...and why people keep saying it is. 

The slogan 'music is a language' is nonsense taken literally, but points to the fact that music does have important similarities with language. That analogy rests on the relationship between speech melody and music, and on the function of harmony as a musical syntax.

00:00 Intro
00:36 A truism
01:59 A metaphor?
04:46 ‘Language of feelings’
11:22 Grammatical and ungrammatical music
18:14 Universality

The topic is discussed in detail in: L. Muns, Classical Music and the Language Analogy. Dissertation, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2014.

An important source for cognitive and neurological research on the relationship between music and language is: A. Patel, Music, Language, and the Brain. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Text quoted from:
Th. W. Adorno, Fragment über Musik und Sprache. Gesammelte Schriften Bd. 16. Suhrkamp, 2003.
I. Kant, Kritik der Urteilskraft. Werke Bd. 10. Suhrkamp, 1977.
F. Nietzsche, Menschliches, Allzumenschlisches. Werke in Drei Bänden, Bd. 1. München: Hanser, 1954.

Music:
L. van Beethoven, Sonata in A-flat major op. 26, Andante con variazioni (Theme and variation Nr. 4).*
L. Muns, ‘Grammatical’ and ‘ungrammatical’ music.*
*Lodewijk Muns, piano

Why music is not a language...

Involuntary encounters with an obstinate tune. The tune known as 'Weber's last musical thought' is not by Carl Maria von Weber, but it is a curious piece of cultural history. With visits to Kierkegaard, E.A. Poe, and Debussy, and a rendition of Erik Satie's Avant-dernière pensée No 2.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Involuntary encounters
06:46 It’s DTPOT… again!
09:06 A déjà vu in Berlin
12:04 Douce et mélancolique
15:24 Irresistible alliterations
16:31 Penultimate thoughts

Text fragments:

C.G. Reissiger, Suum cuique. Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung fur Kunstfreunde und Künstler. Köln 1855 Jg. 3 nr. 29
N. Perry, That Waltz of Von Weber's. Marin County Journal vol. 13 nr. 23, 21-8-1873
S. Kierkegaard, Journals and Papers: Autobiographical, 1829-1848. Edited by Gregor Malantschuk. Indiana University Press 1978.
S. Kierkegaard, Die Krankheit zum Tode [etc.] Edited by Niels Thulstrup e.a. Köln etc. Hegner, 1956.
Th. de Banville, Les Stalactites. Lemerre, 1889.
M. Fuchs, Théodore de Banville, 1823-1891. Cornély, 1912.
H. Berlioz, Mémoires de Hector Berlioz. Levy Frères, 1870.
E.A. Poe, Selected Writings. Penguin, 1967.

Music and sound fragments

C.M. von Weber, Aufforderung zum Tanz. Piano*
C.G. Reissiger, Danses brillantes op. 26 no. 5. Piano* (also: barrel organ and harp)
C. Debussy, Nuits d’étoiles. Véronique Gens, Roger Vignoles. Nuit d'Étoiles: Mélodies Françaises. Virgin Classics 2000
C.G. Reissiger, Danses brillantes op. 26 no. 5. Jacqueline Bonneau. Classiques favoris du piano. Ducretet Thomson 1958
E. Satie, Avant-dernières pensées, nr. 2, Aubade. Piano* (with recitation)

*Lodewijk Muns, piano

That Wild Waltz of Von Weber’s

Music has a special ability to trigger memories. DTPOT was introduced more or less as a joke in music psychology, but is now a technical term. It is also an inexhaustible dramaturgical tool in film, opera, etc.

00:00 Intro
00:35 Play it, Sam
04:36 DTPOT
06:33 Behaviourism
10:39 The factor time
13:17 The enemy’s tune
14:54 The pearl fishers

Text fragments:

U. Eco, Casablanca, or, the Clichés Are Having a Ball. In S. Maasik and J. Solomon (eds). Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Bedford, 1994.
J.B. Davies. The Psychology of Music. Hutchinson, 1978.

