Response: 9/28/11

Shopenhauer attempts to systematically define aspects of music in his 39th chapter of WWR: "On the Metaphysics of Music". What I find interesting is his matter-of-fact approach of what makes music "correct". On the very first page [447] he states that in SATB voicing, the bass should be no shorter than an octave apart from the other voices, which by themselves form "correct triads". We learn from analyzing music that while this holds true for much of the music we know, there are countless songs that contain more complex textures, shapes and colors than basic triads accompanied with bass. For example, Bach's Christmas Oratorio contains a passage in which the bass sections re-enters the text above the tenors.

Later on page 452, he claims that: "the bass can never present the melody...if the melody is assigned to it, this is done by means of counterpoint..." He continues with restrictions and rules that apply to music that may have been indicative of his time, but as a philosopher, this holds no weight in the present day. On page 455 he begins to write about rhythm. He makes observations that are valid today due to the nature of rhythms. They have been, and always will be divisions of time, and so his points of placing an octave at the end of a measure before continuing to the major 7th of the scale on the downbeat of the next measure being rhythmically placed in a way that seems insignificant still makes sense. Resolution is found in rhythm, not only pitch, and i agree with him there.