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赵雪薇1141051081圣经文学课程论文TheBible’sInfluenceonWesternMusicAbstract:TheVoice,oneoftheAmerica’smost-watchedTVshows,exhibitsdistinctlydifferentstylesofmusicbydifferentcolor.,includingAmericancountrymusic,Latinmusic,R&B,Jazz,Gospelmusic,etc.However,it’stoughtodistinguishwhichstyleacertainsongbelongsto.Itarousesmyinteresttofindoutwhatimpactedwesternmusicduringitslong-termdevelopmentandwhatthewesternmusicderivedfrom.Thisarticleprovidesbriefintroductionsoftheoriginofwesternmusic,theBible,anditsinfluenceonwesternmusic.Keywords:Westernmusic,theBible,Christianity,origin,influenceI.IntroductionAsonesayinggoes,ifyoucanunderstandmusic,you’reclosetothegod.WesterncultureisinseparabletotheBible.Westernmusic,asacrucialsectionofwesternculture,alsoexpressesfaithofChristianity.Overthelonghistory,westernmusicundergotheimportantperiodofHebrew,theMiddleAges,Renaissance,ReligiousReform,etc.Westernmusiccomestolifeineverydifferentera.Thus,it’sofgreatsignificancetocomprehendtheoriginofwesternmusicandhowthewesternmusicwasinfluencedbytheBibleinrespectivetime.II.TheoriginofwesternmusicIntermsoftherelationshipbetweenwesternmusicandtheBible,itcoulddatebacktotheageofHebrew.AccordingtotheOldTestament,inGenesis,“Jabalwasthefatherofallwhoplaystringedinstrumentsandpipes.”[1]Inaddition,inChronicles,“AlltheLeviteswhoweremusiciansstoodontheeastsideofthealtar,playingcymbals,harpsandlyres.Theywereaccompaniedby120priestssoundingtrumpets.ThetrumpetersandmusiciansjoinedinunisontogivepraiseandthankstotheLORD.”[2]Thusitcanbeseenthat,attheageofHebrew,musicexistedandwasexertedinlargesacrifices.Hebrewwasnationwhichfascinatedmusic.ChristianityinheritedthemusicaltraditionofHebrew,becoming“SingingReligion”.Westernclassicalmusic,tosomeextent,originatedfromChristianmusic.[11]Inconsequence,Christianmusic,influencedbyHebrew,paidalotattentiontomusic.Withtheestablishmentof赵雪薇1141051081圣经文学课程论文Christianity,westernmusicflourishedandsteppedintoanewera,theMiddleAges.III.TheMiddleAgesFromthefallofWesternRomanEmpireinthe5thcenturytotheendof13thcentury,itwasthemiddleagesofwesternmusic.AfterChristianitywasestablishedasthestatereligion,Christianityregardedmusicasthetoolofpropagatingitsfaithtostrengththereligionasceticism.Inthelongtimeofmiddleages,musicbecametheslaveofChristianity.[12]AsfarasI’mconcerned,althoughthereligionasceticismwasfavorabletoachieveauthoritarianism,itindeedfetteredpeople'sthinkingandcreativity.Undertherigorousthoughtcontrol,peoplelackoflibertytoexpresstheirrealmind.Frequently,thegreatartistsdrawinspirationsfrommomentsoflife,includingtruelove,newbaby,speechifying,etc.Nevertheless,undertheasceticism,thereisnochanceforpeopletoexperiencethepleasureofhumannature.Meanwhile,it’simpossibletopublishgreatworkstothewholeworld.Inspiteofmusicwasreducedtotoolofchurch,itstillwaslistedonthetopsevenadvancedarts,includinggrammar,rhetoric,logic,geometry,count,astronomyandmusic.[5]However,attheendoftheMiddleAges,theestablishmentofGregorianchantbroughtpositiveeffecttothemusic,blowingfreshairtotheMiddleAges.Ⅳ.Baroque&ReligiousReformChristianculture,nodoubt,wasoneoftheoriginsofmodernwesternculture.Meanwhile,westernmusicoriginatedfromreligiousmusic.AfterRenaissance,theBibletheorywasstillthemainstreamthoughtintemporalsociety.Itappearedapeakofartsduringthedevelopmentwesternculture,theBaroque.Inthisperiod,musiciansdrewinspirationsandpassionofcreationfromChristian,producingraftofwell-knownChristianoratorio.[9]MessiahisanEnglish-languageoratoriocomposedin1741byGeorgeFridericHandel,withascripturaltextfromtheKingJamesBible,andfromthePsalmsincludedwiththeBookofCommonPrayer.ItwasfirstperformedinDublinin1742andreceiveditsLondonpremierenearlyayearlater.Afteraninitiallymodestpublicreception,the赵雪薇1141051081圣经文学课程论文oratoriogainedinpopularity,eventuallybecomingoneofthebest-knownandmostfrequentlyperformedchoralworksinWesternmusic.[10]In1516,apapalcommissionerforindulgenceswassenttoGermanybytheRomanCatholicChurchtosellindulgencestoraisemoneytorebuildSt.Peter'sBasilicainRome.Lutherwrotetohisbishop,protestingthesaleofindulgences.HeenclosedinhisletteracopywhichcametobeknownasTheNinety-FiveTheses.[7]ConfrontedwiththeInquisition,Luthersaid“everyonehavetherightstodirectlycommunicatewithgod.UnlesssomeonecanprovemewrongthroughtheBibleword,Iwillnevergiveupmyopinion.”[3]ReligiousReformabidedbytheBible.TheonlydifferencebetweentheProtestantismandtheChristianityiswhetherordinarypeoplecandirectlytalktothegod.WiththenewwaveofReligiousReform,anewroundofthoughtliberationwasincreasinglyspread.Asotherformofart,westernmusicachievedfurtherdevelopment.Especially,“MartinLutheralsowrotesongsforreligiousserviceincollaborationwithacomposerJ.Walther.”[4]Soyoucanseethatwesternmusicalsoenjoythefreeatmospheretoreformandpromoteinthisperiod.Ⅴ.WesternMusicinModernSocietyTwentieth-centurymusicbroughtnewfreedomandwideexperimentationwithnewmusicalstylesandformsthatchallengedtheacceptedrulesofmusicofearlierperiods.Nevertheless,alargeamountofcontemporarysongsstillbasedonBiblestoriesandBibletheories.Forinstance,thereisafamoussongTimef