Absolute music (Topical Term)

Work cat.: 98-42733: Chua, D.K.L. Absolute music and the construction of meaning, 1999.

New Grove dict. of music (Absolute music: This term names an ideal of musical purity, an ideal from which music has been held to depart in a variety of ways; for example, by being subordinated to words (as in song), to drama (as in opera), to some representational meaning (as in programme music), or even to the vague requirements of emotional expression)

Here are entered works about music, generally but not exclusively instrumental, that conveys its meaning solely by its form, tempo, etc., and not by a suggestive title, a text, program, or other such extra-musical means.