Publisher's Synopsis
The Orphic I: A Philosophical Approach to Musical Collaboration starts from the premise that music is a realm of intersubjective human experience. Drawing on ideas common to both hermeneutic and pragmatic aesthetics, it examines forms of collaboration involving those who create, perform, and listen to music. A new interpretation of the Orpheus myth suggests a model for thinking about creative interactions where composer and performer adopt each other's perspectives. This imaginative transfer of self—the Orphic I—has significant implications, both for the listener's perception of authenticity in musical performance, and for the interactions of performers within a musical ensemble. Empathy and entrainment emerge as seminal animating forces in group music-making, providing a non-verbal basis for ethical decision-making among group members.
