Music as a medium for the expansion of consciousness and for meditation - today many people regard this as self-evident. Yet what is usually meant is a kind of sound-consumption fed by non-European, predominantly Asian- or African-sounding New-Age music. In Sound and Transformation, Jochen Kirchhoff turns our attention instead to the rich spiritual potential of so-called classical Western music. Through a form of attentive inner listening, he reveals the music of the great composers - from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, through Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann, to Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss - as a tool that works deep within the psyche and serves personal development.
The foundation of the book stretches from a critique of modern musical consciousness, through the exploration of the archetypal foundations of sound, to practical guidance for the meditative engagement with masterpieces of Classical and Romantic music. Inspired by the experiences of revelation reported by great musicians themselves, Kirchhoff simultaneously sketches the outlines of a philosophy of music rooted in spirituality.
First published in 1989 and long out of print, Sound and Transformation conveys a message that is more urgent today than ever. The book stands firmly against the widespread loss of empathy in our society and advocates a transformative culture of sound and listening as the foundation for peace with ourselves and with the Earth.
When the outstanding musician and distinguished humanist Yehudi Menuhin received the first edition, he wrote enthusiastically:
"'Sound & Transformation' is a fascinating subject that has occupied me again and again. At last Jochen Kirchhoff demonstrates the unique contribution that classical music can make to individual and cultural transformation. This impassioned book belongs in the hands of every lover of music. I wish it the widest possible readership."