Music and sound fragments

Casablanca (film). Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart. Warner Brothers 1943
H. Hupfeld, As Time Goes By. Piano* (00:51)
S. Fain, You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me. Frank Sinatra. Songs for Swinging Lovers, Capitol 1956 (10:06)
G. Bizet, Les pêcheurs de perles, duet Au fond du temple saint. Jussi Björling, Robert Merrill. HMV 1954 (16:09)
G. Bizet, Les pêcheurs de perles, Ah! Adieu! Janine Micheau, Nicolai Gedda, Ernest Blanc, Théâtre National De L'Opéra-Comique, Pierre Dervaux. EMI 1961 (19:48)

*Piano: Lodewijk Muns

Darling they're playing our tune DTPOT

A preface to the series. Thoughts on the demise of classical music in contemporary culture.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Five billion years
05:03 Tunnel listening
12:13 ‘Classical music’
18:17 An accumulated past

Music and sound fragments
00:42 07:43 W.A. Mozart, Piano Concerto in A KV 488, Adagio. Piano* 
03:01 W.A. Mozart, Die Zauberflöte KV620, aria Der Hölle Rache. Edda Moser, Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Wolfgang Sawallisch, EMI 1973 
05:42 Collage of voices from The Voyager Golden Record: Greetings and Sounds of the Earth. NetFilm Music © 2013 
10:24 L. van Beethoven, Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier op. 106, Adagio sostenuto. Piano* 
13:41 W.A. Mozart, Minuet KV315a No. 1. Piano* 
15:14 J.S. Bach, Das wolhtemperierte Klavier II, Präludium in F-sharp minor BWV 883.  Piano* 
*Piano: Lodewijk Muns

How durable is classical music

A concert waltz is a waltz. But it is not a waltz for dancing. So is it still a waltz? It is a waltz that waltzes. It is a representation of a waltz, music that represents music, and an instance of what you might call 'metamusic'.

00:00 Intro 
00:55 The Self-Waltzing Waltz
01:40 ‘Meta’ 
03:18 Music Representing Music
06:43 No Longer Functional Music
08:30 Waltz and Metawaltz 
11:07 Weber: Aufforderung zum Tanz 
13:46 Schumann: Papillons 
18:31 Limits of ‘meta’ 
19:52 Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales 
22:15 Music Representing Music Remembered
26:44 An Accumulated Past  

Music excerpts: 

00:37 F. Chopin, Grande valse brillante op. 18* 
04:13 L. van Beethoven, Sonate in d op. 31 nr. 2, Largo - Allegro*  
06:25 F. Chopin, Sonata in B-flat Minor Op. 35, Marche funèbre*  
07:33 Funerary Procession of Margaret Thatcher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AmgZSIFY4 
09:55 F. Schubert, Valses nobles op. 77 D969 no. 10* 
10:31 F. Liszt, Soirées de Vienne No. 6* 
11:51 C.M. von Weber, Aufforderung zum Tanz op. 65* 
14:06, 16:05 R. Schumann, Papillons op. 2* 
17:45 C. M. von Weber: Der Freischütz (Berliner Philharmoniker, Harnoncourt) Teldec 4509-97758-2  
21:21, 22:43 M. Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales* 
25:50 F. Liszt, Soirees de Vienne No. 6* 

*Piano: Lodewijk Muns

Additional commentary and references: Lodewijk Muns, On 'metamusic', https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2024/05/12/metamusic/

Metamusic: Music Representing Music

Recital as a supplement to episode 5 on the theme of 'metamusic'. With dance fantasies by Schubert-Liszt (Soirées de Vienne), Schumann (Papillons) and Ravel (Valses nobles et sentimentales). 

