Lexicon of Musical Invective by Nicolas Slonimsky

Lexicon of Musical Invective by Nicolas Slonimsky

Originally written for Chinese readers, this book provides a clear description of the Taoist practice of Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. The author outlines the four stages of the alchemical practice and clarifies several relevant terms and notions, including Essence, Breath, and Spirit; the Cinnabar Fields; the Fire Times; and the Embryo. The book is based on the system of the Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), one of the main sources of Internal Alchemy, and contains about two hundred quotations from original Taoist texts.

Table of Contents

Foreword, vii

INTRODUCTION, 1
The Basis: Essence and Spirit, 3

STAGES OF THE ALCHEMICAL PRACTICE IN AWAKENING TO REALITY, 11
The Four Stages, 13
Laying the Foundations, 15
Main Points in the Practice of Laying the Foundations, 20
The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit, 36
Terms Related to the Coagulation of the Three Treasures, 52
Conclusion of the Stage of Laying the Foundations, 63
Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath, 65
Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit, 99
Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness, 109

CONCLUSION, 119
The Arts of the Way, 121

Tables, 123
Glossary of Chinese Characters, 133

Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995) was an influential and celebrated writer on music. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1894, in his 101 years he taught and coached music; conducted the premieres of several 20th century masterpieces; composed works for piano and voice; and oversaw the 5th-8th editions of the classic Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Beginning in 1926, Slonimsky resided in the United States. From his arrival, he wrote provocative articles on contemporary music and musicians, many of whom were his personal friends. Working as a freelance author, he built a large file of review, articles, and even manuscripts for books that were never published. This collection brings together the cream of this material in 4 volumes.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780295785790
ISBN 10	0295785799
Title	Lexicon of Musical Invective
Author	Nicolas Slonimsky
Series	Washington Paperbacks
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	University of Washington Press
Year published	1969-03-01
Number of pages	325
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.