ABSTRACT
Leonard Bernstein and many others argue that the expressive power of music is distinctly different from the meaning of music. Music is emotionally expressive but does not have any literal meaning. It is pure emotion. This chapter presents a number of discrete stories, mini-narratives, and then joins them in a statement about music as narrative. To argue that music can contain a narrative argues against the position that music, as such, is abstract and has no inherent meaning. The chapter argues that certain music does have an inherent meaning. And if music has meaning, either co-created, ascribed, or inherent, music can convey a narrative. In movies, music serves as the background that enhances the plot. Music in movies, opera, and songs is referred to as program music and can be contrasted with absolute music. In opera, as in movies, the music shares the stage with the narrative.
