Schopenhauer Rossini and Musical Imitation of Concepts

Authors

  • Alex Earich St. John's College

Keywords:

Schopenhauer, Rossini

Abstract

In Schopenhauer’s principal work, The World as Will and Representation, he names Gioachino Rossini as a composer whose music “speaks its own language”, because Rossini does not mold his music according to the lyrics and the events of the libretto. In this paper, I examine Schopenhauer’s criteria for genuine art music. I argue that not only do Schopenhauer and Rossini agree on music’s relation to lyrics, but they have a similar attitude toward imitative music. I will explain Schopenhauer’s thoughts on the unproductive concept in music and compare them with Rossini’s own thoughts. I analyze the thunderstorm movement from Rossini’s Il Barbiere Di Siviglia and argue that while it is imitative, it is not directly so and hence can be reconciled with Schopenhauer’s theory. I find that emotive content expressed through melody is critical for Schopenhauer’s account of the composition of genuine art music.

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Author Biography

Alex Earich, St. John's College

Alex Earich recently earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts from the Graduate Institute at St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM. He wrote his master’s essay on Arthur Schopenhauer’s conception of music. Apart from the philosophy of music, Mr. Earich is interested in the history of philosophy, metaphysics and literary portrayals of artistic creation.

References

Schopenhauer, Arthur. The World as Will and Representation. 2 vols. Translated by E. F. J. Payne. New York: Dover Publications, 1969.

Istel, Edgar and Baker, Theodore. “Rossini: A Study.” The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 3 (1923): 401-422.

Arendt, Hannah. The Life of the Mind. One-volume edition.

Edited by Mary McCarthy. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 1978.

Geiringer, Karl. Haydn: A Creative Life in Music. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1946.

Rossini, Gioachino. The Barber of Seville in Full Score. New York: Dover Publications, 1989

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Published

2019-12-02

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Section

Articles