Musical Beauty.
Eduard Hanslick’s Philosophy of Musical Beauty
Elizabete Batņa
I believe that there are generally accepted principles of beauty. There are things that are considered “beautiful” which the majority of society can recognize, yet often cannot fully explain. Especially today, the average listener tends to prefer music filled with consonance, which in reality represents a widely accepted standard of beauty. When listeners seek something aesthetically pleasing, it is often a work from the Romantic period. However, it is somewhat unexpected to hear from a figure of that very period that even then this principle of beauty was being questioned. That what we perceive as “beautiful” might not actually be as universally appealing as we assume. The Austrian music critic Eduard Hanslick (1825–1904) (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) is known for his innovative musical criticism in the nineteenth century. In his treatise “On the Musically Beautiful”, Hanslick attempts to describe and analyze one of the most complex things to define – beauty itself.
If someone claimed that beauty in music is determined by melody, they would be in agreement with Hanslick. However, if they argued that beauty could be measured by the emotions music evokes, they would become one of Hanslick’s opponents. What does Hanslick actually consider to be beautiful?
At the very beginning of the third chapter of his treatise, the critic states that: “However, a musical idea brought to full manifestation is already autonomous beauty, is an end unto itself and in no way primarily a means of or material for representing feelings and thoughts.” (Hanslick: 41) Firstly, Hanslick emphasizes that emotions cannot and should not serve as a criterion for determining beauty. Feelings often confuse our perception, leading us to experience music subjectively and primarily on an emotional level. Music, according to Hanslick, must be self-sufficient so that the listener can perceive its essence without any extra-musical influences, including programmatic titles. Secondly, and most importantly, the critic highlights that melody should have information contained within itself – its intellectual content. In theory, a composer should be able to “construct” a melody by combining the appropriate intervals, rhythms, and harmonies in such a way that the result becomes somewhat beautiful music. These three components determine everything. Melody must be built upon harmony, while rhythm benefits the whole structure. (Hanslick: 50) Another significant point is that these elements themselves are not emotional. They are merely tools that shape and determine musical beauty. Thirdly, melody must consist of sounds rather than musical concepts, because (as Hanslick repeatedly reminds us) the composer’s goal should not be to depict a specific passion or emotional state, but rather to invent a particular melody. A musical concept is merely an idea, whereas the listener must hear the actual tones and sounds of the music. And finally, music should never be confused with mathematics. The notion that beauty lies in symmetry is, according to the author, fundamentally mistaken. “The most banal theme can be constructed perfectly symmetrically.” (Hanslick: 57)
Therefore, it seems that Hanslick’s most convincing thesis is that music exists purely for its own sake. No other component: inspiration or emotion, determines its value; rather, what must be perceived is the encoded musical information, the intellectual content contained within the work.
“There is no art that exhausts so many forms and as quickly as does music.” (Hanslick: 51) It is difficult to disagree with the idea that composers must continually search for something new throughout the course of their careers to entertain its music listeners. Yet the question remains: is novelty itself what must be discovered? Or is what composers have long relied upon – the established formulas of melody, harmonic progressions, and rhythm – actually the most essential element, since these constitute the true criteria of beauty? For this reason, it could be argued that, according to Hanslick, the most valuable works of an “intellectually stimulated composer” are those earlier compositions in which we find not incomprehensible novelty, but rather what has already been tested and proven to be aesthetically satisfying: “Without inaccuracy, we can say of a host of compositions that rank high above the norm of their time that they were once beautiful.” (Hanslick: 51)
In music history classes I had previously heard that Eduard Hanslick was a strong supporter of absolute music and an admirer of Johannes Brahms, but that was all I knew. My perspective broadened when I encountered the arguments and reasoning behind his views. From a contemporary standpoint, it's somewhat surprising that there are several ideas with which I find myself agreeing.
“We should seek music above all, and we will enjoy purely what it fully provides.” (Hanslick: 52) It is now clear that this is his central idea. So simple, yet compelling. I do not believe that emotions should be excluded from music entirely, but one of Hanslick’s observations resonated with me. If we focus too much on the supposed content of a piece, we may develop a misleading understanding of music itself. The listener, often unconsciously, stops listening attentively to the musical sounds and instead concentrates on a generalized emotional impression. This is indeed a tendency I have observed among listeners. It is evident that when we think primarily about the content, we easily drift into our own reflections. It is also true that audiences have long favored programmatic music and its narrative associations. As well as another closely related idea that stands out is that no “intention” could substitute for lacking “invention.” Great ambitions cannot compensate for insufficient musical quality. In my view a person's work, or lack thereof, will always show through.
Eduard Hanslick offers his own interpretation of beauty, yet why are we so determined to explain precisely that? Does beauty necessarily imply goodness or high artistic value? Perhaps it is the desire of music critics and musicologists to frame theories and establish clear criteria. If a specific standard of quality is defined, it becomes easier to evaluate music. Nevertheless, whether such theories exist or not, every theoretical perspective must be approached with a certain distance. We may adopt particular philosophical ideas, but it is clear that there are many philosophies of music with which we may either agree or disagree. The more we explore them, the more objective our understanding may become.
Hanslick, Eduard. “Chapter 3.” On the Musically Beautiful, Oxford University Press, 2018.
“Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.” Eduard Hanslick (1825–1904), https://iep.utm.edu/hanslick/.
















