The expression of emotion in music

Abstract

The problem of musical expressiveness is this: what do we mean when we ascribe expressive qualities like sadness and happiness to music? In this thesis I discuss and evaluate several possible explanations. In Chapter One I define the problem and dismiss some solutions to it which are not sufficiently plausible to require extended discussion. In Chapter Two I identify the musically expressible emotions and talk about some of the features of these emotions which are relevant to the discussion of musical expressiveness. In Chapters Three and Four I define and discuss emotivist and cognitivist theories of musical expressiveness. I consider the emotivist theories of Peter Mew and John Nolt, and the cognitivist theories of Susanne Langer and Peter Kivy. My conclusion, summarised in Chapter Five, is that some kind of cognitivist account must be the right account of musical expressiveness, and that although it has one weak point, Kivy's account is basically satisfactory.