Passage Discussion

[NickS909]

Heres my take on this passage:
Passage 3 - Comparative (music &words/ opera)
A:
P1- words always gain by being set to music but not necessarily vice versa.
P2- to express emotion poetry and music are better apart. Good things can still happen when you combine the two if words are “subordinated” to music. Opera depends on music for aesthetic value, not the poetry.

B:
P1- Two kinds of opera, one where music is primary, one where multiple things are balanced equally. Initial operas where music was subordinated failed.
P2- Poetry and music should be evaluated together for aesthetic judgement of opera! Opera depends on both poetry and music and is made better by additional visual action.

Same: both mention opera and “subordination”, both mention the interaction of music and poetry, “aesthetic” judgement of opera.

Different: A mentions opera as a smaller point, B is focused on opera entirely. A says Music first and foremost as an expressive medium, B says they are both important and judged together in aesthetic evaluation of opera, although can be judged formally separately. B says poetry and music are hand in hand in opera and are good if they interact well, A says opera depends entirely on the music for it's aesthetic value. A mentions music and emotion directly, B doesn't. A seems to think mixing the arts is “unpure” but B definitely doesn’t.

Relationship: A is the more general bigger scope argument, focusing on music and emotion and how it interplays with words, B is focused on opera specifically and how the music and poetry interact and affect the opera.