00:00 Intro 
00:36 Spoken introduction
03:36 F. Liszt, Soirees de Vienne. Valses-Caprices d’après Fr. Schubert. No. 6 (first version, 1852) 
10:07 R. Schumann, Papillons op. 2 (1832) Introduzione. Moderato – I. – II. Prestissomo – III. – IV. Presto – V. – VI. – VII. Semplice – VIII. – IX. Prestissimo – X. Vivo – XI. – XII. Finale 
23:27 M. Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales (1911) I. Modéré – très franc – II. Assez lent – avec une expression intense – III. Modéré – IV. Assez animé – V. Presque lent – dans un sentiment intime – VI. Vif – VII. Moins vif – Épilogue. Lent

Metamusic: Recital. Schubert-Liszt, Schumann, Ravel

Quotation in music has much in common with quotation in language. Analytical philosophy can offer some insight here. In Bach's Cantata BWV 158, 'Der Friede sei mit dir', we find an example of ‘musical quotation marks’.

00:00 Intro
00:35 I’ll hum it for you
04:00 Musical quotation
08:29 Use and mention
13:06 Quotation marks
17:33 Bach's Cantata 158
22:10 The third dimension

Music and sound fragments:
Casablanca (film). Ingrid Bergman, Dooley Wilson, Max Steiner. Warner Brothers 1943.
O. Respighi, Impressioni brasiliane. Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra. Fontana 1959?
J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 158 Der Friede sei mit dir. Stephan MacLeod, Gli Angeli Genève. Cantatas for Bass. Claves 2022.

For more details and references, see Lodewijk Muns, ‘Musical Quotation and the ‘Use-Mention’ Distinction’, 2019, https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:28479/

Musical Quotation Marks 1: I’ll hum it for you

When is a musical idea simply a cliché, when a case of borrowing, and when a quotation? With Schumann’s Fantasie op. 17 as an interesting doubtful case of musical quotation.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Reference and self-reference
02:32 Patterns, idioms, schemas
08:26 A doubtful case: Schumann’s Fantasie in C
10:51 A distant beloved
14:05 Reference?
19:33 Spiritual encounters
26:52 Music as memory process

Music excerpts:

J.S. Bach, Das wolhtemperierte Klavier I, Präludium in C BWV846.*
W.A. Mozart, Ave verum corpus KV 618.*
W.A. Mozart, Symphony in g KV 550.*
J.S. Bach, Matthäuspassion BWV 244, aria Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben.*
J. Haydn (?), Divertimento (Sonata) in A Hob. XVI:12.*
W.A. Mozart, Piano Concerto in A KV 488/2 (Adagio).*
R. Schumann, Fantasie in C op. 17.*
L. van Beethoven, An die ferne Geliebte. F. Wunderlich, H. Schmidt. Philips 420.852-2
F. Chopin, Variations on Là ci darem la mano from Mozart’s Don Giovanni op. 2.*
R. Schumann, Fantasie in C op. 17.*

*Lodewijk Muns, piano.

Selected sources:

Marston, N. Schumann: Fantasie, Op. 17. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1992.
Muns, Lodewijk. ‘Music Remembered – in Music (2). 2019. https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2019/11/18/music-remembered-2/
Rice, J. A. ‘Adding to the Galant Schematicon: The Lully’. Mozart-Jahrbuch 2015.
Rosen, Ch. The Romantic Generation. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press 1995.
Rosen, Ch. Romantic Poets, Critics, and Other Madmen. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press 1998.
Schumann, C. en R. Briefwechsel: Kritische Gesamtausgabe. Ed. by Eva Weissweiler. Basel: Stroemfeld 1984.
Seiffert, W.-D. Will versus Caprice. On the the Closing Measures of Robert Schumann’s C-Major Fantasy Op. 17. G. Henle Verlag (blog). 2012. https://www.henle.de/blog/en/2012/08/20/will-versus-caprice-dealing-with-the-closing-measures-of-robert-schumann%E2%80%99s-c-major-fantasy-op-17/
Todd, R. L., 'On Quotation in Schumann’s Music'. In R. Larry Todd (ed.). Schumann and His World. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press 1994.

