On the Fetish-Character in Music and the Regression of Listening By Theodor W. Adorno Originals published in Zee fx Sosiatforshang Vol VIE (0988), hs says sone of the mast mpresve examples of sociology fart. Inou content, we should sets 1 Adorn" ast ‘explicpotemic agains the hei of Benjanin' "Work of Ar nthe ‘Age of ts Mechanical Reproducibility” :2)Msstring lca of {Lics'sconcepr of reicanonto inate the loge oftheculare Industry: and nally) Adorno'sown theory ofsracturel listening ‘nd the decreasing chances of "adeguate™ enh respoie he age ofthe decline of the Invidut. ‘Complains aout the decline of mic taste begin only inter ‘than mankind's rwfold isover, onthe esl of historia ime, ‘hat musi epesets at once the tamed manifestation ot impulse andthe osu of ts amin. I stirs the dance ofthe Macra and Sound from Pans bewitching Hue, bat also ving out from the Orphic re, around which he vision f violence ans themselves, pacified. Whenever their peace sem to be disturbed by bacchatis ‘lian, ther sak ofthe decline of a. Bat if the dip {uncton of mosic has bees handed Jown sine Geek philosophy as 3 jor ood, then cersily the presure to be permitted fo abcy ‘musically, as etewhete is today more general an cver. Just 5 he ‘utent musical consciousness of the masses can scarcely be aed Dionysian, sits latest changes hve nshing 0 do with ase The concep of ei el @umede, Responsible ar adjusts elt © ‘rites which approximate jdments: he harmonios athe nha ‘monious, the comsct and the incoreet But herve, no more ‘toies ae made, the question i nolonger pt and noone deans {he subjective asian ofthe conventions. The Very existence of the subject who cou veri Such ate bas become as questionable 2s tas, athe opposite poe, the right to freedom of choice which ‘empirically, many eae, none ay longer eerie. Ione secks © find out iho “kes” a commercial pee, one cannot ad the sisicion that liking and disliking ae napropiate othe situation, ‘even the person questioned clotheshiseastionsinthose words. The airy ofthe pose iva surge forthe quality aseribed oi. To ike te alos the sume hing so ecopize t. Approach inirns ‘of value judgments has become a fiction forthe person wo fins himsct Bemmed in by stndardized musiel goods. He can neither ‘escape impotence nor decide between the offerings where everthing {So completely intial that preference ia fact pends merely on irapical deals oon the situation a which hings are head The ‘ategoics of autonomeeslyoreted st have no appebiit) to he ontemporary reception of music; not even fr that ofthe scious ‘husk, domesticated under the artaros name of lassi Soa © ‘table oe to tra avay from it again a confor Hits objected tha ‘Sesificaly ightmisic an everything intended orconsumption have imany ace never been experienced in ems of thse categories tat ‘us ceria be concoded. Nevertheless, such musi ialoaflsted by the change in tht he entertainment, the pleasure, theenjoymetit promises, i given only to be simultancoesly denied In oe of his ‘hss, Aldous Huxley his ited the question of who, in place of tmuzement, ely being amused. With the same jus, ican be ‘shed whom music foremerunment sil entrain. Rater, seems to complement the reaction of people 1 silence, the dying out of speech as expression, te inability to communicate a all Ie inhabits the pocket of lence ta developbaweca people molded by ane), ‘work and undemanding doit. Everywheteittakes oer unnoticed, ‘he deal sad ole tha fel toitin the ne andthe specie situatonof the silent ims. Its perceived purely as background If nobexy ean any longer speak, then certiny nobesy can any longer listen An “American speci in radi adversng, who indeed prefers 0 make ‘eof the musical medio, hasexpressedskepicim astothevalucol tis advertsing, because people have lamedto den thir atenion to ‘wha hey ate hearing even while listening to i. His observation Is‘questionable with reapect to the advising vale of music, But it fends to be right in wer of the recepion of the musi sel Inthe conventional complaints about decining ts, certain ‘motifs eonstaly recur. Ther sno lack of pout and sentimental ‘comments asesing the cutent musical condone the muses as ‘one of" degencratin.” The most tenacious ofthese motifs shat