A ‘Humorous’ Narrative Archetype in the Music of the Viennese Classics as a Subversive Device

Abstract

AbstractThis paper deals with narrative aspects in Classic instrumental music, based on the theory of topoi. I would like to present a ‘Humorous’ narrative archetype as predominant in Classic instrumental music, by acknowledging its subversive socio-political character. This seems to be a variant of what I have termed a ‘Changeover’ master plot, where Ancien Régime references transform into modern topoi along one given work, by using one and the same musical material. After briefly describing and defining Irony, Parody and Satire, as well as their application to music, two main sources of musical humour are tackled: inner-musical and dramaturgic. The latter seems to have a critical sense, in the historical context of Enlightenment and the longing for a social transformation that Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven share with most of their contemporary artists and intellectuals. This humorous, critical interpretation is reached by using topical analysis and by recognising their sequential arrangement as narratively significative.KeywordsMusical topoiNarrative analysis of musicViennese classicismHumour in musicIronyDramaturgy of instrumental musical genres