Music to Hear on Here: Schopenhaur Vs. Frusciante

Monday, February 14, 2011

Schopenhaur Vs. Frusciante

"And so with the disappearance of all willing from consciousness, there yet remains the state of pleasure, in other words, absence of all pain and here even absence of the possibility thereof. For the individual is transformed into a subject that merely knows and no longer wills; and yet he remains conscious of himself and of his activity precisely as such" (Schopenhauer, p. 104). This is "Enter a uh," the opening track off of John Frusciante's second solo album Smile From the Streets You Hold. I'm not even sure if I enjoy this song, but it remains one of the saddest pieces of music I've ever heard. I've never looked up the lyrics, but I don't think they are important to the experience of the song; that important aspect of imagination Schopenhauer talks about.

This second song, the title track off the album, epitomizes the quote I opened with. In an interview Frusciante explains that during this recording he completely opened up and felt the spirits message in him. He was no longer playing his own music but communicating their Will. He was so moved by this that he breaks down and starts crying in the studio. His quote, found on his wikipedia page: "The title song was a very intense moment, because I was having verbal communication with the spirits while I was recording; and I started crying at the end of it. The spirits give you ideas for things, and what's important to them is what's important to me. I'm much more concerned with my fame in their world than with my fame in this one. That's why it's been difficult for me to adjust to being alive at all."

Perfect for what Schopenhaur is saying about pure Will. If you listen to either of these songs all the way through, make sure it's this one. Very moving.

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Course Description

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Martin Mull (or Elvis Costello)

Thinking about the meaning and value, intellectual, affective and neurological experiences, and aesthetics of music has occupied an important position in modern and contemporary philosophical writings. Central to the philosophy of music is a questioning of what music is insofar as it is an art form and practice, akin to but different from other arts, such as drama, literature, painting, sculpture, to name but a few examples. Claims have been made, in fact, that music’s effect, when performed and listened to, surpasses those of the other arts because of its abstact purity, of its universality, and of its singular capacity to express, represent and incite emotions. This course will explore such issues in 19th-20th century philosophy. We will begin with introductory readings of what composes the field and discipline of the philosophy of music. We will read—among other philosophers, novelists, critics and musicologists—Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Barthes and Adorno’s writings on music. Finally, we will have the occasion to read about and listen to specific musicians, both high and low, and explore the contexts of their work, concentrating on the historical and political dimensions of the practice, performance and art of making music.