Ambiguity as an Essential Aesthetic Principle in Musical Listening: an aporetic relation between discontinuity and coherence in Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments

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Abstract

Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments represents a remarkable example of discontinuity. Here, a traditional sense of continuous development is troubled by a sequence of segments, which at first sight seems non-related. However, the noticeable discontinuous gestures appear only as a superficial feature. In the compositional structure, there are several indications of connection and development which can be explored. Hence a ‘continuity-after-all’ comprehension has been an important principle guiding most commentators, from Edward Cone’s threefold conception of ‘stratification’, ‘interlocking’, and ‘synthesis’ (Cone, 1962: 19f), to Jonathan Kramer’s accentuation of discontinuity as a ‘profound musical experience’ with the ‘proportional lengths of moments as the one remaining principle of formal coherence’ (Kramer, 1978: 182). Though, the general attempt to reveal the music’s ‘secret connections’ in the ‘disguise’ of discontinuity implies an either-or viewpoint, which tends to overlook the fact that the musical progression suggests mutually contradistinctive impressions and, as such, is essentially ambiguous. Thus, in this paper it is not my intention to assert that the Symphonies in truth is continuous, if we only expand our musical thought beyond a superficial examination. Rather, I want to emphasize the assumption that the important musical experience is to be found in the ambiguity itself, caused by an aporetic relation between the apparent discontinuous gestures in the immediate listening and a sense of coherence in the subsequent musical reflection.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelProceedings of the Second International Conference on Music and Gesture
RedaktørerAnthony Gritten, Elaine King
Antal sider9
ForlagRoyal Northern College of Music
Publikationsdato2006
Sider36-44
ISBN (Elektronisk)0955332907
StatusUdgivet - 2006
BegivenhedSecond International Conference on Music and Gesture - Manchester, Storbritannien
Varighed: 20 jul. 200623 jul. 2006
Konferencens nummer: 2

Konference

KonferenceSecond International Conference on Music and Gesture
Nummer2
Land/OmrådeStorbritannien
ByManchester
Periode20/07/200623/07/2006

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