The Theory Of The Doctrine Of Affections

The Theory Of The philosophy Of AffectionsWe will doubt, outset, whether all of the things that have fallen under our senses, or which we have forever imagined, any one (of them) really exist in the first place, beca occasion, we know by experience that the senses sometimes err and it would be imprudent to trust alike much to what has once deceived us secondly, in dreamswe imagine numerable objects which have no existence.1In this quote Descartes explains that senses be unreliable and that we cannot trust them for they have been turn out to lie. It is interesting, then, that medicine is such a popular art form, for it depends heavily, and almost solely upon listening. While a full knowledge and understanding of music cannot be discoer from a purely auditory approach, simply listening to music has the ability to subconsciously entice emotions within an audience. This link between mood and sonority grew from antediluvian Greek philosophy and extended well beyond the eighteen th-century, but came to its height during the Baroque Period (ca. 1570-1780). The Baroque idea called the Doctrine of Affections held this idea to be on- differentiate it was the belief which held that by making use of the appropriate and established musical methods of the time, the composer could get to a piece of music which was able to produce a special and involuntary emotional response within the audience. It was a compilation of honey oilghts and musical techniques from many composers and philosophers from age of the Enlightenment, most prevalently Ren Descartes.2As previously stated, some of the principles of this concept interpret back centuries, to philosophers such as Aristotle, who showed that orators employed the rhetorical means to control and necessitate the emotions of their audiences.3 However, musically the idea came to its height during the age of the Enlightenment and can be seen throughout Baroque music in instrumental pieces of great composers such as Bach and Rameau, but is especially profound in opera, imputable to the greater emotional stimulation ca utilise by music and text simultaneously portrayed.The Theory of the Doctrine of Affections originated with Descartes. Descartes believed that music was centered on rationalized truth he held that the ideas of science may not be favorable to the arts, but the understanding of science enhanced the arts possibilities. This idea relates back to his rationalist idea which was represented in the Doctrine of Affections that knowledge is found in concepts, principles, and laws, and not just in experiences or unrefined sensations.4 As such, by using scientific inquiry to understanding the biologic workings of the form it was possible to attain accuracy and specific truth upon these systems which could then be used within music to rouse charitable emotions, and hence could increase the potential of the arts. But, simultaneouslyBy using empirical observationthey may come to accept some syst em which has logical consistency, but unforesightful relevance to the world in which we live.5Using the ideas of scientific observation in this way could greatly inhibit the very purpose of musical stockion.The very invertebrate foot of the Doctrine of Affections can be summed up by a rationalist idea, which states that when human emotions and thoughts were suitably written within the poetry or libretto for a extra composition, the texts could then be enhanced with a proper musical line, in an attempt to bring intellectual abstractions into the realm of the cultate concrete.6 The Passions, according to DescarteInclude love, sadness, hatred, desire, wonder, delight, and sorrow. Passions argon predicated by actions of the soul and set into motion by contents of the blood stream. The soul is excited by the moving passions which direct a mans will. It is on the passions, full or evil, that life depends. Passions have an effect on the psyche, and uses the idea believed by philosop hers and Biologists, that passions are found in the spirits contained in the blood stream.7Each passion is associated with a specific physiological symptom. For example, the breath might accelerate and the heart beat may quicken. Descartes believed that it was possible to predict the external emotions that would upshot from the various passions the music intended to wind. His influence over composition was remarkable.8Writers that followed, such as Johann Mattheson, described the composers thought process towards composition as such that the music does not express the emotion of the composer to be, for example, sad and anguished, but rather the composers attempt to create a work of art which would sadden the listeners. Also, he says that this emotional power which the music has over the listener is not necessarily outwardly shown, but the emotional effect is personal and comes from the listeners individual experiences.9Descartes Compendium Musicae and his Traite des passionse lame (catalogues or compilations of the base human passions10), which became popular during the Baroque period became widely studied. These publications were two of many of the age, but were the first to give musicians tangible and practical directions for appropriate and affective use of intervals, for example, apt emotions tended to be represented with wide intervals, while sadness was represented with narrower intervals.11As aforementioned, the emotional reaction to the effect which music has upon the body, used in attempt to direct the emotions of the audience, was particularly profound when used in vocal music