Is music a language?
This is a topic of endless discussions among musicians. I think it’s an interesting question, but at the other hand not very important, since it is not more than a sophistic game.
Before answering the question, another question must be asked: ‘What is a language?’
The spoken or written word is the most evident expression of language, but there can be also body-language, code-language, etc…
I think the essence of whatever kind of language is: carrying a message.
In this context I believe music is indeed a language, although not as concrete as the spoken word: it is more about communicating emotions, feelings or abstract thought that cannot be expressed with words – describing the indescribable.
I would like to describe music as an esoteric kind of language.
Of course some music carries an obvious message:
A piece like ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ evokes quite obviously the atmosphere of the Morish Palace in Granada whereas a fugue by Bach is a more abstract kind of music.
Still, in the first example the title (written words) gives the meaning; if Tárrega had written for instance ‘Midsummer Dream’ instead of ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ – it could also give a meaning to the piece. But this is not essential. The point is, whatever title one would give to this piece, a ‘message’ of beauty and a dreaming state would remain – the message is in the music itself, not in the title.
In the case of a fugue of Bach it is less obvious to recognize a message. Still, I think there is a message here as well. The intelligent discours of subjects, counter-subjects, divertimentos, stretti, … expresses a certain consciousness about balance, form, tension, cosmic awareness, religion even, as foremost artform able to describe the indescribable.
This is a topic of endless discussions among musicians. I think it’s an interesting question, but at the other hand not very important, since it is not more than a sophistic game.
Before answering the question, another question must be asked: ‘What is a language?’
The spoken or written word is the most evident expression of language, but there can be also body-language, code-language, etc…
I think the essence of whatever kind of language is: carrying a message.
In this context I believe music is indeed a language, although not as concrete as the spoken word: it is more about communicating emotions, feelings or abstract thought that cannot be expressed with words – describing the indescribable.
I would like to describe music as an esoteric kind of language.
Of course some music carries an obvious message:
A piece like ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ evokes quite obviously the atmosphere of the Morish Palace in Granada whereas a fugue by Bach is a more abstract kind of music.
Still, in the first example the title (written words) gives the meaning; if Tárrega had written for instance ‘Midsummer Dream’ instead of ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ – it could also give a meaning to the piece. But this is not essential. The point is, whatever title one would give to this piece, a ‘message’ of beauty and a dreaming state would remain – the message is in the music itself, not in the title.
In the case of a fugue of Bach it is less obvious to recognize a message. Still, I think there is a message here as well. The intelligent discours of subjects, counter-subjects, divertimentos, stretti, … expresses a certain consciousness about balance, form, tension, cosmic awareness, religion even, as foremost artform able to describe the indescribable.
