Roger Scruton
The Aesthetics of Music
On what it means to hear music as music — as a sequence of intentions rather than a sequence of sounds, and why the disciplined ear is a moral achievement.
Oxford / University Press
1997
Domain III
IV
Music
After Roger Scruton
The Aesthetics of Music, 1997. And after Schubert, Fauré, Pärt.
From the Source§ in preparation
“Music is the art that most rewards the disciplined ear.”
Roger Scruton
5 principles forthcoming
The Central Argument
A piece of music is not a sequence of sounds but a sequence of intentions. To listen is to follow another mind in the act of choosing the next note — and approving its choice.
“Music is the art that most rewards the disciplined ear.”
Forthcoming Principles
- I.
Listening as Discipline
To hear music is to follow another mind in the act of choosing the next note — and to approve or refuse that choice.
- II.
Tonality and the Desire for Resolution
The disciplined ear learns to want resolution — and is moved by every delay of it.
- III.
The Claim of Silence
Silence is not the absence of music. It is its most essential constituent.
- IV.
Melody as Memory
A melody one can sing is a melody one has understood.
- V.
On What to Keep Playing
The list of music one returns to is more instructive than any catalogue.
This chapter is in preparation.
From the Reading List