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Diabolus in Musica


rashore

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The greatest trick the Devil ever played was to hide himself in a musical chord. His satanic majesty’s fondness for musicians is well established as he eternally seems to be involving himself in musical competitions, crossroads deals with blues singers, inserting coded lyrics that only play backwards on heavy metal albums, whispering to Ozzy Osborne, and inspiring numerous composers like Tartini and Pagnini to bombastic feats.  Back during the Fall, when he lost his day job as director of the heavenly choir, the quality of music in Hell must have really irked him.  I suspect there’s a lot of Carpenter’s muzak just for the sake of irony (that was a Jesus joke for those of you who weren’t paying attention).  Well, assuming his recording contracts all got cancelled after he plummeted into the Pit, he no doubt decided to reinvent his musical oeuvre a la Madonna (Ciccone, not the Virgin).  Presumably, all but the B-sides in Heaven involved soothing and harmonious compositions, but having been robbed of his Grammy, Satan decided to take a different tack – the Diabolus in Musica (more commonly known as the Devil’s Tritone, or for the more technically adept musicians among you, the diminished or “flatted” fifth).

https://esoterx.com/2017/05/19/diabolus-in-musica-the-devil-is-in-the-dissonance/

 

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One of the first to be considered playing "metal-music" was Niccolò Paganini who, by his contemporaries, was said to have sold his soul to the devil to gain his virtuosity. His stage-performances (he was said too have been running across the stage while playing all the time, making faces & gestures), and with his fast playing, fed peoples minds of him being "possessed". His fast playing-style was quite unparalleled at the time. Paganini is Yngwie Malmsteens favourite virtuoso BTW. Take that as you will - (devil & contract) ;)

Paganini Caprice no.24

 

Paganini Caprice no.5

 

 

Also in the same era there was this ban on playing the Augmented 4th & The Tritonus & The Flatted Fifth. They were really thought as tunes that would "attract evil and demons, and/or open portals to hell", etc.

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Augmented 4th - the "chord of evil" was banned in Renaissance church music

The name diabolus in musica ("the Devil in music") has been applied to the interval from at least the early 18th century, though its use is not restricted to the tritone. In those days composing music was very much an act of praising God. The music should therefore be beautiful and moving. The Augmented 4th, or Tritonus, which spans three whole steps in the scale, is one of the most dissonant musical intervals around. It was considered unpleasant and ugly, and was named "diabolus in musica" - "the devil in music".

Here are some examples of what the church considered Diabolus in Musica

The Flatted Fifth - The "Devil's Interval"

 

This one though, that contains lots of those note-sequences, actually sounds quite disturbing at times. Maybe because it sounds more like some frantic, obsessive playing rather than the those particular note-sequences.

Piano Composition - The "Devil's Chord" ~

 

 

But there are some other creepy & dark classical music. Like Night on Bald Mountain, composed by Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881).. Said to have been inspired by old tales of witches sabbaths according to Mussorgsky, and he had some problem getting musicians and singers to play/sing this song in his opera he composed.

Most of you people know this song already, since it was in Disney's Fantasia, from the 40's.

Night On Bald Mountain - Fantasia (1941)

 

 

 
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