A Dialogue between Music and Exact Sciences from a Metaphorical-Analogical Correspondence with the Concept of “Dissipative Structures” of Ilya Prigogine (Phowa for solo bass flute, a case study)

Abstract

The work intends to delve into the relationship between music and exact sciences form Ilya Prigogine´s point of view. So, first there is a brief historical tour that shows how the bonding of these two fields occurred; second, we try to understand which the limits of this bonding are; then, it is observed that one of the feasible ways for this dialogue to take place is through metaphor and analogy: both function as concrete tools when establishing the link between music and exact sciences; that is why understanding and developing the concepts of metaphor and analogy is crucial. Finally, the metaphorization-analogization approach itself is explained, namely, the piece for solo bass flute called Phowa (2018) is taken as an example, and it is shown that it has a structural similarity with the notion of “dissipative structures” developed by Prigogine. Nevertheless, the crossing domain (metaphor/analogy) means that, at present, “new” cognitive-creative mechanisms have been developed by the composers at the moment of imagining and thinking their music (in particular, those musics that use very complex sonorities).