Refracted Zen in the art of composition: An investigation of Zen Buddhism in Hans Otte's Book of Sounds
Date
2014
Authors
Dauer, Tysen
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Musicological Explorations
Abstract
The scant secondary literature about Hans Otte often locates the influence of Zen Buddhism in his compositions dating from the 1990s. While Otte’s interest in and exposure to Zen Buddhism peaks in that decade, the composer had already begun exploring Zen Buddhism in the 1960s. Otte’s Book of Sounds (1979-1982) was written after the composer had taken up the practice of zazen meditation, read the writings of D. T. Suzuki and Zen-obsessed guru, Rajneesh, and worked with American composers interested in Zen Buddhism and Eastern thought. These interests and influences are evident in the visual art, design, notation, aesthetic goals and musical techniques used in The Book of Sounds, as well as in Otte’s use of language in his introduction to the composition. Identifying the influences of Zen Buddhism in The Book of Sounds also places the work within the larger history of the popularization of Zen Buddhism in the West.
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Citation
Dauer, T. (2014). Refracted Zen in the art of composition: An investigation of Zen Buddhism in Hans Otte's Book of Sounds. Musicological Explorations, 14, 59-74. https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/me/article/view/16067