program-music

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Music with a narrative or descriptive intent: "program music" refers to a type of instrumental music that tells a story, depicts a scene, or evokes a specific idea or emotion, often guided by a written program or title. It is the opposite of "absolute music," which is purely abstract.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The composer's symphonic poem is a famous example of program music. (A piece of instrumental music that narrates a story or describes a scene.)
  • Many Romantic-era works, such as Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique," are classified as program music. (Music that follows a narrative or descriptive program.)

Advanced Usage

• "Program music as a genre": a category of music where the composition is explicitly linked to a non-musical idea, such as a poem, painting, or historical event.

  • The piece "The Moldau" by Bedřich Smetana is program music that depicts the flow of a river. (The music is intended to represent the river's journey.)

• "Program music vs. absolute music": a contrast used in musicology to distinguish between music with an external reference and music that is self-contained.

  • While Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony is program music, his later string quartets are often considered absolute music. (The former has a descriptive program; the latter does not.)

Variants and Related Words

• Programmatic (adj): relating to or characteristic of program music.

  • The composer's programmatic approach is evident in the vivid orchestration. (The music is designed to follow a narrative or descriptive plan.)

• Program (n): the written outline or text that accompanies program music, explaining its content.

  • The audience read the program before the performance to understand the story. (The written explanation of the music's narrative.)

Synonyms

• Narrative music: music that tells a story.
• Descriptive music: music that depicts scenes, events, or emotions.
• Tone poem: a specific type of program music for orchestra, often in a single movement.

Related Idioms

• "Music with a message": a phrase sometimes used to describe program music that conveys a specific idea or moral.

  • This piece is music with a message about the beauty of nature. (The music has a clear descriptive or narrative purpose.)

• "Painting with sound": a metaphorical expression for program music that vividly depicts visual scenes.

  • The composer is known for painting with sound, creating program music that evokes landscapes. (Using music to create vivid imagery.)