Musical Minimalism and the Metaphysics of Time

2018, V. 74, N. 4 • Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia

Autor: Nemesio García-Carril Puy

Abstract:

I defend in this paper the thesis that there is a complex relation between minimalist musical works and the metaphysics of time, involving ontological, epistemological and axiological issues. This relation is explained by means of three sub-theses. The first one is that minimalist musical works literally exemplify –in Goodman’s sense– the properties ascribed to time by the metaphysical static view: 1) minimalist works intrinsically possess those properties by being composed according to the technique of minimal repetition; 2) they extrinsically refer to those properties in virtue of pragmatic processes of accommodation of disagreements on what is taken to be common ground in a particular musical context. The second sub-thesis is that, in exemplifying those properties, minimalist musical works are valuable from two perspectives: a formalist one, according to which minimalist works purify the concept of what a musical work is; and a cognitive one, insofar they allow us to obtain phenomenal knowledge of what it is like to experience time as the static view conceives it. The third sub-thesis is that each particular minimalist musical work is valuable insofar it achieves either the formalist or the cognitive goals in an original way.

ISSN: 0870-5283

DOI: http://doi.org/10.17990/RPF/2018_74_4_1267

Texto Completo: https://www.publicacoesfacfil.pt/product.php?id_product=1147

Palavras-Chave: repetition,philosophy of music,artistic value

Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia

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