Music as Metaphor

The Elements of Expression

Author:

Donald N. Ferguson

Professor Ferguson, proposing new theories on how music conveys meaning to its listeners, identifies and discusses the elements of musical expression.

Professor Ferguson, proposing new theories on how music conveys meaning to its listeners, identifies and discusses the elements of musical expression.

A professor of music for many years, Mr. Ferguson here sets forth his theories on how music conveys meaning to its listeners. He identifies and discusses the elements of musical expression - tonal stress and rhythm - and correlates them with the nervous tensions and motor impulses which characterize human emotion. Through this correlation, he shows how music portrays universally understood emotional states and ideas. He relates these principles to music criticism, proposing a new system for such criticism.

Donald N. Ferguson was a professor of music at the University of Minnesota and head of the department of music at Macalester College. He is the author of several other books, including Masterworks of the Orchestral Repertoire: A Guide for Listeners and for many years was program annotator for the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

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