Leonard Meyer

American music theorist

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June 30, 2026

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Leonard Meyer was an American music theorist who explored the meaning in music. He distinguished between "designative" (extrinsic) and "embodied" (intrinsic) meanings, recognizing both in music. Meyer's work, particularly his book Emotion and Meaning in Music, is noted for its eclectic approach, acknowledging both referential and non-referential aspects of musical expression. He also discussed concepts from information theory in relation to musical perception. Meyer's theories contributed to the ongoing debate between referentialists, who believe music refers to meanings outside itself, and non-referentialists, who view music as autonomous.12

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Referentialists and nonreferentialists
The American musicologist and theorist Leonard Meyer, in his Emotion and Meaning in Music (1956), spoke of “designative” and “embodied” meanings; he recognized both kinds in music but appeared to give equal weight to the extrinsic and intrinsic.
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The American musicologist and theorist Leonard Meyer, in his Emotion and Meaning in Music (1956), spoke of “designative” and “embodied” meanings; he recognized both kinds in music but appeared to give equal weight to the extrinsic and intrinsic.
Read More