Computing Reviews
Today's Issue Hot Topics Search Browse Recommended My Account Log In
Review Help
Search
All about music : the complete ontology realities, semiotics, communication, and embodiment
Mazzola G., Mannone M., Pang Y., O’Brien M., Torunsky N., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2016. 191 pp. Type: Book (978-3-319473-33-8)
Date Reviewed: Jan 22 2018

Part of an author’s undergraduate teaching initiative, this book aims to give a broad introduction to the world of music. As opposed to most of Mazzola’s prior books (like [1]), the focus here is less formal and more related to music’s comprehensive ontology, its all-pervading presence in our lives, and its diverse and sometimes sophisticated technological aspects. To accomplish such an ambitious goal, the book follows an ontological scheme that is based on four different dimensions: realities, semiotics, communication, and embodiment. This scheme purports a definition of music and its way of existence and processing, specified in a compact characterization: “music embodies meaningful communication and mediates physically between its emotional and symbolic layers” (cited from the introduction). The contents are then organized in four parts, one for each of these dimensions as related to music.

Part 2 is concerned with the “Realities” dimension of the ontological scheme. Physical reality is described as the most basic and tangible ways in which music occurs and can be described (sound waves, instruments, and so on), and topics such as Fourier analysis, wavelets and the physical modeling, and ear-brain hearing are described. Regarding psychological reality, what humans perceive and react to in music, the book discusses some prominent theories regarding music and emotions, psychopathology, and assessing human reaction to music. Mental reality comprises the symbolic and formal aspects of music, including score notation and the mathematical relationships arising in harmony and counterpoint.

Part 3 is focused on semiotics, the dimension of meaning in music. Some of the basic principles in semiotics are introduced: the different levels of symbols and the structure of musical language, and also a brief presentation of the main philosophers and linguists that were influential in the development of semiotics, together with an explanation of their theories as they relate to music. Meaning in music is mostly related to harmony, and many musical objects such as chords are given signification as harmonic signs. Finally, the semiotic level is capable of self-description, leading to sign systems within sign systems and the development of metalevels.

Part 4 focuses on music as communication. The authors provide definitions about what is art, and what makes some artistic communications more worthy than others, and consider examples from many musical genres, including classical music, opera, movie soundtracks, pop music, and jazz. Then a brief presentation of the MIDI language for digital communication among musical instruments is presented. Finally, the authors introduce the global aspect of music: how music and musical communication can be perceived as a whole (global) and as the superimposition of parts (local), in a context where hierarchies can be defined.

The fourth and final dimension of the ontological scheme is embodiment, presented in Part 5. The authors first discuss the need for a gesture theory, as a fundamental component of artistic creation. Given that actual music is derived from gestures, music can exist solely by gestures, making the score or other communication means secondary or outright unnecessary. This topic is gaining more and more attention in applications of natural interfaces and robotics in the production of music. Moreover, the authors suggest that the very existence of mirror neurons is strong evidence that gestures represent a fundamental way for learning and understanding. Toward the end the book, the authors attempt to provide mathematical elements for a gesture theory, followed by an approach to musical creativity.

The book is highly recommended as a general introduction to these four subjects as related to music because it delivers the information in an accessible language. The authors’ approach is applicable to every musical genre, in a manner suitable for nonmusicians and nonscientists alike. With broad and diverse interests, and without being lengthy or encyclopedic, the coverage of most topics is concise (and a little cursory in some cases), adequate for freshmen and sophomore students.

Reviewer:  C. Delrieux Review #: CR145799 (1804-0169)
1) Mazzola, G. The topos of music: geometric logic of concepts, theory, and performance. Birkhäuser, Basel, Switzerland, 2002.
Bookmark and Share
  Featured Reviewer  
 
Sound And Music Computing (H.5.5 )
 
 
Performing Arts (J.5 ... )
 
 
Knowledge Representation Formalisms And Methods (I.2.4 )
 
Would you recommend this review?
yes
no
Other reviews under "Sound And Music Computing": Date
Music, cognition, and computerized sound
Cook P., MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. Type: Book (9780262032568)
Jul 1 1999
Linux music & sound
Phillips D., No Starch Press, San Francisco, CA, 2000.  399, Type: Book (9781886411340)
Aug 1 2001
Machine musicianship
Rowe R., MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2001.  399, Type: Book (9780262182065)
Aug 1 2001
more...

E-Mail This Printer-Friendly
Send Your Comments
Contact Us
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.   Copyright 1999-2024 ThinkLoud®
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy