Absolute Music

Music without subject

"Absolute Music" refers to instrumental music that is composed and appreciated purely for its intrinsic musical qualities, without any specific external or programmatic meaning. Unlike "program music", which seeks to convey a specific narrative or story, absolute music is free from extra-musical associations or intentions. It is created solely to explore and express the beauty, emotions, and structural elements of music itself.

Absolute music is characterized by its focus on the interplay of musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and form. Composers of absolute music do not attach specific narratives, imagery, or concepts to their compositions, allowing listeners to interpret and engage with the music based on their personal emotions and experiences. This open-ended nature of absolute music invites listeners to derive their own meanings and connections from the purely musical elements.

The term "absolute" indicates the autonomy and self-sufficiency of the music, highlighting its independence from any external references. In contrast, program music often relies on descriptive titles or accompanying texts to guide the listener's understanding of the intended story or scene.

Throughout history, many renowned composers, such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven have created significant works of absolute music, including symphonies, sonatas, and chamber music. These compositions offer opportunities for deep emotional exploration and musical appreciation, allowing listeners to connect with the essence of the music itself rather than relying on external associations.

Absolute music holds a central place in classical music repertoire and performance, as it showcases the compositional prowess and creativity of composers while inviting listeners to experience the pure artistry of sound.

Example of Absolute Music

Brahms Piano Quintet in Fm, 4th mvmt

Tutor's Video (Scarlett Ng)

Frankie Chan

Frankie Chan

California Baptist University (US), Hong Kong Baptist University
Master
Violin, Western Music Theory
Ho Nam

Ho Nam

University of Alicante (ES), Hong Kong Baptist University
Master
Classical Guitar
Raymond Cheng

Raymond Cheng

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University
Master
Clarinet, Saxophone
John Chan

John Chan

Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris (FR)
Master
Clarinet
Winnie Ng

Winnie Ng

Hong Kong Baptist University
Bachelor
Flute
Mr Szeto

Mr Szeto

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Master
Violin
G Song

G Song by Terry Riley

As an iconic American composer, Terry Riley (born 1935) is always considered as a minimalist. However, this kind of thoughts would be ignoring part of his creativity. In fact, Riley added plenty elements in his compositions since 1970s, especially when he started collaborating with the Kronos Quartet. Riley’s composing style is very extensive, including improvisation, polyrhythm and jazz. He adopted classical elements, such as instrumentation, musical forms, structure and tonality. He also combined the elements from different periods to create unique musical textures. This research focuses on Terry Riley’s String Quartet, G Song. The research will be divided into two parts. The first part introduces Riley’s life and the background of G Song. The second part focuses on music analysis, including the musical structure “Two forms in one work”; The harmony “Unresolved Dissonance”; The rhythm “Metric Modulation”; The baroque “Canon”; The modern “Pointillism”. The purpose of this study is to discuss how Riley combined classicism and modernism into a work, and discuss why the statement “Terry Riley is considered as minimalist” would be ignoring part of his story.
Pachelbel's Canon

Canon in D

Canon in D, one of the most widely known classical music pieces of contemporary times, is composed by German composer Johann Pachelbel. The original version of Canon in D is composed for three violins, accompanied by one (or more) bass instrument(s). Over time, the piece has been arranged into various versions, such as piano solo and orchestral versions. The exact date of its composition is not recorded but it is generally believed to be composed between 1680-1706.
Jascha Heifetz

The Greatest Violinist: Jascha Heifetz

More than a century after his public debut, the name Jascha Heifetz continues to evoke awe and excitement among fellow musicians. In a performing career that spanned 65 years, he established an unparalleled standard of violin playing to which violinists around the world still aspire.

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