How can we define the referential systems by which music is determined and through which music gets its own sense and meaning? What is the relation between these systems? Such questions are of particular weight in relation to current music practices, characterized by a great many analytical procedures and hermeneutical views. The questions raised open a Series of different thematic fields presented in this book. The authors allocate the place of music to the field of aesthetic autonomy or describe its specific sign system(s). Special attention is focused on the systems of musicological contextualization and the meaning/understanding of music in different historical and/or functional contexts, from traditional liturgical chant up to recent compositions. Various contributions in the collection are dedicated to the relation between music and film, while others deal with the special sociological conditions that constitute some specific musical praxis, such as folk or rock music.