Musical expression
Musical expression is the art of conveying emotions through music, whether performed vocally or instrumentally. It involves various technical elements such as timbre, loudness, and phrasing, which musicians manipulate to evoke specific feelings in their listeners. Historically, the concept of music as an emotional medium is relatively modern, with music not being regarded as an art form until the nineteenth century. Before this period, early musicians primarily focused on technical aspects rather than emotional conveyance. The evolution of musical expression includes significant developments in tempo instructions and dynamics, with Italian terminology becoming standard in music education worldwide. Dynamics, or the variation in loudness, play a crucial role in expressing emotions, as soft notes can indicate tranquility while loud notes may suggest excitement or anger. Additionally, phrasing—the way notes are grouped together—contributes to the music's emotional impact. Ultimately, while listeners may interpret music differently based on their personal experiences, the composer's intentions remain central to the expression conveyed in a musical piece.
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Musical expression
Musical expression is the art of infusing emotion into a musical performance. It can be performed vocally or instrumentally. Certain technical elements of music denote this expression, including timbre, loudness, and phrasing. Musicians often structure musical expression to embody a recognizable emotion and to make listeners feel this emotion. Musical expression is a relatively modern invention. The idea that music can be expressive of emotions is a departure from the technical views shared by early musicians. Music was not considered an art form until the nineteenth century. It then gradually became a source of emotional release for musicians and listeners. Studies show that the most common reason people listen to music is to influence emotions. Data such as this have led scientists to study how music manipulates emotion.
Overview
The earliest instances of musical expression date back to the ninth century, found in the tempo instructions of musical manuscripts. Tempo is the speed at which a musical composition is performed. These tempo directions acquired greater form in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with the introduction of Italian terms that informed the speed and style of a composition. Terms such as andante, allegro, and adagio indicate different musical speeds. Other terms specified the loudness of a work, such as crescendo and forte. Italian terms for musical instruction gained widespread usage in the centuries following and became a part of standard music instruction throughout the world.
Musical expression involves several technical aspects of music composition. Musical dynamics instruct musicians on how loud or soft a piece of music should be played. Musicians can employ dynamics for emotional effect. For example, many composers write music that uses soft notes to express tranquility or sadness. Conversely, loud notes often are expressive of anger or excitement. The dynamics of sound play an important role in musical expression but are not solely responsible for its execution.
Composers often quicken the tempo of a piece of music to express feelings of urgency. Musicians also employ musical phrasing to shape expression. Phrasing involves the grouping of musical notes in a sequence that produces a specific melody. Phrasing ends with cadence, or the harmonic resolution of a musical composition. Cadence gives the music's rhythm an energy, which describes the composer's expressive intentions. A piece of music invokes varying emotions among those who listen to it, depending on where the listener's sympathies lie. The composer, however, is the truest interpreter of a composition's musical expression.
Bibliography
Davies, Steven. Musical Meaning and Expression. Cornell University Press, 1994.
Juslin, Patrik N., and John Sloboda, editors. Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Applications. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Kim, Aimee Jeehae. "Differential Effects of Musical Expression of Emotions and Psychological Distress on Subjective Appraisals and Emotional Responses to Music." Behavioral Sciences, 11 June 2023, vol. 13, no. 6, p. 491, doi.org/10.3390/bs13060491. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Niles, Laurie. “Forget Playing with 'Feeling': Build Your Musical Expression.” Violinist.com, 20 Dec. 2017, www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/201712/24567. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
“What Is Musical Expression?” SoundOn, www.soundon.global/forum/define-musical-expression?lang=en. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.