ABSTRACT
One way in which music signifies is by triggering associations to particular elements of the listener’s soundscape. While theories of music signification are fascinating, their practical application requires careful choices in both analysis and interpretation. A detailed map of the field allows one to relate new listening experiences to a pre-existing grid that makes the teaching experience effective. A topical analysis of music requires identification of its stylistic references, which carry a whole world of cultural—sometimes subliminal—associations. One way that proved to be operative is to distinguish between meanings referring to musical genres or styles, and meanings that relate to non-musical objects and concepts. The main markers of most dances, whether a classical sarabande or a modern reggae, are rhythmically embedded in the accompaniment. Classical and Romantic musics make a double distinction: between the sacred and the secular and between vocal and instrumental expression.
