Accepting the musician as a genius means the concern for outstanding ability of human beings reflects the viewpoint of the emphasis on the artist's individuality, subjectivity, and especially the creativity. In this context, the aesthetics of genius provided the opportunity of establishing the autonomy of arts and the chance of reestablishing the social position of musicians. That is, on the one hand the formation of the concept of genius has a close relation with individual and artistic subjects and on the other hand, is closely related to the development of the Western music. However, does the word "genius" contain just positive meanings? In this thesis, I began with this question and researched the aesthetic meanings of "genius" in the aspect of the artist's subjective identity(subjektive Identität). And I've examined the process and characteristics of the 'identity' in the concept of artist a 'genius' and the relationship between 'genius' and the establishment of the artist's identity in the field of music. In this thesis, I've objectively examined whether the musician could have attained authentic identity as a subject of art as the musician got the recognition of being a genius or not. Then I have thought the internal meanings of representation or the rhetoric of 'artist as a genius'. And I looked on the problems of 'aesthetics of genius' which is so-called 'genius-ideology'. Throughout this process I've critically examined the hidden meanings of 'musical genius' and moreover groped the 'images of genius' which is contemporarily meaningful in the view of these times.

• 오희숙 | Oh, Hee Sook