From Body to Sound: Gesture Decoded through Musical Analysis

Abstract

This article examines gesture as a form of cultural and musical expression, highlighting its semantic variability across cultures and artistic contexts. In music, gesture transcends physical movement, functioning as a central element in emotional communication and the structuring of sonic discourse. The theories of Hatten, Larson, and Lidov are analysed, with particular focus on the "virtual environmental forces" (gravity, magnetism, inertia) that shape the understanding of musical motion. These concepts are applied to José Luís Postiga's triptych "Eternity" (2015-2017), which transforms prosodic and dialectal elements into musical gestures, exploring contrasts between time and eternity. The study concludes that musical gesture serves as a bridge between compositional intent and auditory perception, integrating biological and cultural codes. Furthermore, it suggests future research into gesture in human-technological interactions, thereby advancing theoretical and analytical frameworks for the study of music and movement as interpretive elements of textual dynamics in artistic works.