A philosopher’s garden, by Christophe Formery and Joëlle Kuhne
In 2023, Christophe Formery and Joëlle Kuhne drew to them, with various calls, the birds of the garden, not to catch them, but to give them a singing lesson, using a collection of music of the eighteenth century intended for learning birds. In this new spring, they will continue this learning by adding to that of singing, the exercise of reason…
For this is what Calvin wrote in 1543 in his preface to the Fifty Psalms of David translated by Clément Marot on the powers of music: "There is much in this world that can turn or bend the manners of men here and there, as Plato prudently considered. And from this laziness, we experience that it has a secret and almost incredible virtue to open hearts in one way or another.'
"Besides, we must remember what St. Paul says, that spiritual songs can only sing from the heart. Now the heart requires intelligence. And in this (says St. Augustine) records the difference between the singing of men and the singing of birds. Because a linonet, a nightingale, a papegay will sing well, but it will be without hearing. But man’s own gift is to sing knowing what he says."
To what can be added for the understanding of humans this quote of Gioseffo Zarlino in The Istitutioni harmoniche, Venice, 1558: "La onde dico, che ne ne il Senso senza la ragione, ne la Ragione senza il senso potranno dare buon giuditio di qualunque soggetto scientifico: ma si bene quando queste due parti saranno aggiunte insieme."
“Thus, I would say that the senses without reason as well as the reason without the senses will not be able to give a good judgment on any scientific subject: but when the two assessments are joined together.”
For more information:
https://www.un-jardin-philosophe.com/videos/AH-par-DS.mp4
https://fiatiinsieme.jimdofree.com/l-orchestre-de-fl%C3%BBtes-%C3%A0-bec/