The phenomenology of music

Bruce Ellis Benson

Benson’s discussion on music as dialogue throws up some interesting insights. He suggests that in order to have a communicative and fulfilling dialogue, each participant must have a fairly even role within the discourse.

‘The goal of the composer, performer, and listener seeking a genuine dialogue, then, is… to be creative in allowing each party to have a real voice… ‘

In the case of a musical performance there are usually three parties involved: the composer(s), the performer(s) and the listener(s). Some composers take great offence if their musical instructions are not followed to the letter. There are many performers who neither have the inclination or feel the right to embellish or interpret a composer’s piece. Often an audience can feel disconnected to the performer or the music, or both.

There are some things that are difficult to pin down in each group’s participation. A composer might not include every small detail in the score, knowing that an able performer will naturally bring out the musicality behind what is written on the page. A performer might practice perfectly adequately, but there are some moments when the discourse is almost tangible: some sort of ‘golden’ moment where the composition shines out to its true potential, where the performer nailed it, often feeding on the emotional response by the audience, creating the perfect storm in which all members involved complement each other to give the most fulfilling outcome.