Evropska glasba? – Nemuzikološko vprašanje

The question of the existence of “European music” raises in the field of musicology problems of a different nature than those posed, for example, in the field of comparative literature by the notion of “European literature”. Musicologists are mainly concerned with the differences between European and non-European music, however in everyday life the idea that music is a universal “language” is widespread. We need to distinguish, though, between the various manifestations of music which coexist on different cultural (national), sociological and aesthetic levels. The study of western art music shows that the dichotomy between national/regional, on the one hand, and universal on the other is a paradoxical one –national music is often performed using universal techniques and indeed a typical national style can outgrow its original home territory to become an international style. Thus different musics (“languages”) should be seen as rational musical systems comprising by definition a diversity of musical norms and conventions. European music exists as a historical succession of such musical systems