Stravinsky’s Aesthetics
People hear examples of music almost everywhere and every time. They can even hear such examples in the nature. Singing of birds or the rippling of the brook can be also called music. These sounds can please people’s ears, and they can consider them as the music (Stravinsky 23).
However, the author argues that we can speak about these sounds only in the terms of comparison. We cannot consider comparison to be a reason. All of these nature sounds can suggest music to people, but we cannot call it the music itself. The author also states that there are a lot of different natural sounds and the raw materials of music, which may bring the pleasure to our ears. However, the author claims that it is just the passive enjoyment, and people should discover that kind of music, which encourages them to participate in the work of the mind (Stravinsky 24).
The music is something that has meaning to all people. Moreover, there is no other art, which is as old as the music. The origin of the music is as old as human’s one. The phenomenon of speculation is the one, which is relative to the phenomenon of music. This statement means that the foundation of music creation is the exploring. The main elements of this speculation are time and sound. The music cannot exist without these two elements (Stravinsky 27).
In order to understand the connection of music and time, it is needed to compare the music with plastic arts. Such arts as plastic are presented to people in space. People firstly receive the absolute impression from these arts before they are able to find out the details gradually and at their free time. However, the music works differently. It is received by people in secular succession, and it requires people to be vivid and alert. The author suggests that the music is the chronologic art (Stravinsky 28).
There is a set of audible sounds, which establishes the basis of the music. Here, it is necessary to define the meaning of consonance and dissonance. The author states that the consonance is the phenomenon, when several tones are combined into the harmonic unit (Stravinsky 34).
However, if we add some foreign tones to this harmony, we’ll receive completely different phenomenon, which is called dissonance. In order to understand the phenomenon of dissonance, it is needed to provide the specific example. A human eye can complete the line of picture which the author purposely left unfinished. Almost the same thing occurs with our ears when we listen to music. Our ears can complete a chord, which wasn’t negotiated in the work. If take into consideration this fact, we can surely state that the phenomenon of dissonance creates some sort of the allusion (Stravinsky 34).
Stravinsky states that we live in the time when a human fails to understand the values. Moreover, a human is no longer capable of feeling the proportions. The author also suggests that the incapability of understanding these extremely important realities is very serious. This incapability results in interrupting the basic laws of human balance. Moreover, this incapability can also impact the area of music. A human does not understand the true meaning of the music (Stravinsky 47).
The majority of people who love music believe that the inspiration helps composers to create music. The author suggests that he cannot deny the fact that inspiration does have the tremendous role in the creation of music. However, he states that the inspiration is not the required condition in the creation of music. The author sees the inspiration only as the emotive disturbance (Stravinsky 50).
Stravinsky suggests that music is not able to express anything at all. It cannot express a feeling or psychological mood of a human. The expression of emotions has never been the main goal of the music. The music does not exist in our world for expressing feeling and emotions. Stravinsky is also sure that if we feel that the music expresses some feeling or emotions, we fool ourselves and it is only the illusion. The expression of emotions is only the additional quality of the music, but not the main purpose of it (Weiss and Taruskin 461). I agree with Stravinsky in some statements. I agree that it is of great importance to see the harmony of music. However, I don’t agree with his statement that music cannot express anything at all. I suppose that music is created for expressing the feeling and emotions in order to create a certain mood. People are prone to feel certain emotions when they hear music. Of course, it also largely depends on kind of music and a person itself. Moreover, a lot of people listen to music only for feeling certain emotions or creating some mood. The music can definitely change a person’s mood. For instance, when a person is sad he tries to find some music, which is able to raise his mood. However, it must be stated that some people tend to use the music in order to make their mood even worse. That is why I consider that music is able to express our feelings and emotions, and can create a certain mood.
Stravinsky suggests that the music is the only branch of art, which gives the opportunity to realize the present. However, a human is not an ideal creature and that is the reason why a human is fated to submit to the past and future. A human fails to realize the category of present time. The phenomenon of the music has one single purpose and it is the installation of the order in things. It also includes the regulation of the relationship between man and time. The author also states that the most important requirement for music is the construction. When music is constructed, the order is achieved and that’s all. It is of no effect to search something else in the music. This construction and this order are already the certain emotion itself and people cannot connect it with their personal emotions and feelings (Weiss and Taruskin 461). I do not agree with the author in this statement. I believe that people should decide on their own in what way to perceive some certain music. All the people in the world are unique and every single person perceives the music in his own way.
Stravinsky also argues that the majority of people are prone to search something, which actually does not exist in the music. It is very important for people to know what the music expresses, and what the composer thought about when he created it. People fail to understand that the music already has the point. People are not interested in its initial meaning. They only care whether it awakes the emotions, which are familiar to them (Weiss and Taruskin 461). Here, I agree with the author. Some people really care only about the emotions and that is all. I agree that it is very necessary to understand the original message of the music. However, it must be mentioned that not all people are able to understand its order and the original message.
Stravinsky suggests that there are a lot of people who like music only because it gives them some particular emotions, such as happiness, sadness, and sorrow. For such people, the music is something like a drug. People must learn how to love music for the way it is. Stravinsky states that when people do it, they will receive more satisfaction and they will realize all its values (Weiss and Taruskin 462). I believe that Stravinsky is quite right here. Some people tend to be addicted to emotions, which the music gives. They are too obsessed with those emotions and forget to realize the true value of the music.
Works Cited
Weiss, Piero, and Richard Taruskin. "Anti-Romantic Polemics From Stravinsky’s Autobiography". Music In The Western World: A History In Documents. New York: Schirmer Books. 460-465. Print.
Stravinsky, Igor. "The Composition Of Music". Poetics Of Music In The Form Of Six Lessons. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1982. 47-65. Print.
Stravinsky, Igor. "The Phenomenon Of Music". Poetics Of Music In The Form Of Six Lessons. Cambridge, Mass.: harvard University Press, 1982. 23-43. Print.
