WHAT KIND OF THEORY IS MUSIC THEORY?
EPISTEMOLOGICAL EXERCISES IN MUSIC THEORY AND ANALYSIS
Music theory has long aligned itself with the sciences - particularly with physics, mathematics, and experimental psychology - seeking to cloak itself in the mantle of their epistemological legitimacy. This affinity, which was foreshadowed in music's inclusion in the medieval quadrivium alongside geometry, astronomy, and arithmetic, is evident throughout the history of music theory from the scientific revolution onward. Yet, as eager as music theorists have been to claim the epistemological privilege accorded the sciences, they have also been wary of limitations attending such an alliance.
This collection of essays will provide a historical as well as a philosophical and aesthetic context regarding music theory's relationship to science. The thirteen authors work in a range of fields and traditions including music theory, musicology, and philosophy.