Koncepcje teoretyczno-muzyczne jako czynnik przeszkadzający w rozumieniu muzyki
Musical Theories as Factors Hindering the Understanding of Music

Summary/Abstract: The history of music theory is based upon certain grand doctrines thought to be global and logically organized ideas. Their goal is to explain many empirical musical phenomena by way of primitive notions and a priori universals. They are based on the conviction that all what is complex and nuanced can eventually be reduced to a few simple rules. Therefore music which does not conform to those principles, that cannot be easily reduced, is oftentimes ignored or described as an anomaly. Every theory inadvertently stumbles upon a musical phenomenon that is not “structural enough,” not wholly “systematic,” upon something which does not fully “conform to the rules.” The leading theories can point to certain “deviations” but may not be able to justify it by means of aesthetics. A secondary result of those theories is the creation of many prejudices towards what is new and individual. The rich literature on the theory of music that deals with the methodology of the “grand” classical musicological concepts or creates new theories that claim to be of a scientific and universal nature often fails to be useful if one intends to learn something new or explain their own perceptions of what is generally well-known. This article illustrates such a situation with a couple of vibrant examples. One can therefore come to the conclusion that reducing, conceptualizing, systemizing and scheme- building methods in music have ceased to be productive; the new, deeper and comprehensive study of music should be achieved via other methods, without the use of any concepts and systems. Otherwise, creating a new, truly authentic musical hermeneutics that is at the same time free from the dogmas and interpretative arbitrariness would be impossible.

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