Musical quotation marks 2: Schumann, Fantasie op. 17

Robert Schumann, Fantasie in C op. 17, first and third movements.

Not on Spotify.

00:00 Intro
00:39 (1) Durchhaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen
11:56 (3) Langsam getragen

Lodewijk Muns, piano

Musical Quotation Marks 2:  Schumann, Fantasie op. 17, Recital

What remains of a song if you ignore the lyrics? What makes a song without words a 'song'? And why is singing without lyrics such a rare phenomenon?

00:00 Intro
00:36 Casual listening
07:53 Music as poetry
10:53 The ‘song without words’
19:06 Childish games
25:36 The marginal existence of the vocalise

Music fragments:

02:41 F. Schubert, An de Mond D259. Wolfgang Holzmair, Gérard Wyss. Tudor 791. 1992.
05:03 F. Schubert, An de Mond D296. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Jörg Demus. Deutsche Grammophon 00289 479 6018.
06:47 F. Schubert, An de Mond D296. Piano*
12:06 F. Liszt, Sonetto 104 del Petrarca. Piano*
21:55 F. Mendelssohn, Lied ohne Worte op. 62 nr. 1 (complete). Piano*
27:24 M. Ravel, Vocalise en forme de habanera. Teresa Berganza, Dalton Baldwin. EMI 7243 5 69299 2 0.
28:17 R. Glier, Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra op. 82. Erna Berger, Sergiu Celibidache, Berliner Philharmoniker. Berlin 1946/47. Audiophile.
39:35 L. Muns, Aria-Vocalise from the Chamber Opera Pedrillo Botón.

*Lodewijk Muns, piano

Main sources:

Cooper, J. M. “Words without Songs?: Of Texts, Titles, and Mendelssohn’s ‘Lieder Ohne Worte.’” In Musik als Text Bd. 2. Kassel: Bärenreiter 1998.
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, F. Sämtliche Briefe. Kassel: Bärenreiter 2008-2017.
Todd, R. L.“Mendelssohn’s Lieder ohne Worte and the Limits of Musical Expression.” In Nicole Grimes and Angela Mace (eds). Mendelssohn Perspectives. Farnham: Ashgate 2012.

Songs with and without words

Music that represents music as someone remembers it, is there such a thing? Topics include the famous flashback in the film Casablanca, Schumann’s Carnaval, musical ‘souvenirs’ and ‘réminiscences’. With a complete recording of Liszt's (somewhat musty?) etude Ricordanza.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Music and memory
01:53 Flashback: Casablanca
09:26 Recurrence and recall
12:32 Schumann, alias Florestan
18:03 Musical souvenirs
23:29 Réminiscences
25:23 Liszt: Ricordanza

Music fragments:
01:53 (and after) Casablanca (film). Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart. Warner Brothers 1943
10:53 Ludwig van Beethoven, An die ferne Geliebte. F. Wunderlich, H. Schmidt. Philips 420.852-2
12:10 Robert Schumann, Carnaval op. 9: Florestan*
16:37 Robert Schumann, Carnaval op. 9: Florestan. Ch. Rosen 1983 (appendix in The Romantic Generation, 1995)
19:02 Clara Wieck, Souvenir de Vienne*
21:25 Mikhail Glinka, Souvenir d'une mazurka*
26:33 Franz Liszt, Ricordanza. Etudes d'exécution transcendante No. 9 (complete; the ending in the version of Lina Ramann’s Liszt-Pädagogium, 1901, recommended by Busoni in his edition of the etudes.)*

*Lodewijk Muns, piano

References:
L. Muns, Music Remembered – in Music (2) (and references). (https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2019/11/18/music-remembered-2)
F. Busoni, Zum hundertsten Geburtstage Franz Liszt's: Sechs Klavier-Abende von Ferruccio Busoni [Berlin] 1911 [programme notes]. (https://www.rodoni.ch/A14/liszt-busoni.pdf)

Music remembered in music 1: Flashbacks and souvenirs

About the irresistible effects of Mendelssohn's Spring Song, melodies wafting in from the street, and the nostalgic modernism of Charles Ives. The subject is related to topics discussed in earlier episodes: quotation (7, 8), metamusic (5), and Darling They’re Playing Our Tune (2).