music, especially opera, due to the text to music sexual intercourseship which enhanced the expressive development. This was a concept before derived from Greek and Latin Doctrines on rhetoric and oratory12 and withal expressed within the philosophy of the Doctrine of Affections. In each individual piece, the composer would try to arouse a particular type of emotion with in the audience, for example, hate, anger, jealousy, or rage, but would only use one emotion at a time. He would use particular musical devises to entice emotion within the listener, which would parallel the ability of text to do the same.13One of the most famous of Baroque composers was Handel. He believed that perspicuousness and simplicity had the greatest effect upon human emotion as he endeavored to write for the voice, more in the natural tones of the human affections and passions.14( A study in Handelian Thought 55)As such, Handel composed greatly within the concepts of the Doctrine of Affections, in attempt to provoke the passions and incite human emotions. Also, conductor Nicholas McGegan believes that Handel had great brain wave into underlining human emotion and his characters are absolutely human.15As previously stated, Handel composed within the realm of the philosophy of the Doctrine of Affections. As such, his arias and oratorios are written in such a way to combine the emotional context of the libretto with a musical line which would unconsciously bring about predetermined emotions within the audience. cardinal types of arias found during the Baroque period were those that depicted rage, rapture, and lost love. consort to Johann Mattheson rage is much better at using all forms of musical inventions than more gentle passions. However, it is not adequate enough to simply use loud dynamics and quick rhythms, as this violent quality has its own personality and requires forceful feel without losing sight of the beauty of the musical line.16The main devices used during a rage aria can be seen in an expanded theory of intervals explained by the Philosopher and Composer Rameau. Assuming that the basic human qualities of rage include anger, violence, sorrow, graveness, harshness, and aggression, Rameau would conclude that a rage aria would include whole and half steps, used to represent anger or sadness due to the contraction of the body minor thi rds, descending fourths, augmented fourths, minor sixths, and major s level offths. Also rage or anger would be seen in a turbulent tempo and most likely a minor find.17The rage arias of Handel directly follow this division.Handels famous aria Empio, dir, tu sei from his opera Giulio Cesare is a classic example of a insaneness aria. The first importance of this piece in terms of the Doctrine of Affections is the textEmpio, dir, tu seiTogliti agli occhi mieiSie tutto crudeltNon di re quell cor,Che donasi al rigorChe in sen non ha pieta(I say you are a villain,Remove yourself from my sight,You are cruelty itself.This is not the heart of a kingThat abandons itself to such harshness,That contains no pity.)This is Giulio Cesares furious Act 1 aria in which he chastises the Egyptian general, Achilla, who has just returned to him the detached head of the Pompeo, the noble Roman general. This aria expresses Ceasars rage, and as such, Handel wrote it in c minor and in the tempo Allegro. The aria also includes many speed scales, arpeggios, and uneven figures. From the very first opening line, the orchestral overture creates uneasiness and dread in the listener by use of running scales, large leaps, and fumbling intervals (m1- 9) this agitation is affirmed by a very strong vocal entrance by the castrato, Giulio Cesare, which begins with a descending scaler line and is followed by larger leaps (m.11). . Throughout, the vocal line can be described as extremely intense- containing extensive coloratura with rushing scales (m14-16 m24-25 32-34), arpeggios, and drastic interval changes would create an understanding of rage even in a listener who did not understand the phrases, for example, when Cesare says Sie tutto crudelt (You are cruelty itself), the vocal line implements jumping intervals as well as a draft chromatic passage (m35-37) Also, throughout the piece the orchestra is particularly restless, and includes running passages, large leaps, arpeggiated figures, which also create an uneasiness. All of these factors contribute to quickening the heartbeat of the listener, providing them with an emotional relation and understanding of Giulio Cesare, just as if they, themselves were the raging party. The understanding of the text along with the extreme musical line and accompaniment creates an even more vivid mental picture of Cesares intense anger and rage and pulls the listener even further into the emotion, raising the blood pressure further and thus, physiologically causing the raging and uneasy emotion within the listener.Among the passions was also the emotion of joy. Mattheson held thatjoy was an expansion of our soul, and thus it follows that reasonably and naturally that one could best express this affect by large and expanded intervals.18According to Rameau merry music was also represented by great intervals, but additionally was shown with Major key and fast tempo.19The Air Oh Had I Jubals lyre from the Oratorio Joshua by Handel im plements these philosophies within the vocal line and orchestral accompaniment.Oh, had I Jubals lyre,Or Miriams tuneful voiceTo sounds like his I would aspire,In songs like hers rejoice.My humble strains but faintly show,How much to Heavn and thee I owe.This is one of Handels later works, and