Wiktionary
n. instrumental music having an intellectual and affective content, which depends solely on its rhythmic, melodic, and contrapuntal structure.(quote-book year=1971 pages=5 author=Costello, Robert B. et al. title=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language passsage=absolute music)
Wikipedia
Absolute music (sometimes abstract music) is music that is not explicitly "about" anything; in contrast to program music, it is non- representational. The idea of absolute music developed at the end of the 18th century in the writings of authors of early German Romanticism, such as Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder, Ludwig Tieck and E. T. A. Hoffmann but the term was not coined until 1846 where it was first used by Richard Wagner in a programme to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The aesthetic ideas underlying the absolute music debate relate to Kant's aesthetic disinterestedness from his Critique of Aesthetic Judgment, and has led to numerous arguments among musicians, composers, music historians and critics.
Usage examples of "absolute music".
Your first remark should be that you don't really care for the human voice--the reason being, of course, that symphonic Music, ABSOLUTE music, has spoiled you for things like vocal gymnastics.