I was recently perusing an encyclopedia entitled, ‘The Oxford Companion to Music’, when my attention was drawn to the entry for Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760 – 1812). After detailing briefly such matters as his being born in Bohemia and once having possessed “European fame as a pianist and composer” the entry then takes a rather judgmental turn surely unusual for works of reference, saying, “His manner of death is a warning. He took too little exercise, became stout, found motion tiresome, spent his days in bed, felt bored, drank, and died.” A pungent epitaph on a life lived for the most part in glittering success. In any case, you have been warned, taking too little exercise may well be the beginning of a descent that passes down through boredom and drink in to an early grave. I suppose Vicars of the past may have seized this sad tale to warn their parishioners of the dangers of indolence, perhaps all I will say is that if you are feeling bored and fear you may be in danger of declining in the same way as Jan Ladislav Dussek then I recommend you join a Parochial Church Council where we will be glad to find you ample occupation and thus help preserve your life.
I do not know why Dussek may have fallen in to a stupor, he had wealth, success in his career, fame, he was admired by the ladies, and he was a fabulous pianist. Perhaps he found that gaining all he had dreamt of did not bring the satisfaction he had hoped for, or maybe he was corrupted by material gain and the adulation of the crowd. I should give thanks that as a man of only mediocre talents and success my soul is not exposed to such dangers. We know Dussek abandoned his wife which may be a sign of moral degradation or it may be that she was unbearable, it is difficult to determine at this distance from events. What is for sure is that not being aware of all the facts is usually no barrier for people to judge others. The newspapers, Twitter, gossip on the village green, we love to condemn others despite not knowing all the facts of their lives and despite our own failings. In fact sometimes I think we point the finger at others so readily in order to try and avoid having the finger pointed at us, moral outrage can be an excellent way to conceal a guilty conscience. Yet God, who, as the Psalmist writes, ‘knows all the secrets of our hearts’ and is ‘judge of all’ offers mercy to all those who turn to Him. I often say that the most frequently broken of all Jesus’ commands is ‘do not judge’, a failing that I fear ‘The Oxford Companion to Music’ fell into when writing their entry on Dussek’s life, although to be honest and by way of avoiding hypocrisy I must admit their entry does make me smile.
Rev Stephen
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