Studying Modern Music

Abstract

This paper departs from various arguments to stress clearly a point which has been treated only marginally in other works by its author. To put it shortly, a significant part of the arts produced during the 20th Century can be understood as an encounter between tradition and modernity, and it would be important to take it into consideration when studying modern music. At its limit, the paper proposes seeing some artists as neither traditionalists opposed to avant-garde nor avant-gardists opposed to tradition, but as people who look for traditions to give “weight” to their modern art. What varies most, in this perspective, is where this weight is to be found. Aiming at this, first we discuss this more general perspective on modern art, then some theoretical points are made and discussed in order to sustain some perspectives of research and, finally, the main problem is tackled.