Sensuality. which allegedly enfecbles and incapciates heroic be ‘hv, This complaint can already be found in Bok It ef Piato's ‘Republic in which he bans "te harmonies expressive of ato" as well asthe “ot harmonies “sultable for drinking, witout ts being clear tts day why the philonopher ascribes thee carats tis tthe mined Lydian, Lyn, bas Lydian and Tons modes. the Patni sate the major of ator Wester muse, which some Ponds 10 the Fenian, would have been tabooed. The fe and the "panhrrmoni" stringed instruments ofall under the bun. The only modes tobe left are "wate, o sound te ote or acen! which a ‘rave man ues in the Rout of danger and sem resove, or when he faces injury, defet or death, or any ether misorune, with he are steaast endurance.” Plato's Republics othe waits called by the oficial history of pilosopty disposi citeen in ems its existence and will exist even in music, where the distinction made between sft and strong modes wasby Pits time alcdy ie ‘more than residue ofthe muses sper, The Patni ony reveal elf mischievouly in jing st the flt-player Maya, fayed by the sobersided Apolo, Plato's eca-masial retanh teas the characte ofan Ate purge in Spartan sige, Ober perennial ‘hemes of musical semonizing areon he samelevel. Among th most prominent ofthese ate the charge of speciality dd hat of “ult ‘of personaly." Whats atacket is chely progres sci estental- 1y the specially esthetic Invetwined wih the oriddenaluemenis ‘ae sensual galety ad diferentating conciousness, The predomi ‘ance ofthe person over collective compulsion in music marks the ‘moment of subjective freedom which breaks though in its phases, while the prefanation which fest ram ts magi ile appears 28 superfcly. Thus, te lamented moments have entered nto the tea msc of he Wes: sensory stimulation asthe gate of ety into the hummenic and eventually the eolorste dimensions the untied peson asthe beater ef expresion and of th amazin of sie sll “superticialiy" s weriique ofthe mute objectivity of fms, in he seme of Haye’ choice of te “gull” in proference tothe leamed. Haydn's choice indeed, and not the ecklesnes ofa sing arc i Ma and Regen of Linn an with a ken hao an name of psmaching upon Fortoss moment cae to ret mse nd were are in uteri if dsl tem, mae a nul and capes Se gts town ceo Se SSTNov on aus hemes rece tony of eps ce and peace it to lig spit ie elinay momen Tinsch np. ne rear of peel monet anes ‘hole tne ia precede raga el codon nich IDove tose pra men of bape wu be more an sre apace. Unt he elf pesto, te msc bat ‘ive tl simuls nd iy betwee eyesion nd he {5 reer he sult snd be unig ena sna he frowens of tales feoee ugg) demand ne expt onomy,The Mage Fae n oc ew heal hermes Sub pecue ofa it oen com sng prety ace be omen’ eas Ate Te Magic Pleo seve apn pose to ows stu nd re gees Det wa we emuncipad von foal ln ae x0 on he rroderve tps sich elle ght comet. pat, Sippaliy al eaaie, he ld versa male tate, pow aan ov Ine ines, erations nt ting! oma fm compe hit ede, hose ‘es tay wee ence poucbed.Toeeprenses lt cpposton ithe suorain hana bce Wits fhe say of former es, The dept in te mor whe yale {elas an xcs for ssl he tee ro he opt fe ‘Tote ws cas comp poe inering. he sec lovey slog sine lee ressace, ioe aes force Ne loge othe pri omens serves eis tat ine intel oy npn cigs bestest Truly eters au fred one wre Tena syetes ‘SSntlicd ems eolener det owe nlc of te rifled ere, but dw temas compet fot Te bate ‘Ronen a py pov compu ih einer com Suton af he wr ofa and whatever ne wok ges jon Som w as cnnial prespon side Thy abt Stitt ot Bek deseo tcl n te sce Sct ey eee aller cant veh asi ‘hy cmp ce om wi eenhig wich be ole ‘omen caller nied dal ws oe ces BE ‘erin olan he charms become led ad fea oll befamiliar. Whoever devotes himself 10 them is af malicious 8 the Greek thinkers once were toward erietlseswaity. The sedtve ower ofthe charm survives only where the fores of denial ae Strongest: inthe dissonance which eects ball nthe kn of he existing harmony: The concept ofthe acetic is el dialectal a music. If weet once suck dow the claims ofthe este ‘reactionary way, thas today become he sign of advanced ar ot, 0 bese, by an archiciing parsimony of means in which deficiency and povery