Phenomenology As a Tool for Musical Analysis/Edgard Varese

Poem Electronique by Edgar Varese and Le Corbusier 1958

In the article, "Phenomenology as a Tool for Musical Analysis," Lawerence Ferrara breaks down the phenomenological analysis process. He begins the article by discussing "objectivity" and the separation between subject and object. Ferrara writes, "That knowledge is objective is of course a myth, whether it refers to music, the other arts, or the sciences (152)." He examines this ideology further by introducing the physical chemist and philosopher, Michael Polanyi, who believes that a scientist's personal involvement in knowledge is indispensable.

The Importance of Hearing:
Ferrera writes, "Phenomenologists presume that what one hears is affected by how one hears (153)". He strengthens this idea by introducing the "mode of orientation," which is a tactic that responds to questions "posed" by the work instead of manipulating meaning and imposing personal bias to the it's meaning.

Dr. Ferrara also explains that many phenomenologists can accept that there is syntactical and referential meanings in an artwork that must be addressed, while other phenomenologists have argued that there are "ontological" meanings in some works that, "present a historically based "world" of the composer (153)."

PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS IS GROUNDED IN REVERANCE TO THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN MUSIC Pg.153


An interesting point that Dr. Ferrara extends is that it is not definite that we can fully decipher a composer's intention as if to say intention doesn't matter, but more importantly it is possible to understand a work within the context of the composer's (ontological) world. He strengthens the "mode of orientation" by discussing symbols, the symbols as a code to understanding the composer's language; "we are metaphorically transported into the world of the composer as we attend to the work (153)."

"The great composer injects, through his manipulation of sound, the factical day-to-day world in which he exists in a new form. In remaining open to that world, the analyst does not respond to it purely and objectively but within the boundaries and limitations of his own world and culture (358)". But Dr. Ferrara goes further to say that the analyst does not respond with a dependency on the composer's world and culture but also with in the "boundaries and limitations" of his own world and tools.

The Procedure
Dr. Ferrara introduces the piece under examination (Poem Electronique) and breaks down the process of understanding the piece under a phenomenological lense.

Ferrara reacquaints the reader with the reasoning behind "open" listenings, that their purpose is to "orient" the analyst with the work so that the analyst can be as responsive as possible. The next stage for the analyst is to listen for "syntactical" meanings. One is supposed to "bracket" out formal and referential training at this point and time to allow focus on syntactical sounds. First one attempts to leave behind formal elements of training and to hear sounds as sounds as they appear, for example "word sounds." The next step within the level of syntax is to examine formal structures of the piece that support the phenomenological analysis of syntax. The next step in this procedure is to attend to semantical meanings. Ferrara supports this by adding, "Many of the important dimensions of meaning in music lie outside of the context of musical syntax (155)." The same level of attention is applied to listening for ontological meanings in the world of the composer. Finally there is a final "open" listening where the syntactical, semantic, and ontological levels of meaning may "stand out in a conceptual, contrapuntal design of meaning-dimensions (155)."

One of the most profound ideas in this process is that "In the relationship of syntax and ontological world, each carries itself further than either alone would have been able to go (155)." I like the idea that form and world need each other to create the whole meaning of a work.

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Ferrara upon describing the analytical process invites the reader into his reflections of the open listenings process of Poem Electronique, by Edgar Varese.


REACTION: OMG I LOVE BARRY MANILOW


I really feel that this article described the analytical process in a very concise and relatable manner. I feel like I can use this as a guide to further my analytical endeavors. I really enjoyed how visual Dr. Ferrara was during his "open" listenings and shared it with the reader. Also I thought that Poem Electronique was a great example of how to analyze an experimental music concrete piece while showing us how to employ our formal training to uncover the syntactical elements. I felt in a whole Dr. Ferrara's article put it all together for me.