The Orphic I: A Philosophical Approach to Musical Collaboration starts from the premise that
music is a realm of intersubjective human experience. Drawing on ideas common to both
hermeneutic and pragmatic aesthetics it examines forms of collaboration involving those who
create perform and listen to music. A new interpretation of the Orpheus myth suggests a model
for thinking about creative interactions where composer and performer adopt each other¿s
perspectives. This imaginative transfer of self¿the Orphic I¿has significant implications both
for the listener¿s perception of authenticity in musical performance and for the interactions
of performers within a musical ensemble. Empathy and entrainment emerge as seminal animating
forces in group music-making providing a non-verbal basis for ethical decision-making among
group members. The originality of The Orphic I is due in part to its truly unique first-person
illustrations of the theoretical theses. But Dean¿s real innovation is in the specificity of
his philosophical approach. His book is a clear example of the applicability of philosophical
knowledge of how ideas that too often remain solely in the realm of academic discourse can
actually ¿work¿ in the discussion of cultural phenomena. ¿Dr Pravda Spasova Professor of
Philosophy National Art Academy Sofia
