Řeč hudby a řeč o hudbě
The speech of music and speech about music

Summary/Abstract: This essay discusses several topics concerning the relations between language (linguistics) and music (musicology). The first section deals with the problems of the semiotic interpretation of music (instrumental and absolute) and finds that the difficulties in arriving at clear-cut solutions to them follow from the problematic and unclear status of the <i>signatum</i> of musical works. In the following section, the question of “musical content” is discussed on the basis of two classically opposing standpoints: aesthetic autonomy and aesthetic heteronomy. A further issue examined is the existential mode of musical works (with emphasis on their interpretive essence) and the position of “text” in musical discourse. A small set of established Italian and Czech terms indicating the manner of execution are examined and their semantic vagueness and heterogeneity stated. The final section briefly comments on the various manners and genres of talking and writing about music. In particular, several texts from sleeve notes are critically examined and the usefulness as well as the problematic musicological status and mixed linguo-stylistic qualities of various concert guides, program booklets, etc. are examined.

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