second movement, Bach displays various styles from subsection to subsection, suggesting that the emotions surrounding death can be different and ever-changing. (230
online) The first subsection, mm. 1-6, is homophonic and in 4/4 time. This section’s text is translated to “God’s time is the best time,” which is an explanation of the Old Testament that states death is inevitable and it is up to God’s will. It should be noted that this section’s meter is 4/4 and there is quite the emphasis on time; this section being in 4/4 time, which is often referred to as ‘common time,’ suggests that the meter is a symbol of a common ideology of God’s will and that we are all living through time until an inevitable end, which is death. This section also modulates from EbM to BbM, which suggests that piece is becoming more hopeful. In Bach’s time, the number of flats determined the direction, with less flats moving upward, and more flats moving downward. Because this subsection is moving from three to two flats in the key signature, perhaps this means that the perception of death is becoming more hopeful because it is God’s will. Phrase a b Harmony I V V-I I V I Key Eb M Bb M Measures 1 2 3 4 5 6 The second subsection, mm. 7-40, is a fugue that represents the text, “In Him we live, move, and have our being, as long as he wills.” The first part of this text is a literal translation of Acts 17:28. The key words in this section are ‘move,’ ‘we,’ and ‘long.’ This section moves away from a homophonic texture into a fugue, which creates a more dynamic, lively feel. Life is never stagnant, suggesting the word ‘move,’ and this is demonstrated in the liveliness of the fugal texture. The word ‘we’ is embodied by the intertwining of the voices. While each voice is connected by a central theme, each voice has its own role. This is hugely representative of how people are in society; similar enough that they are cohesive, but different enough to create a dynamic phrase. Each voice is liberated, all the while being dependent on one another. This is all done in the name of God, and for as long as He intends. This is demonstrated when the Sopranos sing ‘lange’ (meaning ‘long’) on a note that lasts for 11 beats, which contrasts the quick moving passages of the fugue in that same section. Soprano Subject b. 2 Episode b.2 Alto Subject b.2 Tenor Subject b. 2 Bass Subject b.2 Phrase Harmony Key Measure 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Soprano S b.2 Alto E b.3 S b.2 Tenor Episode b.1 Bass Episode b.3 Phrase Harmony Key EbM Measure 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Soprano Episode b.2 Alto Episode b.2 Tenor Episode b.2 Bass Phrase Harmony Subject b.2 V(HC) Key Measure 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The third subsection, mm. 41-47, is representative of death itself, with the text translating to “In Him we die at the right time, when He wills.” This is in comparison with the second subsection, because in both life and death, we are with God, as the text suggests. In this third section, the instruments are largely colla parte, which describes the instruments as freely moving while the choir sings. This portrays the instruments as God and the choir as His followers; God is able to move freely as he wishes, for His will is correct, and the people trust in Him and follow His will. This subsection is in cm, which finally portrays a melancholy attitude towards death. However, the section ends on a GM chord. While the chord is major, we might be able to assume that while there is some hope of being with God when our time has come, a bit of tentativeness is proposed towards the idea of death, through the usage of the section ending on a GM chord (a half cadence). Johann Sebastian Bach’s Lutheran roots are obviously displayed in his cantata compositions, especially regarding Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus Tragicus), BMV 106. His unique integration of the varying styles that occur in the first two movements demonstrate the complexity of the concept of death. Since the cantata is made up of biblical text, it is clear that God is the central theme. It is essential for people to believe in His will because death is inevitable. This willingness to accept God’s plan and the hope that when people die, they will be with God creates a more optimistic view towards death, which is displayed by the use of major keys in this piece. Bach’s overall musical genius and attention to detail helps to portray the intricate notion of death, and what it means to someone who is Lutheran.