ae manifested, but by the st excision fal eulinary oe excunge ve cme ppv of tern) ate ae tne a th ene elon ch (icin ih test crc xan ae Srey pyeolges set vey ea soon, “otal whan, sedans once of msc itsecoions ot aso ec at cy. The me ent pot of eacage ae stops ovis fr aah Snead ung ae pe a et Enjoyment rhs hoon led what he erent shih ili Sent connodcngete The erst is ander fi ‘Shae engi pnt erat ees {ute in om exchange soi ae ee ee Te {Gye ofcchage we ncommodieshas taken on specs where ereon The worn who harmony ih wich buy is moved ty eat by. a Arn contol eh gp tn ens ig rs a nomen ft, eins hsm cone fig Fen The ‘hon mace eran nen aie TOS etna lay, “andinmamestoinimac, women “roc peter imporance he reverand eosmeelans hanthe siation forthe sake of which the Daindressers nd cosmsticians ae employed, The tlation to the ivan duiflly manifests social essence. The couple out diving who spend he ine en fying every passing car and being happy i they recognize the tradcmarls speeding by the gl whose station coast solely in the fact har She and her boyfriend "look good," the expense of the ( Bezsetestwo egsinizs hn hang kg so what isin any ease inescapable: al his operate acordng tothe sme command, Before the theological caprces of commodiics, the ene sums become temple slaves. Those who sterifice themselves no & lsc can do so ere, and hee they ae fully betrayed. nthe commodity feiss ofthe new model, inthe "sado- masochist character,” in those receive to todays the Same hing shows sellin many was, Themasochiste hassculure the necessry manifestation of anighy prodction ill. When the {eetings xize on exchange-vale its no mystical trasubnanition 1 corresponds 16 the behavior ofthe prisoner ho loves his cel because ehasbeenftoathing ese tolove. The acifice of individ aly which commode isl te ean of te cel, ike doing of what everybody does, follows from te Basi fat hatin ‘broad areas the same hing offered to everyboay bythe standardized production of consumption gods. Bu the commetcil necessity of concealing this Wenty Teas wo he manipulation of taste and the official culnre's pretense of individualism, which necesarilyin- ‘esses in proportion 1 the liquidation ofthe invidul.Even nthe realmof the sperstucture, the apparince isnot merly the conceal= ment of te essence, bu roends of necessity fromthe essence ite ‘The identical character of the goods which everyone mst buy hides self behind the rigor ofthe unverslly compulsory ste The Fition ‘fhe relation between supply and demand survives in the fitout (Cindi noes, It te value of taste in th present station i questioned tis necesary to nderstind whi eis composed of nti tion. Acquiescnce is ratoalized as modesty, opposition o caprice and ‘anarchy; musical analysis has today decayed as fundamentally musical charm, and as its parody in the tabbon counting of beats (Te pictur iscomplete by scedetaldferentiaton within the vet. confines of the presctbed. But tthe liquidated advil really |jmakes the complete upertciaity of he conventions passontey bis ‘own, then the olden age of steht dawned athe ery omen i oh Charcot nt Reon of ini ou ii ii a eta a ‘Ginn oe Me and sr epic ora {Sienna Ty cou era epee ‘Cdestroys them. Not merely do the few things played again and again (ets Ske Mate tea ton Se tat raster eager steer on a ce eed on Sete) Sa Clete wie he ouiaton ote whe mre ner coe ‘ecu finned rt cine edie Tet ea Eee eee ‘Semen cei oo of ne Te ne Tin mais he monn omar ound as ‘Sortyn cones: pope," ABechovensymgony safle, ference laregtictomihe ope mae cen elt tee ow eacot aa aay ply eel wi eu ce ‘hepa fet pt se Roman ad Sian aus ceeth pehpedea ecamraniey Wah Seana ieee nes ante articular ats away the boy ofthe whole the endangered substance Fe arsine Tacs sacs cual tug necro aga he Tyo pera, newer nd ona ately enone eed eat Tita th unapuce vor ce oe eS ie poms aks tomer octal Se apecaime thom anus nape oat ikon oe ean oes geese Sa Reese poet ts pone ‘ne elec wch eo rig et ce opoas oes Midge cchanmer tales darter se sents te ia ai ee v Cus Smegnce celia th amt dens dec, Soi ict ue tty ocr ide ‘Siita acariay cvet ied ne hom op spore ‘Sica mere yf vit wot wg ered er cs pat pone Tem on Mores a me Semalt papel eon fe of movaca, ows