CONSEQUENCES OF THE INCREASING RATIONALITY OF MUSIC - A REASSESSMENT OF WEBERIAN RATIONALIZATION

Max Weber's theory of the rationalization of music is used to demonstr ate that there is a nexus between the tonal structure of music, which is formally ''rational'' in the Weberian sense, and the fundamental ir rational properties on which it rests. It is posited that Weber, altho ugh failing to differentiate between types of irrationality, was prima rily concerned with only two forms: harmonic-structural and interpreta tional. Ironically, there is another more sociological type of irratio nality that Weber failed to address. This type may be termed ''interac tional'' irrationality. The importance of recognizing this element wit hin the musical organization is critical, as the balance between ratio nality and irrationality becomes increasingly delicate. Case studies o f professional, classically trained symphonic musicians and conductors illustrate the irrational consequences of growing rationality within the social organization of symphonic music.