The aim of the present paper is to analyse briefly the complicated references to musical composition in the work of Claude Levi-Strauss. In his monumental tetralogy entitled 'Mythologiques', Levi-Strauss considers the musical composition as a paradigm for structural analysis of myths. In this respect, the author compares Levi-Strauss' position with that of Pierre Schaeffer whose project of the 'concrete music' is strongly criticised by Levi-Strauss. In the second part of the text, Levi-Strauss' structural analysis of Wagner's operas are examined, as well as the criticism addressed to Levi-Strauss by Jean-Jacques Nattiez - universalist pretension and vagueness of the method based upon binary oppositions seems to represent weak points of Levi-Strauss' impressive effort to set new bases for human sciences.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.