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script.
Question: Haven't you found something similar in the an-
cient art of the West?
Answer: In studying history we see how everything grad-
ually changes. It is the same with religious ceremonies. At first
they had meaning and those who performed them understood
this meaning. But little by little the meaning was forgotten
and ceremonies continued to be performed mechanically. It is
the same with art.
For example, to understand a book written in English, it is
necessary to know English. I am not speaking of fantasy but of
mathematical, non-subjective art. A modern painter may be-
lieve in and feel his art, but you see it subjectively: one person
likes it, another dislikes it. It is a case of feeling, of like and
dislike.
But ancient art was not for liking. Everyone who read un-
derstood. Now, this purpose of art is entirely forgotten.
For instance, take architecture. I saw some examples of ar-
chitecture in Persia and Turkey for instance, one building of
two rooms. Everyone who entered these rooms, whether old or
young, whether English or Persian, wept. This happened with
people of different backgrounds and education. We continued
this experiment for two or three weeks and observed every-
one's reactions. The result was always the same. We specially
chose cheerful people. With these architectural combinations,
the mathematically calculated vibrations contained in the
building could not produce any other effect. We are under
certain laws and cannot withstand external influences. Because
the architect of this building had a different understanding
and built mathematically, the result was always the same.
We made another experiment. We tuned our musical instru-
ments in a special way and so combined the sounds that even
141
by bringing in casual passersby from the street we obtained
the result we wanted. The only difference was that one felt
more, another less.
You come to a monastery. You are not a religious man, but
what is played and sung there evokes in you a desire to pray.
Later you will be surprised by this. And so it is with everyone.
This objective art is based on laws, whereas modern music is
entirely subjective. It is possible to prove where everything in
this subjective art comes from.
Question: Is mathematics the basis of all art?
Answer: All Eastern ancient art.
Question: Then could anyone who knew the formula build a
perfect form like a cathedral, producing the same emotion?
Answer: Yes, and get the same reactions, too.
Question: Then art is knowledge, not talent?
Answer: It is knowledge. Talent is relative. I could teach you
to sing well in a week, even without a voice.
Question: So if I knew mathematics, I could write like
Schubert?
Answer: Knowledge is necessary mathematics and physics.
Question: Occult physics?
Answer: All knowledge is one. If you only know the four
rules of arithmetic, then decimal fractions are higher mathe-
matics for you.
Question: To write music, wouldn't you need an idea as well
as knowledge?
Answer: The mathematical law is the same for everyone. All
mathematically constructed music is the result of movements.
At one time I conceived the idea of observing movements, so
while traveling and collecting material about art I observed
only movements. Coming back home, I played music in ac-
cordance with the movements I had observed and it proved
identical with the actual music, for the man who wrote it
wrote mathematically. Yet while observing the movements I
did not listen to the music, for I had no time.
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(Someone asks a question about the tempered scale.)
Answer: In the East they have the same octave as we have
from do to do. Only here we divide the octave into 7, while
there they have different divisions: into 48, 7, 4, 23, 30. But the
law is the same everywhere: from do to do, the same octave.
Each note also contains seven. The finer the ear, the greater
the number of divisions.
In the Institute we use quarter tones because Western in-
struments have no smaller divisions. With the piano one has to
make a certain compromise, but stringed instruments allow the
use of quarter tones. In the East they not only use quarters but
a seventh of a tone.
To foreigners, Eastern music seems monotonous, they only
wonder at its crudity and musical poverty. But what sounds
like one note to them is a whole melody for the local
inhabitants a melody contained in one note. This kind of mel-
ody is much more difficult than ours. If an Eastern musician
makes a mistake in his melody the result is cacophony for
them, but for a European the whole thing is a rhythmic mono-
tone. In this respect, only a man who grew up there can distin-
guish good and bad music.
Question: Given mathematical knowledge, would a man ex-
press himself in one of the arts?
Answer: For development there is no limit, for young or old.
Question: In what direction?
Answer: In all directions.
Question: Do we need to wish for it?
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