The Aesthetics of Music

Roger Scruton’s The Aesthetics of Music is perhaps the first comprehensive interpretation of music and its meaning from the perspective of modern philosophy, and the only work on the subject to incorporate relevant musical examples. The author begins with the metaphysics of sound, distinguishes between sound and tone, analyses rhythm, melody, and harmony, and ultimately develops a new understanding of music as an intentional object of imaginative perception.

The book explores the many dimensions of musical organization and meaning, offering a detailed explanation of why music is an expressive medium. Scruton examines and critiques numerous influential ideas in the philosophy and theory of music, while defending the moral significance of music, its place within culture, and the importance of cultivated musical taste for both performers and listeners.

He also critically evaluates various approaches to musical analysis, rejects attacks on tonality as the foundation of musical order, argues for the objectivity of aesthetic values, defines the principles of musical criticism, and concludes with a forceful critique of modern popular music.