Baroque

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The Musical Language: The Theory of the Affections

This is the central theme of the baroque, and refers to the manner in which passions and the state of mind are reflected in the music. Already in ancient times there was thought to be a strong relationship between music and the state of mind, which eventually led to an ethical evaluation of music (Plato).

Expressing affects through music

Late renaissance and early baroque music, the classical and late Italian madrigal and musica reservata (music with heightened expressiveness, presenting the text to the listener with a greater intensity) in particular consciously express the affections through music: Joy is shown by major tonalities, consonances, high tessitura, fast tempi (allegro); sadness by minor tonalities, dissonances, low registers, slow tempi (mesto). The execution of a piece also affects the expression, for example not articulating the intervals in sad pieces.

Descartes distinguishes 6 sorts of affects:

• admiration
• love (amour)
• hate (haine)
• desire (désir)
• joy (joie)
• sadness (tristesse)

Affections are highly stylized

Musical instruments also express the affections, for example when playing in different keys. All musical affections are highly stylized.

As well as Descartes, others write about the theory of the affections: Marin Mersenne Athanasius Kircher , Johann Mattheson .