affections, doctrine of the

affections, doctrine of the

music
also called  Doctrine Of Affects,  German  Affektenlehre,  

      theory of musical aesthetics, widely accepted by late Baroque theorists and composers, that embraced the proposition that music is capable of arousing a variety of specific emotions within the listener. At the centre of the doctrine was the belief that, by making use of the proper standard musical procedure or device, the composer could create a piece of music capable of producing a particular involuntary emotional response in his audience.

      These devices and their affective counterparts were rigorously cataloged and described by such 17th- and 18th-century theorists as Athanasius Kircher, Andreas Werckmeister, Johann David Heinichen, and Johann Mattheson (Mattheson, Johann). Mattheson is especially comprehensive in his treatment of the affections in music. In Der vollkommene Capellmeister (1739; “The Perfect Chapelmaster”), he notes that joy is elicited by large intervals, sadness by small intervals; fury may be aroused by a roughness of harmony coupled with a rapid melody; obstinacy is evoked by the contrapuntal combination of highly independent (obstinate) melodies. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel) (1714–88) and the Mannheim school were exponents of the doctrine.

      The contemplation of the emotional aspect of music is not limited to the Baroque era but may be found throughout the history of music. It is an essential part of ancient Greek musical theory (the doctrine of ethos), it takes on a particular importance in the Romantic movement of the 19th century, and it also occurs in such non-Western music as the Indian raga. It was in the Baroque era, however, that theorists, influenced by the Enlightenment's (Enlightenment) tendency toward encyclopaedic organization of all knowledge, attempted to delineate music into affective categories.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Doctrine of the affections — The doctrine of the affections, also known as the doctrine of affects, doctrine of the passions, theory of the affects, or by the German term Affektenlehre (after the German Affekt; plural Affekte) was a theory in musical aesthetics popular in… …   Wikipedia

  • doctrine of the affections — German Affektenlehre Aesthetic theory of music in the Baroque period. Under the influence of Classical rhetoric, late Baroque theorists and composers held that music is capable of arousing a variety of specific emotions in the listener, and that …   Universalium

  • The Blessed Trinity —     The Blessed Trinity     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Blessed Trinity     This article is divided as follows:          I. Dogma of the Trinity;     II. Proof of the Doctrine from Scripture;     III. Proof of the Doctrine from Tradition;… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • doctrine — /dok trin/, n. 1. a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government: Catholic doctrines; the Monroe Doctrine. 2. something that is taught; teachings collectively: religious doctrine. 3. a body or… …   Universalium

  • The Theory of Moral Sentiments — was written by Adam Smith in 1759. It provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological and methodological underpinnings to Smith s later works, including The Wealth of Nations (1776), A Treatise on Public Opulence (1764) (first published in… …   Wikipedia

  • The Incarnation —     The Incarnation     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Incarnation     I. The Fact of the Incarnation     (1) The Divine Person of Jesus Christ     A. Old Testament Proofs     B. New Testament Proofs     C. Witness of Tradition     (2) The Human… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Primer —     The Primer     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Primer     The common English name for a book of devotions which from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century was the ordinary prayer book used by the laity. The contents of these books varied… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Enlightenment (The Scottish) — The Scottish Enlightenment M.A.Stewart INTRODUCTION The term ‘Scottish Enlightenment’ is used to characterize a hundred years of intellectual and cultural endeavour that started around the second decade of the eighteenth century. Our knowledge of …   History of philosophy

  • Doctrine adventiste de la santé — La doctrine adventiste de la santé comprend huit principes sanitaires appelés les huit lois de la santé ou les huit remèdes naturels . Ils sont un enseignement des croyances fondamentales (croyance 22 : éthique chrétienne) de l Eglise… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Second Amendment to the United States Constitution — The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre existing individual right to possess and carry weapons (i.e. keep and bear arms ) in case of confrontation.… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”