A Multifunctional Model of a Modern Listener’s Behavior

The article focuses on strengthening positions of a modern listener in the context of the development of academic musical art. Since the end of the last century, there has been a surge in scientific interest in studying the audience of classical music. Listening experience is being analyzed on an equal basis with composition and performing. Interdisciplinary researches touch upon historical practices, semantic aspects and communication characteristics. However, today the very nature of listeners’ relationship with art is changing, too. The listener becomes an active participant in musical events, playing new roles — that of a musical critic, manager, expert, and even a co-author and performer of works. The formation of new listener’s functions in addition to the perception of music requires a revision of the audience evaluation factor, now based only on the sophistication of the “listening function”. The issue of justifying a new scheme, which would take into account the positions of all participants in a musical event in relation to each other, is extremely relevant. The public refuses the “vassal” role and steadily strengthens its position in the intergroup hierarchy by choosing new behaviors. While the leitmotif of the musical life of the 20th century was the theme of educating a wide audience of genuine taste and a deep understanding of musical content, today the listeners defend their freedom of choice. It is important to understand the reasons and predict the consequences of the increasing emancipation of not only the experienced listener, but also of the neophyte. Music streaming services make a significant contribution to this process. The growing popularity of two youth subcultures demonstrating a high interest in classical art — Dark Academia and Light Academia — deserves attention too

Active listening · Aesthetics · Art · Musical · Musicality · Performing arts · Sociology · Sophistication · Visual arts · Communication · Diverse Musicological Studies · History · Music History and Culture · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics

• The Classical Music Lover's Companion to Orchestral Music

  Open Access•Robert Philip, Robert W Philip•Classical Music Lover's Companion…•2019

  Add to list