The huge variety of approaches, goals, and interests in artistic circles, society, science, and industry challenges new methods of evaluating the particularities of culturally formed sound. In the realm of musicological sound research, it might be interesting to compare different musical ways of composing sound from the middle of the twentieth century onwards, and even to compare musical works with non-musical creativity focussed on sound. To this end, the present essay suggests an action-based analytical approach. This ongoing project does not mean to trivialize analytical purposes by narrating biographical circumstances of sound creation, but intends a systematic approach in describing qualitatively aesthetic actions, actors, and their frames of reference.

Die Äolsharfe galt als Stimme der Natur, des Windes, ohne menschliches Zutun. Sich der Natur anzunähern führte bei den Romantikern und Impressionisten zu einer Musik, bei der Gestalten und Phrasenbildung zugunsten des ›Klanges‹ zurücktraten. Debussys Prélude Brouillards (Nebel), in Beziehung gesetzt zur chinesischen Landschaftsmalerei öffnet den Raum für philosophische Überlegungen über die Rolle des Subjekts in der Musik, in Auseinandersetzung mit der Philosophie von Theodor W. Adorno und François Jullien, sowie mit Klangkompositionen von John Cage und Alvin Lucier. / The Aeolian harp was considered to be the voice of nature and of the wind, able to play without any human help. To get closer to nature, Romantic and Impressionist composers reduced the importance of figure and phrasing in favour of sound. The prélude »Brouillards« (fog) of Debussy, set in relation to Chinese landscapes paintings, opens the mind for philosophical reflections on the role of subjectivity in music, in light of the philosophy of Theodor W. Adorno and François Jullien and with sound compositions of John Cage and Alvin Lucier.