Lévi-Strauss, Schaeffer, Wagner: The Musical Structure of Myth

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to analyse briefly the complicated references to musical composition in the work of Claude Lévi-Strauss. In his monumental tetralogy entitled Mythologiques, Lévi-Strauss considers the musical composition as a paradigm for structural analysis of myths. In this respect, the author compares Lévi-Strauss’ position with that of Pierre Schaeffer whose project of the “concrete music” is strongly criticised by Lévi-Strauss. In the second part of the text, Lévi-Strauss’ structural analysis of Wagner’s operas are examined, as well as the criticism ad dressed to Lévi-Strauss by Jean-Jacques Nattiez – universalist pretension and vagueness of the method based upon binary oppositions seems to represent weak points of Lévi-Strauss’ impressive effort to set new bases for human sciences.