Probably you have heard the expression “open-hearted.” Standard dictionaries define it as frankness coupled with kindliness. The authoritative text Buddhism for Dummies identifies it with generosity, which is the global expression of kindness. Frequently, the quality is associated with children, who have not yet been conditioned to guard the free expression of their emotions. Ronald Aronson describes the emergence of his awareness of open-heartedness in describing his experience with open heart surgery, of all things.
To open the heart is to open the emotional core and let it express, so that the core reaches outward. Going far beyond mere willingness, the emotional hands stretch as far as they can to embrace others, life, and the world. In this metaphor, we can see the beginnings of spirituality.
Real
True Narratives
Book narratives:
- Tracy Dougherty, The Last Love Song: A Biography of Joan Didion (St. Martin’s Press, 2015): “As Daugherty’s overheated book sent me racing back to the cool relief of Didion’s prose, I was struck by a fundamental and counterintuitive generosity in her work. What Didion preserves of herself is her quick reactivity, her canny collection of images, her scraps of memories — all this translated into the most rigorously clear language. Style is how she makes herself available to us: by allowing us to borrow her extraordinary vision, by communicating it in an American speech that is really a melody — a sturdy and beautiful folk song.”
Technical and Analytical Readings
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
Poetry
Poems:
- Rabindranath Tagore, 57
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Württemberg Sonatas, “Six Keyboard Sonatas for Connoisseurs and Amateurs”, Wq. 49 (1742-1744) (approx. 85-90’), cover a wide range of emotions, with an emotional depth that had not previously been the norm. “. . . the musical language of these sonatas is . . . completely different from that of the High Baroque which supposedly had another six or so years to flourish . . .” “. . . with their abrupt passions and horizontal drama (they) must have mystified his conservative father.” The music displays the “younger Bach's idiosyncrasies: the gentle playfulness of the music, the fondness for subtle and sudden tempo shifts, the extraordinary, rippling invention . . .” In a sense, these compositions opened the musical heart. An excellent performance on harpsichord is by Bob van Asperen in 1979. Excellent performances on piano are by Keith Jarrett in 1994, Mahan Esfahani in 2014, and Ana-Marija Markovina in 2014.
Other music expressing open-heartedness:
- Franz Schubert, String Quartet No. 7 in D major, D. 94 (1811) (approx. 19-20’)
- Paul Ben-Haim, Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B (1945) (approx. 16’), “started life as the last movement of a clarinet quintet, composed shortly after the symphony which follows here. Some years later, Ben-Haim arranged the last movement on its own for solo clarinet, string orchestra and harp and renamed it. It is a set of variations on a theme which evokes sunlight and the Mediterranean.”
Count Basie was an influential jazz musician and band leader of the Swing era. “As a young boy, Basie hated to see his parents working so hard, and vowed to help them get ahead. The family had a piano, and Basie’s mother paid 25¢ a lesson for his piano lessons at an early age. He had an incredible ear, and could repeat any tune he heard.” His style was intuitive, “from the heart”. “Compared to the more complex, almost symphonic compositions and arrangements of some of the other leading bandleaders and composers of his time, most notably Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, the Basie band’s arrangements were usually straightforward ‘head arrangements,’ based on a simple riff or melody (the ‘head’) made up and memorized by the band in rehearsal, and later played in performance as the background for soloists.” “Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. . . His instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and became broadly influential on jazz.” Books about Basie include his autobiography, and books by Ken Vail, and Joanne Mattern. His list of releases, spanning decades, is extensive. His live appearances include this from 1955 with Lionel Hampton and Sarah Vaughan; at Birdland, December 30, 1956; on CBS in 1957; live in Belgium in 1961; in 1962; in Copenhagen in 1972; from the Dorchester Hotel in 1973; with Oscar Peterson in 1974; in France in 1975; at Tivoli in 1976; in Tokyo in 1978; and at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1979.
Albums:
- Paul Bley, “Open to Love” (1972) (42’): “Bley’s intimacy is refreshing and comes across beautifully . . .”
- Sonny Sharrock, “Guitar” (1985) (37’): “The songs are fairly simple; a brief introduction and chord statement lays the foundation, then Sharrock flies about on top of it. The purity of his tone is both powerful and beautiful.”
- Vusa Mkhaya, “Vocalism” (2012) (45’): this a cappella singer from Zimbabwe wears humanity on his vocal cords.
- Joel Ross, “The Parable of the Poet” (2022) (51’): “Ross’ vision for the music is at once explicit and mysterious. He seeks to express themes present in parable tellings and retellings, while leaving each story’s particulars open to interpretation.”
- Thorston Johanns, et. al., Clarinet quintets & trios of Josef Labor (2023) (132’): rich, buttery tones from the clarinet is a characterizing feature.
- Joel Lyssarides & Georgios Prokopiou, “Arcs & Rivers” (2024) (41’): “Arcs & Rivers is a fusion of jazz and Greek tradition, where pianist Joel Lyssarides and bouzouki virtuoso Georgios Prokopiou come together for a dazzling musical journey. Recorded in just one session, their spontaneous interplay bridges cultures and genres, giving the bouzouki a fresh voice in jazz – centuries-old traditions meet modern improvisation with breathtaking ease.”
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Roger Miller, “Open Up Your Heart” (lyrics)
- Madonna, “Open Your Heart” (lyrics)
- Elton John, "Blessed" (lyrics)
- Axwell & Dirty South, "Open Your Heart" (lyrics)
Visual Arts
- Mary Cassatt, The Child's Caress (c. 1890)
Film and Stage
- The Little Kidnappers: one way or another, the heart opens