Eric Willstaedt wrote:

>What makes a piece of music mystical?  Is it just a lack of tonal
>centers(as far as western music is concerned)?

This subject will likely be another can of worms.  To me, "mystical"
entails delving into the unknown.  Common definitions include notions of
spiritual symbolism/significance, occult matters, and, at a minimum, the
"obscure."

Where does that leave us? Not with much.  One thing can be definitively
stated: whether music is mystical or not has nothing to do with tonality.
Again, as with most areas of life, I think each individual makes decisions
as to the mysticism inherent in any piece of music.  I've known folks who
think that the Moody Blues wrote and performed mystical music - go prove
it.  Eric mentioned Scriabin, and he's in strong company by doing so.

Perhaps the best way to approach this is to say that if listening to a
particular work conjures up images of a spiritual, occult, or non-worldly
nature, you have experienced mystical music at that point in time.  It's
always possible that the next time you hear the work, no such images will
be forthcoming.

Don Satz
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