Klarinet Archive - Posting 000137.txt from 2008/12

From: "Keith" <bowenk@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Beethoven Nine and Meaning
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:41:44 -0500

I agree with Peter. But to answer Alexander's question, this is a =
favourite
and contentious topic amongst philosophers who work in the philosophy of
music. Here is a partial reading list:

Adorno, Theodor (1959) Musikalische Schriften, i: Klangfiguren (Berlin,
1959); reprs. of selected essays pubd as Nervenpunkte der neuen Musik
(Hamburg, 1969)

Cooke, Deryck (1959). The language of music. Oxford: OUP

Davies, Stephen (2003). Themes in the Philosophy of Music. Oxford:
University Press.

Goehr, Lydia (1992). The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works. Oxford: The
Clarendon Press (which also reviews other theories, such as Nelson =
Goodman's
nominalist theories).=20

Ingarden, Roman (1928). The Work of Music and the Problem of its =
Identity.
Tr. A. Czerniawski, ed. J.G. Harrell (1986). Berkeley & Los Angeles:
University of California Press.

Kivy, Peter (1995) Authenticities: Philosophical Reflections on Musical
Performance. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Listenius, Nicolai. (1549). Musica: ab authore denuo recognita multisque
novis regulis et exemplis adaucta. Facsimile ed. G Sch=FCnemann (Berlin =
1927);
quoted in Goehr (1992, 115).

Scruton, Roger (1997). The Aesthetics of Music. Oxford: University =
Press.

You will find Adorno's arguments in there, and pretty much each of the =
other
writers has his or her own pet theory. Lydia Goehr is probably the best
overall review (and at least she's the daughter of a composer). Roman
Ingarden is the one I like best, which is not saying much as I do not =
think
that any of them add significantly to musical understanding or =
performance.
It's OK if philosophy is your interest, but not if it's music.

You can probably tell that I've had to study this lot recently!

Keith Bowen

-----Original Message-----
From: klarinet-return-94847-bowenk=3Dcompuserve.com@-----.org
[mailto:klarinet-return-94847-bowenk=3Dcompuserve.com@-----.org] On =
Behalf
Of Peter Gentry
Sent: 29 December 2008 11:38
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: RE: [kl] Beethoven Nine and Meaning

=20
To my mind the search for "meaning" in music is time wasted. Music can
amplify emotions, the famous Shostakovitch string quartet as an example. =
It
has meaning only inasmuch as beauty has a meaning it inspires a part of =
us
that finds no outlet in the daily trials and tribulation of life. It =
helps
us transcend being in a special way but "meaning" hmm. Look too hard and =
you
will never find it.

regards
Peter Gentry=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Alexander Brash [mailto:brash@-----.edu]=20
Sent: 29 December 2008 07:11
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Beethoven Nine and Meaning

I'm looking for an article and my googling skills have failed. I =20
remember once reading what I thought was rather famous argument about =20
where meaning lies in a musical work. Someone (I think it was Adorno?) =20
had a thought experiment where he argued that Beethoven 9 didn't =20
actually exist, since you couldn't point to where it existed (not in =20
the score, a single performance, etc), along with some other =20
ramifications. Does anyone know what I'm referring to? It's driving me =20
bonkers. I might have read it in the Stravinsky Poetics of Music, but =20
he was definitely quoting someone else...

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