The life of each human being is a mystery. The only thing that we know for sure is that we are all going to die at some point in our lives and that everything that happens in between, from the moment that we are born to the moment we die, is uncertain. Many of the readings from Von Balthasar help us understand this mystery, of what it is to be a human being and that there could be something beyond ourselves that gives meaning to our lives. Of all of the readings, there were four passages that stood out to me: “A Riddle unto Itself”, “Course through Time”, “Man and Woman” and “Marriage – Event and Institution”. Anyone who might be trying to figure out what is the meaning of their life should read these passages since they unfold the answer to many of the question that they could be trying to find out.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer, a musician, teacher, and organist who later became a specialist in construction of organs. Bach learnt to play the violin, the orchestra, and the organ from his father and his famous uncle and twin brother to the father, Johann Christoph at a young age. The organ was his chosen instrument. He also achieved success in the art of Fugue, choral polyphone, instrumental music and dance forms. In Eisenach he attended Old Latin Grammar School, the same school that Martin Luther had attended. He sang in the schools choir. His parents died before Bach was 10 years old. His mother died when Bach was nine years old, his father’s death followed nine months later (Sherrane, 2011). After the parents death Bach was taken in by his older brother Johann Christoph who had already established himself as an organist in Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph had a great influence in Bach’s success in music as he taught him and encouraged him to study music composition. At the same time Bach was attending the Gymnasium grammar school in Ohrdruf where he studied theology, Latin...
Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most famous German composers of his time. All of his work was mostly during the baroque era. The baroque period was from 1600 to 1750 and it is known to be one of the most diverse musical periods as opposed to the other classical music eras. It was in this era that “included composer like Bach, Vivaldi and Handel, who pioneered new styles like the concerto and the sonata.”(Classic FM) Johann Sebastian was born in the midst of the Baroque era as he was born on March 31, 1685 in Thuringia, Germany. Johann came from a family of musicians, which is how he himself became one as well. It was his father who showed him how to play his first instrument, which was the violin. His father was also a well-known musician in his town as he “worked as the town musician in Eisenach.”(Johann Sebastian Bach) It is known that Johann Sebastian went to a school that taught him
Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family of musicians. It was only natural for him to pick up an instrument and excel in it. His father taught him how to play the violin and harpsichord at a very young age. All of Bach’s uncles were professional musicians, one of them; Johann Christoph Bach introduced him to the organ. Bach hit a turning point in his life when both of his parents died at the age of ten years old. Bach’s older brother Johann Christoph Bach took him in and immediately expanded his knowledge in the world of music. He taught him how to play the clavichord and exposed him to great composers at the time. At the age of fourteen, Bach and his good friend George Erdmann were awarded a choral scholarship to the prestigious musical school St. Michael’s in Luneburg. From then on, Bach began to build his career in the music industry. His first two years at the school he sang in the school’s a cappella choir. Historical evidence has shown that Bach at a young age would visit Johanniskirche and would listen to the works of organ player Jasper Johannsen. This was thought to have been the inspiration to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Studying at the prestigious musical school has help Bach network his way around and become acquaintances’ with some of the best organ players at the time such as Georg Böhm, and Johann Adam Reincken. Through his acquaintance with Böhm and Reincken Bach had access to some of the greatest and finest instruments.
Death has been widely portrayed in Art throughout the centuries, the most depicted death scene possibly being the death of Christ. Every death scene is not created equal, despite the fact that the works of Art focus on death. The feelings, symbolism, and themes that are conveyed by the scene are diverse. To see how varied the effect can be from different death scenes we can look at The Sortie made by the Garrison of Gibraltar by John Trumbull in 1789 and The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West in 1770. It’s interesting to see how these artists depicts their own view on death in these specific works, since in fact West acted as a teacher to Trumbull yet their styles differ dramatically.1, 2 Although both works of art put death at the center of the scene and take place during a War; with the aid of the Artists’ unique styles and directions, completely different interpretations are invoked in the viewers.
The truth can sometimes depend on the circumstance and the person who states it. When confronted with conflicting accounts or questionable details, a judge within the court of law must decide the sentence of an individual with these obstacles in place. In this case, the defendant Dannie McGrew has been charged with the murder of Barney Quill, but claims that it was self-defense. The following contains a thorough explanation as to how the judge decided upon the verdict of acquittal.
