Marcos de Menezes

How to Meditate with Classical Music Marcos de Menezes

Western classical music is full of musical beauty and extra-musical meanings. Therefore, listening to it requires a particular act of fruition, so that the listener not only perceives each work in its musical specificity but also has the chance to reach its vast potentialities in the field of metaphysics. To achieve the spheres of fruition and perception, as well as the sphere of reflection, this musical meditative process was structured in phases, focusing, first and foremost, on the depth and the quality of the act of listening. Through this method, it will be possible to work effectively with the two basic dimensions of musical listening, which are mediated by two distinct physiological devices: external hearing and mind hearing. Great importance will be given to musical memory, which has particularities and potentialities that have only recently begun to be explored by science. By improving the physiological bases of hearing and memory, this method provides the means for the structuring of a rich and profound internal musical life, which will enable the practitioner to dialogue internally with the musical "entities" of the classical music of the west. I would like to thank my wife Adriana for her suggestions and the final revision of this English version. Marcos de Menezes, Brazilian composer. January 2021.