The Growing Field of Musical Signification: Origins, Major Contributions, and Current Relevance

Musical signification resists singular methodological and epistemological frameworks. Draw­ing from several academic traditions, including semiotics, intertextuality and hermeneutics, this article sheds light on four pivotal contributions within the field. These include the historicist impulse of Leonard Ratner and Constantin Floros, the evolving methodologies of topic theory, the foundational role of semiotics, and the connections with performance practice. Embracing an optimistic lens, this article presents musical signification as a flourishing field firmly rooted in the origins of music and rich with creative scholars forging an exciting path forward.