Adorno on Music and Politics
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Abstract
This study aims to discern and assess Theodor Adorno’s theories on music as an ‘art’ and how it impacts both the political and social landscape of society; more broadly, the purposes of this paper is to identify, and determine the significance of, the relationship between music and politics – that is, whether or not, and how, music can emancipate society from capitalist enslavement. In juxtaposing Adorno’s theories, the opinions of Herbert Marcuse will be discussed as well. As both theorists are considered integral to the creation and development of critical theory of the Frankfurt School, it is only logical to examine their theories and ideologies in detail to determine the role of music as an ‘art’ in the overarching scheme of political scaffolding within which society resides.
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Adorno, Marcuse, art, music, culture industry, modernity, Mahler, capitalism, Schoenberg, jazz music, emancipation, false consciousness, bourgeoisie class, mass deception, false needs, 'dark' art, mass enslavement, class conflict, 'autonomous' art, pop music, swing bands, 12-tone scale, 'extremes', 'high' art, 'low' art, modernism, mass consciousness, propaganda, conformity, anti-conformity, culture, liberation, commercialization, commodification, 'commodity fetish', fetish of music, technique, tonality, atonality, 'art for art's sake', critical reflection, status quo