it is based upon the biblical stories of Joshua. Essentially, Moses and the Israelites, later being freed from Egypt are told by God that they must maintain their faith to him for 40 years in the wilderness before being allowed into the promise land, they do not obey him and send in spies to check out the land after two years. Long story short, Joshua and Caleb, of the younger generation maintain their faith within God and are thus allowed to enter the Promise land, while the disbelievers perished in the desert. In the bible, Jubal is quoted as being the ancestor of all who handle lyre and pipe20and Miriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron who was believed to have been a prophet. This is a sim ple song of happiness and value sung by Achsah, the daughter or Caleb. Firstly, the piece is written in A major and in the tempo Allegro. From the opening of the piece, large and sonorous intervals and chords are heard and a feeling of ease and happiness is apparent. When the soprano, Achsah enters, her line outlines an A major chord (m 10-11) and continues to move within a beautiful major key area. Although in some parts of the piece there are running passages (m21-24 m41-44 m 46-47) there continues to be large intervals and major chords throughout the accompaniment below. This constancy below the quickly moving and florid passages allows the emotion of joy and happiness to be maintained throughout the piece. The piece begins and ends in a major key and throughout it implements large intervals and a consonant tone. These foundations musically create a joyous emotion within the audience because they entice openness within the body physiologically the listeners emotional reaction, therefore directly parallels the sonority of the musical line and accompaniment.Another of the passions outlined by Descartes included love. Within opera, a common theme of unrequited or lost love is prevalent. This absence of love, which is sought by a character, brings about an emotion which is a combination of sadness and hope, and abstractly creates love. On sadness Mattheson statesSadness is a contraction of the subtle parts of out bodyit is easy to see that the small and smallest intervals are most suitable for this passion.21To create the feeling of lost love, this emotion is combined with the passion for hope. In regards to this emotion Mattheson explainsHope is a pleasant and soothing thing it consists of a joyful passion which fills the spirit with certain courage. Hence, this effect demands the loveliest use of voice and the sweetest combination of sounds in the world, for which courageous longing serves as a spur as it were yet so that even joy is only moderate, courage nevertheless enlivens and animates everything, which yields the best combination and uniting of sounds in composition.22This combination of the passions of sadness and hope can be used to understand the emotion of love. Mattheson shows thisLove is in fact essentially a diffusion of the spirits.23Love is therefore a diffusion or combination of joy or hope (expansion) and sadness (contraction), depending upon the type of love which is occurring. For example new and young love would be represented in a more joyous way, with larger and more expansive intervals musically. However, lost or unrequited love would be represented to attract sadness or small intervals, but also to entice hope, by using larger and more expansive intervals which are pleasant and soothing, because the character continues maintains some hope that love will eventually result from the sadness and loss, thus musically drawing the listeners into their melancholy but optimistic emotion.The philosophies of the Doctrine of Affections can again be seen in the aria O Sleep, why dost thou leave me? from the opera Semele by Handel.O sleep,O sleep, why dost thou leave me?Why doust thou leave me?Why thy visionary joys remove?O sleep,O sleep,O sleep again deceive me,O sleep again devieve me,To my arms posit my wandring love,My wandring love,Restore my wandring love,Again deceive me,O sleep,To my arms, restore my wandring love.The plot line of the opera is essentially thus Semele is in love with Jupiter, but is about to Marry a man called Cadmus at the temple of Juno. out front the ceremony, however, Semele is snatched from the temple and taken to the heavens where Jupiter builds her a grand palace. Juno is angered by this and asks the god of sleep, Somnus, to help her in her revenge. In this aria Semele has been deprived of sleep, and thus, deprived of her dreams of her lover who cannot be with her. The piece is written in a major key, but in the tempo largo. This, from the first chord of the piano, sh ows the parallel between happiness and sadness that are present during lost love, the emotion of hope can be seen in the large interval jumps in the left hand of the piano accompaniment (m1-4) Semeles first phrase is very quiet, slow and repetitive it uses a beautiful scalar line of second intervals to show her anguish for the loss of her lover within dreams. underneath her beautiful line is a similarly running pattern within the piano, which is characterized with some leaps to bring about a slight feeling of hope and happiness (m 8 in both hands m 9 in both hands m11-end in the arpegiated left hand) The sadness comes to a height on the second page when there is a long running passage upon the word wandring, (m 17-18), but hope is seen in the ending of the piece with the interval leaps upon the word restore, coming to the climatic and beautifully quiet G sharp, before desending again into sadness (m24-25).