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UNIT3ARTFORART’SSAKEHowWeListen1Wealllistentomusicaccordingtoourseparatecapacities.But,forthesakeofanalysis,thewholelisteningprocessmaybecomeclearerifwebreakitupintoitscomponentparts,sotospeak.Inacertainsensewealllistentomusiconthreeseparateplanes.Forlackofabetterterminology,onemightnamethese:(1)thesensuousplane,(2)theexpressiveplane,(3)thesheerlymusicalplane.Theonlyadvantagetobegainedfrommechanicallysplittingupthelisteningprocessintothesehypotheticalplanesistheclearerviewtobehadofthewayinwhichwelisten.Text2Thesimplestwayoflisteningtomusicistolistenforthesheerpleasureofthemusicalsounditself.Thatisthesensuousplane.Itistheplaneonwhichwehearmusicwithoutthinking,withoutconsideringitinanyway.Oneturnsontheradiowhiledoingsomethingelseandabsent-mindedlybathesinthesound.Akindofbrainlessbutattractivestateofmindisengenderedbythemeresoundappealofthemusic.Text3Thesurprisingthingisthatmanypeoplewhoconsiderthemselvesqualifiedmusicloversabusethatplaneinlistening.Theygotoconcertsinordertolosethemselves.Theyusemusicasaconsolationoranescape.Theyenteranidealworldwhereonedoesn'thavetothinkoftherealitiesofeverydaylife.Ofcoursetheyaren'tthinkingaboutthemusiceither.Musicallowsthemtoleaveit,andtheygoofftoaplacetodream,dreamingbecauseofandaproposofthemusicyetneverquitelisteningtoit.Text4Yes,thesoundappealofmusicisapotentandprimitiveforce,butyoumustnotallowittousurpadisproportionateshareofyourinterest.Thesensuousplaneisanimportantoneinmusic,averyimportantone,butitdoesnotconstitutethewholestory.5ThesecondplaneonwhichmusicexistsiswhatIhavecalledtheexpressiveone.Here,immediately,wetreadoncontroversialground.Composershaveawayofshyingawayfromanydiscussionofmusic'sexpressiveside.TextDidnotStravinskyhimselfproclaimthathismusicwasanobject,athing,withalifeofitsown,andwithnoothermeaningthanitsownpurelymusicalexistence?ThisintransigentattitudeofStravinsky'smaybeduetothefactthatsomanypeoplehavetriedtoreaddifferentmeaningsintosomanypieces.Heavenknowsitisdifficultenoughtosaypreciselywhatitisthatapieceofmusicmeans,tosayitdefinitely,tosayitfinallysothateveryoneissatisfiedwithyourexplanation.Butthatshouldnotleadonetotheotherextremeofdenyingtomusictherighttobeexpressive.Text6Listen,ifyoucan,tothe48fuguethemesofBach'sWell-TemperedClavichord.Listentoeachtheme,oneafteranother.Youwillsoonrealizethateachthememirrorsadifferentworldoffeeling.Youwillalsosoonrealizethatthemorebeautifulathemeseemstoyoutheharderitistofindanywordthatwilldescribeittoyourcompletesatisfaction.TextYes,youwillcertainlyknowwhetheritisagaythemeorasadone.Youwillbeable,inotherwords,inyourownmind,todrawaframeofemotionalfeelingaroundyourtheme.Nowstudythesadonealittlecloser.Trytopindowntheexactqualityofitssadness.Isitpessimisticallysadorresignedlysad;isitfatefullysadorsmilinglysad?Text7Letussupposethatyouarefortunateandcandescribetoyourownsatisfactioninsomanywordstheexactmeaningofyourchosentheme.Thereisstillnoguaranteethatanyoneelsewillbesatisfied.Norneedtheybe.Theimportantthingisthateachonefeelsforhimselfthespecificexpressivequalityofathemeor,similarly,anentirepieceofmusic.Andifitisagreatworkofart,don'texpectittomeanexactlythesamethingtoyoueachtimeyoureturntoit.Text8Thethirdplaneonwhichmusicexistsisthesheerlymusicalplane.Besidesthepleasurablesoundofmusicandtheexpressivefeelingthatitgivesoff,musicdoesexistintermsofthenotesthemselvesandoftheirmanipulation.Mostlistenersarenotsufficientlyconsciousofthisthirdplane.Text9Itisveryimportantforallofustobecomemorealivetomusiconitssheerlymusicalplane.Afterall,anactualmusicalmaterialisbeingused.Theintelligentlistenermustbepreparedtoincreasehisawarenessofthemusicalmaterialandwhathappenstoit.Hemusthearthemelodies,therhythms,theharmonies,thetonecolorsinamoreconsciousfashion.Butaboveallhemust,inordertofollowthelineofthecomposer'sthought,knowsomethingoftheprinciplesofmusicalform.Listeningtoalloftheseelementsislisteningonthesheerlymusicalplane.Text10LetmerepeatthatIhavesplitupmechanicallythethreeseparateplanesonwhichwelistenmerelyforthesakeofgreaterclarity.Actually,weneverlistenononeortheotheroftheseplanes.Whatwedoistocorrelatethem–listeninginallthreewaysatthesametime.Ittakesnomentaleffort,forwedoitinstinctively.Text11Perhapsananalogywithwhathappenstouswhenwevisitthetheaterwillmakethisinstinctivecorrelationclearer.Inthetheater,youareawareoftheactorsandactresses,costumesandsets,soundsandmovements.Allthesegiveonethesensethatthetheaterisapleasantplacetobein.Theyconstitutethesensuousplaneinourtheatricalreactions.Text12Theexpressiveplaneinthetheaterwouldbederivedfromthefeelingthatyougetfromwhatishappeningonthestage.Youaremovedtopity,excitement,orgaiety.Itisthisgeneralfeeling,generatedasidefromtheparticularwordsbeingspoken,acertainemotionalsomethingwhichexistsonthestage,thatisanalogoustotheexpressivequalityinmusic.Text13Theplotandplotdevelopmentisequivalenttooursheerlymusicalplane.Theplaywrightcreatesanddevelopsacharacterinjustthesamewaythatacomposercreatesanddevelopsatheme.Accordingtothedegreeofyourawarenessofthewayinwhichtheartistineitherfieldhandleshismaterialwi