Antithetical Arts constitutes a defence of musical formalism against those who would put literary interpretations on the absolute music canon. In Part I, the historical origins of both the literary interpretation of absolute music and musical formalism are laid out. In Part II, specific attempts to put literary interpretations on various works of the absolute music canon are examined and criticized. Finally, in Part III, the question is raised as to what
the human significance of absolute music is, if it does not lie in its representational or narrative content. The answer is that, as yet, philosophy has no answer, and that the question should be considered an important one for philosophers of art to consider, and to try to answer without appeal to
representational or narrative content.
- ISBN10 0199562806
- ISBN13 9780199562800
- Publish Date 26 March 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 17 May 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Oxford University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 288
- Language English