pub.mdw | Philology of Sound

Abstract

The seemingly unproblematic link between sound and philology turns out to be rather fragile on closer inspection. For a long time, dimensions of sonic phenomena were regarded as “secondary parameters,” so that tools for analyzing phenomena of sound were not developed to the same degree as analytical tools for text-related aspects. It is precisely this confrontation between music as text and music as sound, in which the critique of a musicological “forgetfulness of sound” has a precarious starting point in the history of the discipline. This chapter, which is concerned with mapping the intersection between “sound” and “philology,” argues step by step: After briefly recalling the discussion of phenomena of sound in the history of the reception of Mahler’s work, it argues for the formulation of an integral concept of musical sound that includes aspects of materiality, mediality, and performativity. Against the background of a historical and systematic positioning of philology as a scientifically founded and oriented discipline, some virulent fundamental questions of musical philology between author-related editorial philology and philological research into creative musical processes are worked out. This is further elaborated with regard to specific aspects raised in particular by the philological approach to the sound world(s) of Mahler’s symphonic works.

Date Issued 2025

Authors

Urbanek, Nikolaus | University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

DOI 10.21939/h92e-z916

Language en

License CC-BY-SA-4.0

Subjects Klang Philologie Mahlers Symphonik critique genetique textgenetische Kritik sound philology Mahler’s symphonies text-genetic criticism

ÖFOS mit Kunstzweigen

50% MUSIK - Komposition

50% MUSIK - Interpretation – instrumental