Is Music a Language

Bibliographic Data

ID12673286
AuthorsMark Abel (0000-0001-6478-2468, University of Brighton, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume26
Issue4
Pages59-86
Publication date2018-12-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistorical Materialism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1465-4466 • E-ISSN: 1569-206X
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/1569206x-00001616
OpenAlexW2884856752
LanguageEN
References cited15

Marxists regard works of art as meaningful, and look for political meanings in apparently non-political literature, films and paintings. But where does music’s meaning lie? The conventional view is that music is non-referential, capable only of supporting other artforms or of expressing emotions. Adorno rejects the idea of music as a language of emotions, and does not believe that music has universal grammatical and syntactical rules. Yet he claims that music has language characteristics which make it as political as other artforms. What does he mean, and is he right? To answer those questions, we need to know how he understands language. This article examines how Adorno’s view compares with the Marxist theory of language and consciousness developed by Valentin Voloshinov, and explores the extent to which approaching music from this direction might clarify a Marxist understanding of music and contribute to solving the thorny question of musical meaning

Aesthetics · Art · Consciousness · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Marxist philosophy · Meaning (existential · Music and emotion · Music history · Musical · Musicality · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Law · Philosophy · Political theory and Gramsci

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