Towards a Definition of the Term Musical Translation—Musical Arrangement, Cover Version, and Performance in the Light of Musicological Research

In this chapter, a preliminary theoretical attempt is undertaken to examine the applicability of the term ‘translation’ in reference to music and to define its scope. The point of departure is a critical discussion of the definitions of musical phenomena (arrangement/transcription, cover version, performance) that are said to fall into the category of musical translation, as provided by musicological research. Further, the experience of musicians themselves, conveyed through written documents that refer to those phenomena is made use of—as far as it is possible—in order to find out more about different strategies of ‘translating’ music. This part is followed by a summary of some of the most recent musicological research in which the term ‘translation’ is used in reference to music, either as a metaphor or as a methodological basis. Next, the role of arrangement and performance is discussed from the perspective of musical semiosis. Finally, the possibility of integrating the whole area of intersemiotic negotiations between music and other semiotic systems into the scope of musical translation is taken into consideration.