00:00 Intro
00:36 Memory, recall, recurrence
03:56 Music around 1900
05:17 That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune
10:41 Herman, Let’s Dance That Beautiful Waltz
13:16 The Song That Stole My Heart Away
16:24 Ives: Memories
24:21 Ives: Central Park in the Dark

Music fragments:

02:46 Robert Schumann, Fantasie in C op. 17 (piano)*
05:17  Irving Berlin, That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune. Collins and Harlan. Victor 16472 (1910) https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-128510/
07:29 Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Lied ohne Worte op. 62 nr. 6, ‘Frühlingslied’  (piano)*
11:27 Ted Snyder,  Herman, let's dance that beautiful waltz. Ada Jones. Zonophone 5735 [ca. 1910] https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000256389/Zo_cat_5735-B-Herman_lets_dance_that_beautiful_waltz.
13:41 Nelson Kneass, Ben Bolt. John McCormack (1914-15). Naxos 8.111315
14:54 Harry von Tilzer, The Song That Stole My Heart Away. Irving Gillette (= Henry Burr). Pathe B.5015
https://archive.org/details/78_the-song-that-stole-my-heart-away_irving-gillette-h-von-tilzer_gbia0298584a
16:24 Charles Ives, Memories: B. Rather Sad (piano)*
19:23 Charles Ives, Memories: A. Very Pleasant. Julia Sophie Wagner, Steffen Schleiermacher. In The Alley: Songs And Chamber Music MDG 613 2178-22
20:17 Charles Ives, Memories: B. Rather Sad. See previous.
23:43 Charles Moreland, My mother's old red shawl. Vernon Dalhart, Murray Kellner (violin), Carson Robison (guitar) (1926) Columbia 15062-D
25:30 Charles Ives, Central Park in the Dark. James Sinclair, Northern Sinfonia. Naxos 8.559087
26:30 Joseph E. Howard and Ida Emerson, Hello, Ma Baby. 1923 Autopiano Player Piano. Player Piano Classics Vol 1. Carlisle Music Co.
35:14 Maurice Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales*
37:35 Charles Ives, Frühlingslied (piano, arr. Lodewijk Muns) * **

*Lodewijk Muns, piano 
** Ca. 1897. Originally on text by Heinrich Heine (Die blauen Frühlingsaugen), publ. in 114 Songs (1922) with text by William Wordsworth (I travelled among unknown men).

References:
J. P. Burkholder. All Made of Tunes: Charles Ives and the Uses of Musical Borrowing. New Haven etc.: Yale University Press, 1995.
Ch. E. Ives. Memos. New York: Norton, 1972.
More references in: L. Muns. That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune (blog).
https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2021/01/17/mendelssohn-tune/

Music remembered in music 2: Sentiment and soundscapes around 1900

An episode dedicated to one work. A whimsical piece that has sparked many controversies about its ‘proper’ performance. With insights from Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt, Ferruccio Busoni and Heinrich Schenker, among others.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Arpeggios
08:36 A voice that speaks
13:55 Instructive editions
25:04 Secco, maestoso…
31:27 …or espressivo?

Music fragments:

J.S. Bach, Chromatische Fantasie und Fuge d-moll BWV 903. Lodewijk Muns*
23:41 idem. György Sándor. Columbia Masterworks ML 4304 (1950)
25:54 idem. Alexis Weissenberg. Erato 1972
33:09 idem. Edwin Fischer. Warner Classics 6294992 (1931)
*complete recording on https://lodewijkmuns.nl/podcast/sprekende-muziek/ 

Text quotations: see the references in Bach on the Piano, https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2022/10/08/bwv-903/

Bach on the piano: The Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue BWV 903

To what extent can instrumental music ‘speak’? And what does it tell us? Examples discussed include Beethoven's Sonata op. 110, works by Emanuel Bach and (again) J.S. Bach's Chromatic Fantasia. Complete pieces can be heard in the recital of episode 15.

