ABSTRACT. This research makes conceptual and methodological contributions to the study of music’s emotional effect, the significance of music in modernity, the rhythmic and musical aspect of language, and the social uses of music. The key contribution of this paper is to articulate and give expression to philosophy’s relationship both to language and to music, forms of music that privilege harmonic variety, the experience and appreciation of musical works, and the nature of our response to music. pp. 254–259

Keywords: musical work, social use, emotional effect