2001 Articles

The Question of Purpose in Music Theory: Description, Suggestion, and Explanation

Temperley, David

Is musical structure something in the mind of the listener, in which case its elucidation involves the
description of (perhaps unconscious) psychological processes and representations?
Or is it something that resides in the musical object itself perhaps, in large part, not normally part of the listener's hearing and experience, but revealed by the analyst with the aim of enhancing that
experience? Temperley explores the purpose and definition of music theory.