00:00 Intro
00:38 Beethoven: Arioso dolente
05:32 Music representing music representing speech
07:23 Musical Prose
10:12 J.S. Bach: Chromatische Fantasie
16:59 C.P.E. Bach: The free fantasia
21:39 ‘Speaking’ music
24:01 Melancholy and the musical ‘I’

Music fragments:

00:38 Beethoven, Sonata op. 110 in A-flat
11:04 J.S. Bach, Chromatische Fantasie BWV 903
14:23 Vivaldi-Bach, Adagio from Concerto in C BWV 594
18:02 C.P.E. Bach, Fantasie in c from Sonata Wq 63 No. 6
Lodewijk Muns, piano.

For references see:
Lodewijk Muns, C.P.E. Bach, Haydn, and the Art of Mixed Feelings (2008)
https://www.academia.edu/7561949/C_P_E_Bach_Haydn_and_the_Art_of_Mixed_Feelings
idem, Fiction, Truth, and Lies: The Nonassertion Theory of Fiction, Quotation, and Music as Fiction (2021).
https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:28479/

Music that speaks: Instrumental recitative

A short recital as an appendix to Ep. 14 on instrumental recitative, with Bach’s Chromatische fantasia BWV903 (without the fugue), two pieces by Emanuel Bach, and Beethoven’s Sonata opus 110.

Not on Spotify.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Spoken introduction
01:36 J.S. Bach, Chromatische Fantasie BWV 903 (ca. 1720?)
10:31 C.P.E. Bach, Andante from Sonata Wq 48 Nr. 1 in F (‘Prussian Sonatas’, No. 1) (1740)
12:57 C.P.E. Bach, Fantasia in c from Sonata Wq 63 No. 6 (‘Probestücke’, No. 18) (1753)
19:18 L. van Beethoven, Sonata op. 110 in A-flat (1821): Moderato cantabile molto espressivo – 26:06 Allegro molto – 27:03 Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro ma non troppo.

Music that speaks: Recital

A first exploration of the theme of ‘music and melancholy’, with three works by C.P.E. Bach. Conversation between a Sanguineus and a Melancholicus is an experiment in ‘speaking music’. Two other works can be considered melancholic ‘ego documents’: the fantasia C.P.E. Bach's feelings (C.P. E. Bachs Empfindungen) and the Farewell to my Silbermann Clavichord.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Conversation between a sanguine and a melancholic person
08:06 Humores, humour
10:40 Emanuel Bach's melancholy sentiments
24:51 Farewell to my clavichord

Sources: see https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/04/30/melancholy-memory-and-music-2/

Music fragments:

00:36 C.P.E. Bach, Sonata a 2 violini e basso in C minor, ‘Gespräch zwischen einem Sanguineus und Melancholicus’ Wq 161/1*
11:32, 16:05 C.P.E. Bach, Fantasie (Freie Fantasie) in fis, ‘C.P.E. Bachs Empfindungen’ Wq 67*
14:42 J.S. Bach, Chromatische Fantasie und Fuge BWV 903*
20:24 C.P.E. Bach, Andenken an den Tod. 30 Geistliche Gesänge mit Melodien 2 Wq 198/12. Klaus Mertens, Ludger Remy CPO CX 9708
25:06 C.P.E. Bach, Abschied von meinem Silbermannischen Claviere, in einem Rondo Wq 66*

