Roland Barthes kao slušatelj

Abstract

Two different ‘tones’ of speaking about listening are discernible in Roland Barthes’ writings on music. The first one describes listening as something passive and receptive, and places it in the bourgeois culture, which for Barthes, is a negative context. The second is the tone Barthes uses to describe his own listening. Regarding the fact that when speaking about his own listening, Barthes will often mention the body, as well as his piano practice, he can easily be thought of as an amateur player rather than a listener. This paper examines the possibilities for thinking about Barthes as someone who listens and not only someone who plays.