What philosophy emphasizes the meaning of music through the symbolic representation of nonmusical ideas or events?

The referentialist philosophy is centered on the idea that music can capture and express nonmusical concepts, emotions, or events. Under this philosophy, music serves as a vehicle for conveying meanings that go beyond its intrinsic sound qualities. It suggests that specific musical elements can symbolize or represent external ideas or feelings, allowing listeners to make connections between the music and the world around them.

In contrast to referentialism, other philosophies such as iconicity focus more on direct representations linked to identifiable pictures or experiences, while isomorphism deals with structural parallels between different forms of expression. Expressionism, on the other hand, emphasizes the artist's personal emotional experience and the subjective nature of musical interpretation. It may not specifically address the symbolic relationship between music and external ideas, as referentialism does. Therefore, the strongest emphasis on the symbolic representation of nonmusical ideas is encapsulated in referentialist philosophy.