Music Criticism
Music criticism is:
in a broader sense - any consideration of music with the intention of making a judgment about it,
in a narrower sense - performing this activity professionally and publishing one's opinions through the media, i.e. the printed or spoken word. This understanding of the concept of music criticism is more common. Although it uses the resources of musicological knowledge, it is not a scientific discipline, it is inherently subjective.
Its recipients are both listeners and performers, as well as music creators.
Features
The task of music criticism is to inform and shape public opinion on music. Stimulating the aesthetic sensitivity of listeners is its so-called explicative function. The interpretative function, on the other hand, consists in conveying motivated opinions about the work (performance of the work) to authors (performers). Finally, thanks to the postulative function, music criticism expresses its own suggestions and postulates to both.
In view of the various tasks facing him, it is commonly accepted that an ideal critic should demonstrate musical education, literary talent, broader general cultural interests, a critical sense, as well as sensitivity and tact.
See also
review
Category: Music Critics
Bibliography
Andrzej Chodkowski (ed.), Encyclopedia of Music, Polish Scientific Publishers PWN, Warsaw 1995.
