Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 9

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 9   

            Absolutists believe that musical meaning lies exclusively within the work of music itself.  In other words, to most absolutists music is not about anything because its meaning is its own and thereby it is a “closed system”.  Remember that these absolutists believe that music’s meaning lies in the perception and understanding or the musical outside influence.  

            Another school of absolute music philosophy called absolute expressionism disagrees with the main stream of absolutism and teaches that music’s relationships are capable or exciting feelings and emotions in the listener and performer.  This belief has become known as “arousal theory”.  Some music philosophers believe that these feelings and emotional meanings are actually embodied (found in the music) or are designated or referential (assigned) to the music.  

            Still another school of music philosophy called formalism teaches that music has no meaning at all.  These philosophers believe that music is enjoyed simply by appreciation of its formal properties or structure and technical construction.  These strict formalists believe that music does not have a subject or meaning beyond the combinations of notes we hear and that music only speaks or means nothing but else but its sounds and that these sounds have no relationship to life outside of the music.  This philosophical belief is what I call the “music sound is benign and in a bubble” theory.  

Thought for the Day-   

If it was true that music is part of a “closed system” then it would be an autonomous art.  However, this theory is false since no part of God’s creation escapes the Lordship of Christ.