Discussion
In order to clarify the investigation of listening dimensions in music and the experience of musical
space, only half of the original text in The Musical Timespace is maintained in the concise version.
The remaining parts of the text are omitted according to the following criteria;
(1) Excluded is a model of listening dimensions that incorporates space as one of the dimensions.
This version of the model is discarded, because space is not one dimension among other dimensi-
ons. The experienced musical timespace is multidimensional, evoked by the interactions of the nine
listening dimensions.
(2) Excluded are descriptions of pitch as a predominantly spatial dimension, ranging from low to high
sounds. This is a consequence of (1). Pitch contributes to the experience of space, but so do other di-
mensions in the model. It is an oversimplification to assign spatiality specifically to one single dimension.
(3) Excluded are descriptions of music based on the presupposition that pitch is predominantly a
spatial dimension. This is a consequence of (2).
(4) Excluded are a number of detailed descriptions of musical structures, which are not necessary for
the investigation of listening dimensions.
It is suggested that the concise version of The Musical Timespace represents an investigation of
music listening that is clearer and more tenable than the original text. However, certain limitations of
the investigation can be noted.
It is an obvious limitation that the human voice is not included in the musical examples. The
investigation is oriented towards similarities between musical sounds and sounds of the surrounding
world, but does not take vocal communication and expression into account. Further investigations
are needed to clarify whether the proposed listening dimensions encompass the features of the hu-
man voice. Likewise, the bodily aspects of musical communication are not taken into consideration.
In the present form, the excerpts do not represent a full-fledged presentation of the listening dimen-
sions and their interactions. In particular, argumentation and examples that underpin the proposal of
rhythm as a temporal shape of movement are needed. Furthermore, the relationships between wor-
king memory, short-time memory and long-time memory of music deserve clarification. Finally, de-
scriptions of the spatial features of music are presented in various parts of the investigation. A com-
prehensive and coherent exposition of the features and totality of the musical timespace is desirable.
Relations to Phenomenology
The descriptions of music in The Musical Timespace represent preliminary attempts at phenomen-
ological description. The descriptions are informative, but do not meet the requirements of a phen-
omenological investigation, as outlined in a previous chapter.^1 In particular, the descriptions could
benefit from integrating Husserl’s exploration of time-consciousness.
It can be suggested that experimental listening may serve as a tool for more thorough pheno-
menological descriptions, as exemplified in the investigation of Coleman Hawkins’ saxophone solo
Body and Soul.^2 Experimental listening permits investigation of the temporal and spatial properties
of music, and exploration of the interactions between listening dimensions. Importantly, experimental
listening includes intersubjective validation.
The descriptions of the virtual musical space coincide with descriptions in phenomenology. As in-
dicated in the chapter on music phenomenology, Merleau-Ponty reports ”that other space through
1 Chapter 2, pp. 3-6.
2 Chapter 2, pp. 54-55, and appendix 2.04,. 191.