...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

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

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

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

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.

That Wild Waltz of Von Weber’s

Beyond the Bony Labyrinth

Related tracks