Symphony Music Appreciation

Author: Fang Jianjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: The practical activities of music involve three stages: creation, performance, and appreciation. If any of these stages are missing, music essentially ceases to exist. Without creation, there would be no works, and the history of musical culture would lack a foundation. Without performance, the symbols on the score cannot be realized as audible artistic objects of aesthetic appreciation. The philosophical nature of sound, which underpins auditory culture, indicates that without a listener, it is essentially uncompleted. The existence of music is a complete process, where musical works constructed from sound materials are built within the inner world of the audience. In other words, without the participation of the creative subject, the performing subject, and the receptive subject, there is no music.
On the other hand, the existence and participation of the audience not only signify the possibility of music's existence but also demonstrate its value. It is precisely because of the receptive subject that the composer's labor has an object; it is precisely because of the audience that the performing artist feels a sense of pride; and it is precisely because someone listens that the cultural industry has the conditions to survive! Thus, we must not only listen but also, in the act of listening, realize and express ourselves through music. Moreover, because there is so much that can be heard, we must also listen selectively. Otherwise, we would not only struggle to process so many objects but might also fall into a realm of low (interest). This requires people not only to passively receive but also to adopt a critical and appreciative attitude in their aesthetic engagement with music.