What Is Absolute Music In Music?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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:

instrumental music independent of the objective suggestion of title, text

, or program and dependent on structure alone for its subjective comprehension.

What is absolute or pure music?

, abstract music,

pure music

– Absolute music (abstract music, pure music) is music for its own sake—concerned only with structure, melody, harmony, and rhythm.

What is an example of absolute music?

There are countless examples of absolute music in the Western traditions alone, but we’re going to focus on the three B’s:

Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms

. Not only did these three men contribute more to Western music than nearly anyone else, but they also helped solidify the Romantic concept of absolute music.

Who composed absolute music?

Absolute music is all about the aesthetics and is independent of any other designs. Many Romantic composers were strong proponents of absolute music. We will learn about four of them in this lesson:

Clara Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, and Antonín Dvorák

.

Is Concerto absolute music?

instrumental music, as a

concerto

or string quartet, that draws no inspiration from or makes no reference to a text, program, visual image, or title and that exists solely in terms of its musical form, structure, and elements. Also called abstract music .

Does absolute music have lyrics?

Lyrics tell a story and present a subject, so we know that they are part of program music. Notice that we said lyrics,

not voice

. Absolute music can use the human voice as an instrument without creating lyrics or using a subject.

Is Symphonie Fantastique absolute music?

Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique is an example of

absolute music

. Berlioz’s orchestra for Symphonie fantastique was larger than previous symphonies.

What is considered program music?

Program music,

instrumental music that carries some extramusical meaning, some “program” of literary idea, legend, scenic description, or personal drama

. It is contrasted with so-called absolute, or abstract, music, in which artistic interest is supposedly confined to abstract constructions in sound.

What was the most revered form of absolute music?


Study Plan

. Form is the most important organizing element in absolute music, which has no specific pictorial or literary program. Many masterworks of instrumental music are in a standard multimovement cycle of three or four movements; these include the Classic-era symphony, sonata, string quartet, and concerto.

What are examples of program music?

Musical forms such as

the symphonic poem, ballade, suite, overture and some compositions in freer forms

are named as program music since they intended to bring out extra-musical elements like sights and incidents.

What is the difference between absolute and program music?

Program music –

music that has an extra-musical idea to go along with it

. It might be a story, an idea, a picture, or a text. Absolute music – music that has NO extra-musical idea to go along with it. It is music for its own sake, with the composer giving you NO hint as to what it might be depicting.

Is Brahms absolute music?

In this regard, it is more like the lyrical character pieces of Chopin, Mendelssohn, and the Schumanns than like most movements of Beethoven’s symphonies. But, it does not have an extra musical referent; in fact, Brahms’ music is often called

“absolute” music

, that is, music for the sake of music.

What ended Beethoven’s career?

Beethoven’s personal life was marked by a struggle against

deafness

, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear. He died at the age of 56.

What makes a piece absolute music?

Absolute music – music that has NO extra-musical idea to go along with it.

It is music for its own sake

, with the composer giving you NO hint as to what it might be depicting.

What is the difference between a Wagnerian and an absolute composers view on music?


Wagner opposed absolutism and could not conceive of music without meaning

. In his own work he advanced the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “total artwork”, which makes use of many art forms and can be seen as the opposite of absolute music.

What was the most diverse classical music period?

Having long since shed its derogatory connotations,

“baroque

” is now simply a convenient catch-all for one of the richest and most diverse periods in music history.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.