Heiner Ruland charts a practical path towards a deepened musical understanding, illuminating the panorama of humanity’s musical past. Indicating what may happen – and needs to happen – to music in the immediate and more distant future, the implications of this book for composition, musical education and therapy are immense.

The author shows how the fundamental elements of music embody distinctive modes of consciousness. He examines the musical systems of ancient humanity and goes on to draw a vivid picture of our contemporary musical situation. This seminal work is more than a theoretical treatise on the nature of music, but a book to be understood and experienced through musical practice. With the help of the monochord, the reader, with a minimum of technique, is able to explore new and unfamiliar musical realms.

‘Rudolf Steiner believed that an expansion of our tone-system was a necessity... In this book of Ruland’s, we have for the first time an account that is penetrating enough and of sufficiently large scope to enable us to understand why.’ - Jürgen Schriefer

HEINER RULAND, born in 1934, studied music and comparative music in Freiburg. Having discovered ancient intervals and scales and the twelve-tone musical system, he began to compose. He taught music at the Benefeld Rudolf Steiner School before becoming a therapist and developing his own form of music therapy, which he practised at Klinik Oeschelbronn. Various musical instruments have been developed according to his suggestions. Since 2001, he has taught as a guest lecturer in music history at the Music Seminar in Hamburg.

12 March 2014; RSP; 200pp; 30 x 21 cm; pb;