The Relaxing And Rejuvenating Effects Of Classical Music

"I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music." George Eliot

by Daniel Kobialka, D.M.A.

beautiful violin with warm wood glow For centuries, classical music has captivated listeners with its quiet passion and sweeping beauty. You can feel these classical compositions inspire a different perspective, coax your mood and change your day for the better. Many classical composers have encoded some or all of their works with keys to relaxation, inspiration, transformation and wholeness. Many classical musicians have done the same with their performances and interpretations of the classics.

Here is an interesting story I just encountered about the relaxing effects of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach:

The Russian Envoy Count Kayserling suffered with miserable insomnia. To deal with the problem, he asked Johann Goldberg, a local musician to play for him at night. Goldberg seized his harpsichord and played a piece of music written especially for the Count by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Count had informed Bach about his terrible problems with sleeplessness. He asked Bach to compose some music that might help him relax and get to sleep.

Soon Goldberg was playing the music that Bach had composed for the Count's problem every time the count was having one of his sleepless nights. The Count had Goldberg installed in a room nearby ready to play at the Count's wish. The Count was so happy with the positive effects of this music that he gave Bach a lavish gift of gold. We know this relaxing composition by Bach today as the Goldberg Variations.

At Annamalia University in India, Dr. T.C. Singh found through his research with plants that classical music, and the violin in particular, enhanced plant growth. In his experiments, the violin was found to be one of the most life-enhancing instruments of all.

Yet, perhaps the most interesting and significant of all of Dr. Singh's findings was that later generations of the seeds of musically stimulated plants carried on the improved traits of greater size, more leaves, and other characteristics. Music had changed the plants' chromosomes!

Dr. Dorothy Retellack tested to see if the plants would respond to different types of music in a way similar to how they respond to sunlight. While plants shriveled up and ultimately died when exposed to the rock and roll music of Led Zeppelin, they responded to adagio movements of baroque music continuously playing by leaning towards the speaker. Those plants closest to the speakers actually wrapped some of their leaves around the speakers.

Some common composers of the baroque period include Bach, Haydn, Handel, Corelli, Albinoni, Telemann, Brahms, Vivaldi, and Mozart. Composers of the Baroque period seemed to know something special about how the human body responds to music. I wonder if the Baroque music might have revived the shriveled plants forced to listen to Led Zeppelin's music?

Researchers have looked at the adagio movements of the Baroque compositions and found that these portions of the baroque music, that had beats of about 60 beats per minute, appeared to be the most relaxing and produced heightened levels of alpha brainwave activity similar to what occurs during deep relaxation, hypnosis, and meditation.

A very well-known example of an adagio speed of baroque music is Pachelbel’s Canon in D. This beautiful piece of music is one of the most popular with those who have purchased from my music catalog. Whether it is Pachelbel’s Canon or something by Bach, Handel, Mozart or Brahms, classical music, with either its slow measured tempo or more brisk staccato rhythms, is very appropriate for relaxation.