Unity, God and music : Arnold Schoenberg's philosophy of compositional unity in trinitarian perspective

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951--Criticism and interpretation;Composition (Music);Music--Religious aspects--Christianity;Trinity

Stearns, Michelle L. ; Begbie, Jeremy ; Begbie, Jeremy

University:University of St Andrews

Department:Divinity (School of)

关键词: Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951--Criticism and interpretation;    Composition (Music);    Music--Religious aspects--Christianity;    Trinity;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/405/MichelleLStearnsPhdThesis.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

This project consists of a theological exploration of unity, both divine and created,through an engagement with the writings of the composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). It proceeds by examining Schoenberg's philosophy of unity as embodied in hiscompositional theory and practice, and brings to light his explicit and implicitmetaphysical commitments through the lens of Arthur Schopenhauer's philosophy. Acritique is offered that utilizes a vibrant tradition of contemporary trinitarian theology,drawing, in particular, upon the work of Colin Gunton. This theological critiqueemploys 'musical space' to assist in 'sounding out ' and articulating a trinitarian andperichoretic model of unity. Thus, this thesis shows not only how theology canbenefit the philosophy of music, but also how the philosophy of music can enrich andaugment theological discourse.Part I examines unity from the perspective of 'particularity' . This inquiry tracesSchoenberg's investigations into the material of music, from which he draws twoconclusions: that conflict is essential to the musical material, and that the distinctionbetween consonance and dissonance is illusory. Through adopting these assumptionsinto his philosophy of unity, Schoenberg unwittingly develops a theory of the manythat undermines the value and integrity of material particulars. In response, thisproject counters with a trinitarian theology that upholds the integrity of particularsthrough a mutually constitutive understanding of particulars-in-relation.Part II examines unity from the perspective of 'the whole'. This investigationfocuses upon Schoenberg's structural principles of coherence, from which he makesthree claims: that 'the whole' ('the musical idea') is distinct from the composition,that the essence of the musical idea must be expressed in every individual part withinthe whole, and that the primary goal of the composer is to express the musical idea.Schoenberg's construction of unity is, therefore, dependent upon privileging the oneover the particular. Thus, Schoenberg's theory and practice lack the sort of unity inwhich the concepts of oneness and particularity are related adequately. This projectproposes that a proper understanding of unity can arise only from a triune conceptionof being that holds oneness and particularity inseparably together: not as mutuallyexclusive, but as mutually constitutive.