The Philosophy of Music

by William Pole

Overview

This is Volume V in a series of seven on the Philosophy of Religion and General Philosophy. Originally published in 1924. The trained musician may have made a thorough study of technical methods in composition, but yet have no knowledge either of the physical basis of music or of the philosophical reasons underlying accepted technical principles. There are various questions which any person interested in music may reasonably ask, but to which no satisfactory answers have as yet been given. What does music mean? What is the composer trying to express? What does music express to the listener? Why is one kind of music considered good and another bad? This study looks at music which is, which of all the arts, the most universally practised, the most complex and elaborate in its technique, the most direct in its emotional appeal and at the same time the least understood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317829751
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/23/2014
Series:	International Library of Philosophy
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	370
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

William Pole

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION, PART I: THE MATERIAL OF MUSIC, CHAPTER II. THE PHENOMENA OF SOUND IN GENERAL, CHAPTER III. SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MUSICAL SOUNDS, CHAPTER IV. THEORETICAL NATURE OF THE SOUNDS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, PART II: ELEMENTARY ARRANGEMENTS OF THE MATERIAL, CHAPTER V. GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF MUSICAL SOUNDS BY STEPS OR DEGREES, CHAPTER VI. MUSICAL INTERVALS, CHAPTER VII. HISTORY OF THE MUSICAL SCALE, CHAPTER VIII. THEORETICAL NATURE OF THE DIATONIC SCALE IN ITS ANCIENT FORM, CHAPTER IX. THE ANCIENT MODES, CHAPTER X. MODERN TONALITY, CHAPTER XI. THE MODERN DIATONIC SCALE AS INFLUENCED BY HARMONY, CHAPTER XII. THE CHROMATIC SCALE-THE SCALES OF THE MINOR MODE, CHAPTER XIII. TIME-RHYTHM-FORM, PART III: THE STRUCTURE OF MUSIC, CHAPTER XIV. MELODY, CHAPTER XV. HARMONY, CHAPTER XVI. HARMONY-Continued, CHAPTER XVII. HARMONY-ContinuedCHAPTER XVIII. HARMONY-Continued, CHAPTER XIX. HARMONY-Continued, CHAPTER XX. COUNTERPOINT, CHAPTER XXI. CONCLUSION, Appendix, Supplementary Essay by Dr. H. Hartridge, Index