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A strong
parallel exists between the way the themes of the
Bible are introduced and developed and the way themes
of a great work of music, such as a symphony or an
oratorio, are introduced and developed.
A master composer will invent a relatively
simple musical idea, then invert it, reverse it,
modulate it, counterpoint it with itself or a related
theme, or otherwise transform it, often changing the
character of the original so much that it seems to the
uninitiated to be a totally new theme.
The overall effect is one of profundity and
unity, the hallmarks of greatness.
Similarly, the great themes of redemption and
salvation in the hands of the master scribes such as
Isaiah, Solomon, Paul, or John, undergo many a
transmutation that render them at times almost
unrecognizable. But
ultimately they are found to be simply restating the
grandest theme of all:
Christ died to save sinners.
(excerpt
from The Voice of Melody by C.L.Jordan)
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