Philosophy of music

During the Age of Enlightenment, thinkers believed in reason, liberty, and scientific methods instead of tradition and religion. Many writers published their works that stated the problems of the misuse of religion and the importance of critical thinking. Moliere was one of writers during the Age of Enlightenment, known mostly for his comedy. He was a French play writer who wrote the comedy Tartuffe, which shows the concept of religious hypocrisy, ignorance and fanaticism. In the drama, he…

Celeste Wiest Professor Williams Music History Section 1 27 October 2017 Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier (1528) is a Renaissance Courtesy Book or Book of Manners that deals with etiquette, conduct and philosophy. Drawing inspiration from those before him, Castiglione uses ancient Greek and Roman ideas to express Renaissance ideals such as humanism, Music of the Spheres, and emotion relayed through music. Since the Renaissance is a rebirth of archaic ideas, Castiglione…

the social revolution, songs of social commentary demonstrated expressionism of outdated morals through emphasis of lyrical progression. While various genres mirror the social ideals of an artist’s philosophies; as time and music progress renowned artists from the 1960’s set the standard for new rock music with a political or societal testament. Consequently, the perception of what constitutes a musical maestro is determined by an artist’s ability to manipulate musical elementation to convey…

Aristotle was a 4th century Greek philosopher known for his intellectual works on matters such as philosophy, ethics, history, and most famously Poetics. In Poetics, Aristotle discusses topics such as the elements of tragedy, the act of imitation, and catharsis, or purgation and cleansing of oneself through tragedy. Although only bits and pieces of his works have survived, his ideas and analysis on tragedy still ring true today and Poetics remains one of the most influential texts when it comes…

would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” – Plato. Is music education important in public schools? There are many reasons why it is important. One is, the effect music has on the brain/mind when listening to music, and the feelings of accomplishment when playing an instrument or singing. There are many benefits to Music Education and music classes in public schools. Can a music education…

described as ascetic, mystical and theological. The man who is guided only by feelings - lives exclusively in a cave, and those who live in spirit - guided by the pure light of truth. The movement from the sensory world to the ideal world through the philosophy is described as the "liberation from the shackles". The problem of interaction between soul and body is also relevant here – indeed, if the soul is immortal and non-physical, body is superficial and can’t exist forever. Finally, the Sun-…

“Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.” –Ludwig van Beethoven. Throughout history music has been one of the best representations of a time period. Music has also been one of the biggest influences in many cultures of the world. The most influential time periods include the Baroque Age, the Classical Period, and the Romantic Era. The Baroque Age was from around 1600-1750, this era is referred to as…

Jazz is a music type that began from African American groups of New Orleans in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It emerged as independent conventional music style connected by common bonds of European American and African American musical parentage with an execution introduction. Jazz traverses a time of over a hundred years, incorporating an extensive variety of music, making it hard to characterize. Jazz makes substantial utilization of improvisation,…

Johann Joseph Fux Johann Joseph Fux was an Austrian composer and theorist. He studied language, logic, law and music both at Graz University and the University of Ingolstadt from 1680 to 1687. Around 1695, Fux was appointed to the imperial court of Hungarian bishop Leopold I. While in the court of the emperor, Fux dedicated the Missa SS Trinitatis to Leopold I. Johann Fux kept his position in the court after the death of Leopold I, the reign of Joseph I, and Charles VI. He was appointed…

Debussy's Musical Impressionism "I have no hobbies...They never taught me anything but music." ––Claude Debussy. He brought an entirely new musical style into the public eye; he expressed visual phenomena by appealing to auditory senses; he stepped outside of the grasp of Romanticism, yet still followed its pathways; he paved the road for nearly all modern music to be composed after him; he altered music history. Claude Debussy was nothing if not an absolute master of the art of composition,…