Wilson Coker
Aesthetics, to Professor Coker, is the one academic musical study that integrates the insights of composition and theory, performance, history, and appreciation, while tying them to the other arts and humanities. His book represents an effort to advance a theory of musical aesthetics based on the basic theories of signs and gestures that will, because he believes that the roots of musical meaning and communication lie in the functioning of signs, lead musicians and laymen alike to a richer appreciation of music.,Coker's brilliant and original approach begins with a concise explanation of the basic theories of signs and gestures that he then systematically develops into an elaborate framework of musical meaning. Among his major topics are: aesthetic relevance; auditory perception; properties of sound, rhythm, and sonorous motion supporting musical signification; music as metaphor; artistic-musical truth; and effective musical meaning. Throughout, he reevaluates theoretical concepts of music in the light of his theory. The book includes a full appendix on affective processes and a definitive bibliography of works in English on musical aesthetics.
Music and Meaning: A Theoretical Introduction to Musical Aesthetics