Adorno linked neoclassical musical objectivism to fascist ideology

Evidence

Although the mediating connection was difficult to illustrate satisfactorily, Adorno went so far as to suggest that objectivism was in a sense the correlate of fascism. Its use of neoprimitive rhythms corresponded to the shocks of unintegrated Erlebnis (experience) fostered by fascist society. The irrationality of the objectivists’ principles of composition - the composer’s “taste” rather than the immanent dialectic of the music was decisive - suggested the arbitrary control of the fascist Fiihrer. Stravinsky might be attacked by the fascists for his “destructiveness,” but whether they knew it or not, his music expressed their ideology. — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 558

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: Adorno’s move from formal musical properties to political ideology — taste as Fiihrer control, neoprimitive rhythm as fascist Erlebnis — is dense and paradigm-shifting in its method of ideological critique.
• XREF: connects to: Fascist oratory weaponizes the sounds of human pain into technique — Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Dialectic of Enlightenment, 142; Adorno saw Stravinsky’s neoclassicism as reactionary ideological escape — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History…, 558; Adorno saw Young Music and serialism as complementary objectivisms crushing the subject — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2192 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Adorno saw Stravinsky’s neoclassicism as reactionary ideological escape #expands (0.90) — Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination, 558