Response for 9/26

I found it interesting that Schopenhauer refers to music as a universal language. I really liked this idea, because I believe it to be true. For music without words, the emotions that the music expresses can be agreed on by people from all over the world. I occasionally will listen to songs that have lyrics in a language that I cannot understand, and will find that I enjoy the music anyway, and even if I cannot even come close to guessing the lyrics, I still know the feeling of the song just by listen to the music, and the way that the words are being sung.

I also thought it was interesting what Schopenhauer says about words in music: "Therefore, if music tries to stick too closely to the words, and to mould itself according to the events, it is endeavouring to speak a language not its own." (262) Today's music is very much based on words, and it makes me wonder what Schopenhauer would say about music today. Are the words still true enough to the music itself, or have they taken over?