Musical Worlds: New Directions in the Philosophy of Music

by Philip Alperson (Editor)

This volume, reproducing a special issue of The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism on "The Philosophy of Music" (Winter 1994) with a revised introduction and two new articles, is distinguished by its breadth of content, diversity of approaches, and clarity of argument, which should make it useful for classroom teaching. The topics covered include musical representation, the expression of feeling in music, the metaphysics of operatic speech and song, musical understanding, musical composition, feminist music theory, music and politics, music and racial identity, music in non-Western cultures, and the ontological implications of recording technology for rock music. The approaches used are philosophical, historical, social and political, feminist, and ethnomusicological. The book includes discussions of a great many styles and historical periods of music, from ancient Greek music and music theory to instrumental and operatic music in the Western classical tradition, Persian music, music of the Blackfoot Indians, rock and the blues, and the avant-garde compositions and performances of John Cage. The contributors, all eminent scholars in the field, are Philip Alperson, Noël Carroll, Stephen Davies, Claire Detels, John Andrew Fisher, Lydia Goehr, Peter Kivy, Jerrold Levinson, James Manns, Bruno Nettl, Jenefer Robinson, Joel Rudinow, Göran Sörbom, Francis Sparshott, and Kendall Walton.

196 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Philosophy of Music poses provocative questions about the mysterious character of music. In this book, editor Philip Alperson has compiled a prominent list of representatives across multiple musical disciplines viz., musical theory, ethnomusicology, musicology, aesthetics, and, of course, philosophy. Made up of fifteen essays from the experts in the field of Philosophy of Music, this book undertakes the task of answering those intriguing questions, and elucidating on the nature of assorted sub-practices of music; from musical composition, to performance, and all associations in between.

Specifically, the essays attempt to answer questions such as: Does music, itself, express emotion? Does music adequately conform to a specified experience, and if so, what are the attributes of that experience? What is the place of music in human affairs? In endeavoring to answer these questions, the gathered essayists evince disparate views and opinions. Some are very simple, and some, exceedingly complex.

From a philosophical perspective, the problems that develop from musical practice have traditionally centered around a works creation, performance, and reception; not to mention, from “Classical” works. These essays strive to break away from the traditional mode of thought, and instead, represent modern concerns about music's expressive character from a multitude of genres. Each essay pursues the philosophical questions in its own unique way. This is part of the attractiveness of this book.

The distinct end point, at least for me, from a philosophical perspective, is that music may be a subjective experience, and depends on the way the individual interprets the world around them. Therefore, societal intellection about the concept of music, about musical performers, and about the culture that surrounds musical types, may be determined by a shared subjective experience of that society. These ideas and questions will continue to receive attention; however, the essays in this book do exhibit the aspect, and possibilities for thinking about music in a philosophical way.
I would utilize this book as a supplementary teaching aid when discussing specific ideas in music viz., authenticity, musical ontology, meaning in music, etc. Overall, it is a great read for anyone wanting a philosophical insight into music.