Was it on this list recently that I read that the association of the minor key with sadness is a very recent, 19th-century historical development? Our emotions are now so habituated to making this association. Which composer/s is/are the leading culprit/s? Is there, nonetheless, a built-in universal human response of sadness to the minor key? What are earlier counterexamples -- minor key music expressing joy, triumph? Can modern ears still recognize the original emotional intention?
Bob Merkin
Kate Clunies-Ross wrote:
Quite! And in addition it occurs to me that depression and tension could be
described as the exact opposite of 'ecstasy" ...they are states when you are
locked inside yourself, trapped without any ability to reach out to new
emotions, with no hope of touching the reality outside. Gould's music can
unlock the door of that prison. (Well, I think thats so, anyway). I believe
someone once wrote that he thought it the greatest complement if someone
considered his music to be 'therapeutic'. I'm not 100% certain what he meant
by this, but it certainly beats pills and potions!
Kate