Interpretation and “Open Form”: Similarities and Differences (using Tchaikovsky's symphonies as an example). On the 185th anniversary of the composer's birth

Abstract

The article describes the phenomenon of “open form” in a work of art. For the first time, the theory of an open work was expressed by Umberto Eco. The famous philosopher, writer, and aesthetician considered this quality in relation to fiction. The projection of this concept on music translates the problem into an additional plane of interpretation of the text: the problem of interpretation and performance. Using the example of some episodes from P. I. Tchaikovsky's Second and Fifth Symphonies, the article examines the feature of “open form”, which is particularly characteristic of the composer's work.

Keywords

Umberto Eco, open form, P. I. Tchaikovsky's symphonies, interpretation

For citation

Skvortsova, Irina A. 2025. “Interpretation and ‘Open Form’: Similarities and Differences (using Tchaikovsky's symphonies as an example). On the 185th anniversary of the composer's birth.” Zhurnal Obshchestva teorii muzyki / Journal of the Music Theory Society no. 4 (December): 26–32. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26176/otmroo.2025.52.4.003