In this reading, many metaphors are used to connect parts of speech with music. Among these metaphors are the terms “rhetoric” (bound or unbound) and “dialect” (conversation or entretien). What ways does LeGuin connect both these functions of speech to music?
LeGuin draws upon gender when analyzing the conversation within the sonata. Do you think this analogy is suitable in Hadyn’s sonata?
LeGuin states, “What is more, it sometimes seems that the more casual the setting, the more easily seriousness may be engaged” (p. 20, par. 1). This idea connects to the idea that conversation most easily occurs when in more relaxed atmospheres. However, most art music in society today is played within a theater, which has a very formal atmosphere. Why might this be the case?
LeGuin’s writing spends a bulk of its time connecting parts of speech with different aspects of music. One of the most important connections made is by use of the metaphor of conversation, which denotes conversation as “a type of oration, divided among speakers and unbound as to theme” (p. 19 par. 5). According to this, LeGuin classifies conversation to be “unbound” in nature (p. 19 par. 3), allowing it to teach its participants new information as discourse unfolds. It is a unique characteristic of conversation to not be scripted, or have a determined objective, but instead be spontaneous in nature (p. 19 par. 1). Taking all of this into consideration, it is not at all surprising to me that LeGuin draws a direct correlation of conversation in speech to conversation in music. Personally, I have witnessed this discourse in music quite often, because the very idea of improvisation in jazz is centered around the discovery of new ideas based on discourse between musicians. However, the concept of a sonata representing a conversation is more discrete. This is because a sonata is notated, which prevents its tunes, harmonic ideas, and rhythms from being the source of our pleasure (p. 27 par. 2). Instead, conversation in a piece of notated music is rooted in the idea of musical interpretation (pp. 27-28). In this sense, is notated music a legitimate representation of conversation, or entretien? What about other forms of music (such as jazz) is more conversational than a sonata from the classical period and why?
LeGuin draws upon gender when analyzing the conversation within the sonata. Do you think this analogy is suitable in Hadyn’s sonata?
LeGuin states, “What is more, it sometimes seems that the more casual the setting, the more easily seriousness may be engaged” (p. 20, par. 1). This idea connects to the idea that conversation most easily occurs when in more relaxed atmospheres. However, most art music in society today is played within a theater, which has a very formal atmosphere. Why might this be the case?
LeGuin’s writing spends a bulk of its time connecting parts of speech with different aspects of music. One of the most important connections made is by use of the metaphor of conversation, which denotes conversation as “a type of oration, divided among speakers and unbound as to theme” (p. 19 par. 5). According to this, LeGuin classifies conversation to be “unbound” in nature (p. 19 par. 3), allowing it to teach its participants new information as discourse unfolds. It is a unique characteristic of conversation to not be scripted, or have a determined objective, but instead be spontaneous in nature (p. 19 par. 1). Taking all of this into consideration, it is not at all surprising to me that LeGuin draws a direct correlation of conversation in speech to conversation in music. Personally, I have witnessed this discourse in music quite often, because the very idea of improvisation in jazz is centered around the discovery of new ideas based on discourse between musicians. However, the concept of a sonata representing a conversation is more discrete. This is because a sonata is notated, which prevents its tunes, harmonic ideas, and rhythms from being the source of our pleasure (p. 27 par. 2). Instead, conversation in a piece of notated music is rooted in the idea of musical interpretation (pp. 27-28). In this sense, is notated music a legitimate representation of conversation, or entretien? What about other forms of music (such as jazz) is more conversational than a sonata from the classical period and why?
Doug,
ReplyDeleteI really like questions three and four. I like three because it forces us to consider relevance to life today. With a careful lead up, you could craft this one into something that gives us greater insight not only on the text but also on our present experience.
Question four likewise moves deftly into synthesis. You ask us to connect something from our experience (jazz) to something from the article (conversation). We will find them to be similar or different, but most importantly we will get to know each one better by look at it through the "lens" of the other.
Ask yourself if the class will have the tools it needs to answer your question. I suspect we would have needed more help with the comparison between conversation as notes-on-the-page and conversation as interpretation. We need to spend a little time looking at the text on this.
Also: have a look at Burkholder Ex. 20.1 -- a really concrete example of *rhetoric* as notes-on-the-page. You could ask us to compare this to your other proposals.