Language, music and expressiveness from Rousseau's critical perspective

Abstract

The present research addresses the musical conceptions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, evidencing his criticism of French music expressed in the work Letter on French Music. The objective of the investigation is to understand how Rousseau articulates the philosophical assumptions of the hypothesis according to which the French do not have a language appropriate to music. The methodology adopted was of a bibliographic nature, based on the analytical method, applying procedures of theoretical survey of Rousseau's main works and comparative analysis between different musical traditions, especially the French and the Italian. The analysis focused on three axes: the historical contextualization of operas in the eighteenth century, the theory of language and melody in Rousseau, and the critique of the society of the spectacle. The results indicate that Rousseau attributes to melody the central role in the expressiveness of music, understanding that more melodic languages, such as Italian, are more suitable for music than French, which is considered rigid and without tenderness. It is concluded that, for Rousseau, the degeneration of music results from the superimposition of harmony with melody, a process directly linked to the deterioration of natural language. The valorization of melody represents, therefore, a defense of the emotional authenticity of music and its original communicative function.