referentialism

music

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July 13, 2026

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Referentialism in music is a theory that posits music can and does refer to meanings outside of itself. This is contrasted with nonreferentialism, which holds that music is autonomous and "means itself". Referentialists believe music can convey extramusical ideas, such as literary concepts, legends, or personal dramas, a concept closely related to program music. A prominent example of referentialism is the use of leitmotifs, recurring musical themes associated with specific characters, places, or ideas, particularly in the operas of Richard Wagner. While nonreferentialists, like Eduard Hanslick, emphasize music's intrinsic formal qualities, they often still grapple with music's emotional expressiveness.123

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Referentialists and nonreferentialists
…persistent disagreement is between the referentialists (or heteronomists), who hold that music can and does refer to meanings outside itself, and the nonreferentialists (who are sometimes called formalists or absolutists), who maintain that the art is autonomous and “means itself.” The Austrian critic Eduard Hanslick, in his The Beautiful in…
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…persistent disagreement is between the referentialists (or heteronomists), who hold that music can and does refer to meanings outside itself, and the nonreferentialists (who are sometimes called formalists or absolutists), who maintain that the art is autonomous and “means itself.” The Austrian critic Eduard Hanslick, in his The Beautiful in…
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