*Lodewijk Muns, piano

Music and Melancholy (1): Emanuel Bach

Recital on the theme of ‘music and melancholy’ with two works by C.P.E. Bach, discussed in episode 16, along with J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 6 and L. Couperin’s Pavane.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Spoken introduction
02:31 Louis Couperin, Pavane (Pavanne) in fis (ca. 1655) 2’21”
06:19 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Fantasia (Freie Fantasie) in F, ‘C.P.E. Bachs Empfindungen’ Wq 67 (1787)
17:59 Johann Sebastian Bach, Partita No. 6 in E minor BWV 830 (1731). Toccata, 24:45 Allemande, 28:02 Corrente, 30:40 Sarabande, 34:49 Gigue
38:08 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Abschied von meinem Silbermannischen Claviere, in einem Rondo Wq 66 (1781)
Lodewijk Muns, piano

Music and Melancholy: Recital

The continuation of episode 16, featuring musical ego documents by Dowland and Froberger, black bile, depression and ‘sweet melancholy’, and the 18th-century philosopher Étienne de Lacépède on the connection between melancholy, consolation and beauty.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Dowland: ever grieving
04:29 Froberger: memento mori
08:57 Black bile and sweet melancholy
13:50 That sinking, that melting: Burke
19:21 Fateful sensibility: Lacépède
226:45 Melancholy and loss

Music fragments

02:31 J. Dowland, Semper Dowland semper dolens (piano*)
05:43 J.J. Froberger, Allemande from Suite No. 20 in D major FbWV 620 (piano*)
13:04 L. Couperin, Pavane (Pavanne) in F-sharp minor (piano*)
17:49 L. Couperin, Pavane (Pavanne) in F-sharp minor (piano*)
22:00 Chr. W. von Gluck, Che farò senza Euridice from Orfeo ed Euridice. Bernarda Fink, Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs. Le Louvre des musiciens. Harmonia Mundi HMX2908977.78
25:29 J.S. Bach, Sarabande from Partita No. 6 in E minor BWV 830 (piano*)
*piano: Lodewijk Muns

Text sources

E. Burke. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. 2nd ed. London: Dodsley 1759.
R. Burton. The Anatomy of Melancholy. London: Crips & Lloyd 1652. Early English Books Online https://about.proquest.com/en/products-services/eebo/
E. de Lacépède. La poétique de la musique. Paris: Monsieur 1785. Gallica
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k114571v

Further references: 
L. Muns, Melancholy, Memory, and Music (1) https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/04/10/melancholy-memory-and-music-1/ 
L. Muns, Melancholy, Memory, and Music (2) https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/04/30/melancholy-memory-and-music-2/

Music and melancholy (2): Consolation and beauty

On abstract and ‘absolute’ music, Eduard Hanslick's auditory kaleidoscope, Heinrich Schenker's primal counterpoint, and Bach's fugues.

With a written appendix: ‘Art playing with itself’: the anti-contrapuntal prejudice. https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2024/12/31/counterpoint/

00:00 Intro
00:36 Two dogmas
05:06 Music without additives
06:28 The auditory kaleidoscope
08:57 ‘Art playing with itself’
13:22 Complementarity: harmony and counterpoint
17:48 Die Kunst der Fuge
24:22 Metacounterpoint
27:26 Heinrich Schenker's epiphany
34:29 Bach: Prelude and fugue in F major BWV 880

Music fragments:

04:02 J.S. Bach, Sinfonia (Three-part Invention) Nr. 1 BWV 787
13:48 Melody and harmonisations (Google doodle)
16.33 J.S. Bach, Präludium F dur BWV 880, Das wohltemperierte Klavier II nr. 11
20:31 J.S. Bach, Contrapunctus I, Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080
25:55 H. Schenker, Zweistimmige Invention op. 5 nr. 1
34:58 J.S. Bach, Präludium und Fuge F dur BWV 880, Das wohltemperierte Klavier II nr. 11
Lodewijk Muns, piano

References: see https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2024/12/31/counterpoint/#references

The purity of polyphony

What kind of ‘thing’ is music? To what extent do we hear music as sound, as something with a source and a cause? And how do we explain the presence of music in cinema?

