The longest essay in The Satanic Scriptures by Peter H. Gilmore is Diabolus In Musica, an introduction to the sinister aspects of classical composers and orchestral works. Peter is a classically trained composer who graduated from NYU with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in music composition.

Diabolus in Musica begins with a short introductory paragraph, stating the authors love of bombastic music and instructing the reader that they might find the profiles of composers and lists of works to be rewarding and worthy of attention. We feature here just one of those profiles, that of Richard Strauss.

This is just one of 6 major profiles, and the essay also includes shorter series of profiles or significant works of fifty-five composers.

The Wikipedia links and Images are not included in the published version.

Richard Strauss: Celebrating Himself

Who could forget the thrilling opening music to Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey? Who hasn’t been moved by that sonic sunburst that Kubrick wisely used to herald the birth of conscious intelligence in Man’s ancestors, and underscored the first use of tools—a weapon, I might add? That magnificent fanfare was penned by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) as the opening for his tone poem Thus Spake Zarathustra, which was the composer’s effort at creating an audio equivalent to Nietzsche’s iconoclastic book.

Strauss was known in his youth as a radical modern, shocking the critics with his voluptuous music, whether it be purely symphonic or operatic. In his final years he was considered to be an aging reactionary, co-opted by the Nazis, and thus generally ignored by a world that had moved to embrace less human music, that had lost the ability to appreciate splendor and skill. To the modern listener, he appears as an artist that created works of great beauty overflowing with the joy and struggle of life.

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The first few questions and answers are here - to get the while thing visit the site.

01. Let’s start out with your new book. What is it called and what is the subject matter?

“The Satanic Scriptures” (www.thesatanicscriptures.com) is a collection of essays and rituals which I’ve written over the past 20 years. Most of the essays were published in “The Black Flame” (the official magazine of the Church of Satan) and some are newly released. All have been polished for this edition. They range from social commentary of a distinctly misanthropic bent to characterizations of human types, as well as details about the inner workings and perspectives of the Church of Satan. The rituals include the Satanic Wedding and Funeral Rites, which have heretofore only been given to members of our Priesthood. Finally the Rite of Ragnarok, a militant exercise in norse-flavored exoticism, had been previously printed in the Swedish publication “The Fenris Wolf.”

When can we buy it, where can we get it? Personally, I’m looking forward to reading it.

The hardcover is now available from Scapegoat Publishing (www.ScapegoatPublishing.com) and select specialty booksellers while the paperback will be broadly released in October (Amazon.com) and should appear in major book selling chains.

02. Explain to us what you represent. What are the basic tenets of Satanism?

I represent Satanism as codified by Anton Szandor LaVey and embodied in the Church of Satan. Most succinctly, we are atheistic, skeptical epicureans who embrace Satan as a symbol of liberty, pride, and individualism. The details are in our literature.

03. How exactly did you find yourself to be a Satanist? What exactly convinced you that
Satanism was the right path for you?

I read “The Satanic Bible” at age 13, at the time considering myself to be an atheist. I saw deeper aspects of myself reflected in LaVey’s words so I knew “Satanist” was a more accurate label for my nature. I’ve never come across a reason to alter that decision. I am a Satanist by Dr. LaVey’s definition, and the philosophy works quite well as a tool to get the most out of my life.

The first few questions and answers are here - to get the while thing visit the site.