「情」投「意」合：音樂和戲劇的敘事共性與期待理論的交會

Abstract

音樂敘事理論作為音樂分析的一種方法，在上世紀的80-90年代曾是學術界的寵兒之一，但在這段風華之後卻逐漸淡出鎂光燈焦點。Byron Almen認為原因在於過去的音樂敘事研究缺乏一致概念，因此，他於2003年發表 “Narrative Archetypes: A Critique, Theory, and Method of Narrative Analysis” 一文，企圖釐清音樂敘事特徵，藉此復興音樂敘事研究。Almen提出音樂敘事中「違反」、「秩序」與「聽者共鳴」的三個元素，也引述James Jakob Liszka層級理論中，造成敘事動力的張力、聽者對危機的解決與評價移轉等現象，來討論這三個敘事元素的互動情形。然而，為何聽者會特別察覺到「秩序」與「違反」元素造成的衝突？為何聽者會去解決危機並進行評價移轉？張力如何引發動力？這些關鍵問題Almen都沒有納入相關理論來探討，多是他自己對現象的描述。事實上，不少聽覺心理學的研究成果，可以作為音樂敘事理論的強心針，舉例而言：聽者對「違反」與「秩序」互動而生的衝突，會引發焦慮緊張的情感反應；再者，焦慮使聽者興起意識，繼而產生期待焦慮能被解決的懸念；此外，由「違反」衍生出的衝突、懸念與解決等心理反應，受大腦的普遍傾向使然，成為不同媒介敘事的共性，在藝術作品中得以成為孕育情感與意義的溫床。但這些能夠支撐Almen理論的敘事共性，卻有立論不穩之虞，所以本文將以Leonard B. Meyer的期待理論，以及與音樂敘事有相同基因的戲劇，來佐證敘事共性的心理機制。本文指出，意義建構皆為Almen與Meyer兩人理論的目的，因「違反」的造次，我們得以體驗稍後「秩序」的美好與滿足；因為它的造次，我們得以在藝術作品中有自覺意識的機會；而透過意義的建構，擁有與人溝通的可能。簡言之，音樂敘事理論，須輔以聽者期待的研究，才得以站穩。

Musical narrative theory as a method of music analysis used to be the favorite of the academia in the eighties to the nineties of the last century, but it faded out of the spotlight gradually after this period. Byron Almen thought that it was because past research on the subject lacked conceptual consistency; to revive the study, he published the article “Narrative Archetypes: A Critique, Theory, and Method of Narrative Analysis” in 2003 that clarified the characteristics of musical narrative. Almen presents three elements in the musical narration: “transgression,” “order” and “listener’s sympathies.” To discuss the interaction of these three elements, he also quotes the hierarchy theory of James Jakob Liszka on the tension of narrative power, the crisis solving and re-evaluation by the audience etc. However, why listeners will be particularly aware of the conflict caused by “order” and its “transgression”? Why listeners will desire to resolve the crisis and make re-evaluation? How tension triggers narrative power? In discussing these key issues, Almen seldom incorporates related theories but mainly provides his own observation of the phenomenon. In fact, many insights from psychoacoustics studies could be great supports to the musical narrative theory. For example, conflicts resulting from the “transgression” of “order” will cause listeners to become anxious and nervous; furthermore, such conflicts will raise the consciousness of listeners and produce the expectation of resolving the suspense; in addition, psychological reactions such as conflicts, suspense and resolutions that spawned from “ transgression” are general tendency of the brain and demonstrates the narrative commonality of different media, thus enabling the works of art as a hotbed of cultivating emotion and meaning. The arguments of narrative commonality that could support Almen’s theory are inadequate, however, and this study aims to complement them with the expectation theory of Leonard B. Meyer and the theory of drama to support the narrative commonality of music and drama with the evidence of their similar psychological mechanism. This paper suggests that the construction of meaning is the common purpose behind the projects of both Almen and Meyer. Thanks to “transgression,” we can experience and appreciate the restoration of “order” as well as our own self-consciousness in the works of art. And through the construction of meaning, we could have the possibility to communicate with people. Moreover, it is advised that musical narrative theory should go hand in hand with the study of listeners’ expectation.