What is Marked and What is Not? Privative Opposition in Music
What is Marked and What is Not? Privative Opposition in Music

Summary/Abstract: Markedness theory is a qualitative theory of oppositional binary relations, most broadly defined as “the value given to difference”. The theory is based on opposing pairs that are very common in language: man/woman, happy/sad, white/black etc., where the oppositions are obviously not of equal weight. This type of symmetrical, or rather hierarchical pairing, is also present in music, as shown in Hatten’s observation of the relations between type/token or stylistic/strategic competences. In this paper, the specificity of the application of this theory in music will be pointed out, starting with an explanation of some of the basic oppositions, to ambiguous situations in which binary relations appear as insufficient.

• Details
• Contents