He begins by looking at the very common views of death that are held by most people in the world, and tells us that he will talk of death as the "unequivocal and permanent end to our existence" and look directly at the nature of death itself (1). The first view that
“Death, the end of life: the time when someone or something dies” (Merriam-Webster, 2014). The definition of death is quite simple, the end of life is inescapable. I chose to write about death and impermanence because it is something we all must inevitably face. People often deal with death in a number of different ways. Although it is something that we must eventually face, it can be hard to come to terms with because the idea can be hard to grasp. Some of us fear it, others are able to accept it, either way we all must eventually face it. In this essay I will look at two different literary works about death and impermanence and compare and contrast the different elements of the point of view, theme, setting, and symbolism. The comparison of these particular works will offer a deeper look into words written by the authors and the feelings that they experiencing at that particular time.
The biblical references throughout the Chronicle of a Death Foretold help identify the characters, Bayardo San Roman, Maria Cervantes, Divina Flor, and the Vicario children, and add depth to the death of Santiago. Without the many religious symbols such as, the Divine Face, the murder of Santiago, the cocks crowing, and the characters, there would be little weight placed on the reactions of the townspeople towards the knowledge of Santiago’s impending death. The religious symbols solidify the idea that Christ has come again in many different forms and ideas, yet dies to renew the people’s covenant with the Lord. “Give me prejudice and I will move the world” (Márquez 100).
... is paralleled by a barely detectable triple movement in the “Menuett”. Contrarily, while an antecedent- consequent phraseology is clearly audible at the opening of the “ Musette”, the tonal implications of the title, discussed earlier, are addressed and modified.
...eave one with a similar "air of tragedy". However, if we can gather the strength to adopt an authentic way of being, if we can see that we have a self to find and overcome the repression for selfhood, we can at the very least be freed from the mistaken view of death and thus, be freed from the irrational fear that normally accompanies it. The role of mortality in Heidegger's philosophy may be methodological and catalytic, but the import of mortality to Human Being, whether authentic or inauthentic is and always has been significant in conjunction with our cultural overlays and traditions. Heidegger's phenomenological view of death as a way-of-being is significant to us because it provides a workable alternative to the common dogmatic views of death and it can help to guide us through a profound existence, that is laden with the traps and pitfalls of inauthenticity.
The speaker’s language towards the woman’s death in “The Last Night that she lived” portrays a yearning attitude that leads to disappointment; which reiterates human discontent with the imperfections of life. The description of woman’s death creates an image of tranquility that causes the speaker to aspire towards death. Her death compares to a reed floating in water without any struggle. The simile paradoxically juxtaposes nature and death because nature’s connotation living things, while death refers to dead things, but death becomes a part of nature. She consents to death, so she quietly dies while those around her refuse to accept her imminent death. The speaker’s description of death sounds like a peaceful experience, like going to sleep, but for eternity. These lines describe her tranquil death, “We waited while She passed—It was a narrow time—Too jostled were Our Souls to speak. At length the notice came. She mentioned, and forgot—Then lightly as a Reed Bent to the water, struggled scarce- Consented, and was dead-“ .Alliteration in “We waited”, emphasizes their impatience of the arrival of her death because of their curiosity about death. The woman’s suffering will be over soon. This is exhibited through the employment of dashes figuratively that form a narrow sentence to show the narrowing time remaining in her life, which creates suspense for the speaker, and also foreshadows that she dies quickly. The line also includes a pun because “notice” refers to the information of her death, and also announcement, which parallels to the soul’s inability to speak. “She mentioned, and forgot—“, refers to her attempt to announce her farewell to everyone, which connects to the previous line’s announcement. The dashes fig...
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.
Overall the term of death that strikes me the most the come about Jesus’ death is the fact that Jesus was ransom for all of us and he didn’t care he willingly was a sacrifice for us and all of our sins and this is surely a creative death. He was here to help us and release us of our sins. With out him It is possible we could not be here today. This is how it connects to human nature but his sacrifice is his life which is not of a normal person he is special.
Death is the inevitable and unavoidable conclusion to life. Every human being in the phase of this planet is born with a death sentence. Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73” tackles the theme of aging and death with an aging speaker who compares his late life to late autumn or early winter. The speaker goes on to explain to his loved one that he/she must express his/her love to him more than ever, as death is upon him. The song “When I Get Where I’m Going”performed by Brad Paisley also tackles the theme of death.