00:00 Intro
00:37 Some things are more thingish than others
03:05 The three-dimensionality of sound
04:36 The acousmatic experience
07:55 Is music acousmatic by nature?
15:23 Where does that music come from?

Music fragments:
06:24 L. Muns, Le chien acousmatique: petit essai de musique concrète.
08:35 F. Schubert, Sonata in E-flat Major D568 (piano*). 
12:36 L. van Beethoven, Sonata in C-sharp Minor op. 27 nr. 2 (Mondschein) (sinus tones/piano*).
17:32 C. Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande. C. Abbado, Wiener Philharmoniker. DGG 4353442.
20:34 Casablanca (film). Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Dooley Wilson, Max Steiner. Warner Brothers 1943.
*Lodewijk Muns, piano

Quoted text:
R. Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1997

Further references in:
L. Muns, ‘The Acousmatic Experience’. Lodewijk Muns (blog). https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/11/19/acousmatic-experience/
L. Muns, ‘The Archaic Ear’. Lodewijk Muns (blog). https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/11/09/the-archaic-ear/

Where does that music come from? – On music and film (1)

Mickey-mousing – the close synchronisation of music and image, as in classic animated films – has a bad reputation for being a simplistic and pointless duplication of the image. But it becomes interesting when we ask ourselves how exactly the music relates to the world of image and sound.

00:00 Intro
00:35 The cinematic functions of sound
03:00 Breaking through the sound barrier
08:40 “Harmful duplication”
12:18 Tom-and-Jerrying
15:47 Rhythm for ears and eyes
19:11 Animated patterns

Music fragments:

04:34 Cathy Berberian. Stripsody. The Unforgettable Cathy Berberian. Classic Options CO-3505.
07:28 Wilfred Jackson en Bert Lewis. Steamboat Willy. Walt Disney Animation Studios. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4
10:26 Hanns Eisler. Vierzehn Arten den Regen zu beschreiben op. 70. F.-C. Erben, Kammermusikvereinigung der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin. Berlin Classics 0092552BC 1997.
12:50 Scott Bradley. The Invisible Mouse. Hanna and Barbera. Tom en Jerry: De collectie dl. 3. Turner s.a.
19:00 Zez Confrey. Kitten on the Keys. Z. Confrey (piano), 1921. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694031/
20:42 Emmanuel Chabrier. Joyeuse Marche. E. Ysaye, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, 1919. Eugène Ysaÿe, violinist and conductor: the complete violin recordings. Sony Classical MHK 62337

Quoted text:

Th.W. Adorno and H. Eisler. Komposition für den Film. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 2006.
E. Hanslick. Vom Musikalisch-Schönen: ein Beitrag zur Revision der Aesthetik der Tonkunst. Leipzig: Weigel, 1854.

See also the references to these posts:

The Acousmatic Experience https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/11/19/acousmatic-experience/
The Archaic Ear https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/11/09/the-archaic-ear/
The Fine Art of Mickey-Mousing https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/12/06/mickey-mousing/
Rhythm for the Ears and for the Eyes https://lodewijkmuns.nl/2020/12/23/rhythm

The fine art of mickey-mousing – On music and film (2)

Lodewijk Muns, musicologist, composer and pianist, discusses topics such as music and memory, music and language, and the limits of music, with the piano at his fingertips.

Beyond the Bony Labyrinth: because the sound that enters our ears only becomes music when we recognize it. Music appeals to our memory, emotions, imagination, and capacity for language.

Philosophy: because it deals with the connections between music and other aspects of life, with clarification, and dispelling smoke screens.

This is the English version of the Dutch podcast Voorbij de oren.

Making this podcast takes some inspiration, a lot of enthusiastic labour, a lifetime of experience and a bit of money. If you’re interested, please consider making a donation. It will help to continue the podcast and means a great incentive for the author.

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