Purpose and Mastery

I became fascinated with the great composers Bach and Handel. Both were born in Germany in 1685, and both have changed the hearts of people and the world of music. Bach stayed home and wrote music for the church, and Handel went to the empire where the sun never set--England. They have each inspired me and led me to ponder what it is like to live a life dedicated to mastery and to live with such purpose.

While I took that sabbatical from work in 2009, I immersed myself in the world of music, playing the piano and dreaming.

Johann Sebastian Bach

For most of his life, Bach was beset with tragedy and sorrow. He was orphaned at the age of ten when he lost his parents within a year of each other. He had 20 children, but 11 of them died. He lost his young daughter, three sons and then his first wife. He then remarried and lost four more daughters and three more sons, 11 dear children total. When he was old, he was in poor health and had cataracts that made him blind. How could someone produce such a treasure chest of music while being overwhelmed by such loss and hardship?

Perhaps Bach set his heart on fire by composing the world's most beautiful and meaningful music. Bach's music was the first music sent into space. He set his heart on composing music for God and man; perhaps that is why we feel so peaceful listening to his music.

At the beginning of each piece of music, he wrote, "Lord help." At the end of his music, he wrote, "Soli Deo Gloria" (Only Glory to God). His music was praise, prayer, and honour to God--a conversation between man and God in the form of musical notes.

Bach was prolific, writing over 1,000 works. The depth and complexity of his music pushed the boundaries of what was possible with music, and his music became the standard of excellence.

Bach believed his music should have a higher purpose. His sacred works like "St. Matthew Passion" were composed to honour God. His music was an expression of his faith and for mankind to feel the passion and love of the beloved Creator.

His works were not well known outside his country, but 70 years later, Felix Mendelssohn praised Bach and revived his work to worldwide acclaim. Bach's unmarked grave was discovered and raised to prominence, as his music inspired and lifted the great musicians and crowds who would listen to his music.

George Handel

Despite suffering from poor health and financial distress himself, he put on concerts to raise funds for people imprisoned for unpaid debts.

Handel's profound sense of purpose is evident in his great Magnum Opus "Messiah" (Hebrew for 'Anointed One'), which, at 260 pages, he wrote in just 24 days as he set the words of the Bible to music. Handel said it was as if the music were dictated to him by God, and he just transcribed the notes furiously onto paper. The Hallelujah Chorus in "Messiah" is said to have inspired and uplifted King George II so much that he stood up during this part. It has now become a tradition to stand up during that moment of the performance. The delightful and powerful Hallelujah ("Praise the Lord") chorus has the power to transform the heart through the power of its music and singing.

Handel composed over 40 operas and 29 oratorios, but when he first incorporated Scripture into his music (though now very accepted and praised), it was a point of contention among the civil and religious communities of his time. He fell into hard financial times and struggled until his revival with the popularity of "Messiah."

Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was inspired by Bach and Handel and throughout his lifetime, he relentlessly pursued musical mastery despite much hardship. In 1797, around age 26, Beethoven started to lose his hearing, and by age 44 (in 1814), he was almost totally deaf.

Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5 was written in 1804 and Symphony No. 9, considered his Magnum Opus, was composed between 1822 and 1824.

How could it be that he wrote his greatest work of music while completely deaf?

He knew and felt music intuitively. During his "late period," he became an innovator. He pioneered the transition between classical and romantic music periods, reinventing the symphony, sonata, and string quartet. He stirred souls with emotional depth and complexity that were familiar yet entirely new.

He believed that music had the power to stir the human soul and convey profound human emotions and ideals. Through his music, he expressed his beliefs in freedom, justice, and the triumph of the human spirit.

John Milton

John Milton had a dream to write an epic poem like Homer's Odyssey and Virgil when he was just a teenager. He studied Latin and Greek, literature and theology and studied at Cambridge.

In a letter written in 1645, when he was 37 years old, Milton expressed his long-held ambition to write a great epic poem. He referred to the project as something he had been contemplating for many years.

His early writings and sonnets also reveal that he was formulating ideas for an epic narrative even before he began working on "Paradise Lost."

The concrete work on "Paradise Lost" began in the early 1650s, when he was in his early forties. Yet as he embarked on his dream, his vision faltered until he was completely blind in 1652, at the age of 44.

He thought he had to give up on his dream of writing the epic book he had envisioned. This caused him unspeakable agony. He valued the power of vision and the loss of his sight was devastating. He expressed his sorrow and frustration in his poetry, "Sonnet 19," where he laments his inability to serve God through his writing due to his blindness.

Despite his despair, Milton also saw his blindness as a test of faith and resilience. His struggle with his disability became a part of his creative and spiritual journey. He started to envision his book deeply in 1658, recited it to his daughter, and completed his Magnum Opus in 1667.

While his epic took nine years to complete, it was in his heart from a young age. He had composed much of the book in his mind and recited it to his daughters by memory so they could transcribe it.

It is considered one of the England's greatest literary works.

Read the rest of my story at Ham.com along with my life lessons then and now (only a few minutes more but I hope will help you in your life)