The Musical Score of Emotions
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Musical Score of Emotions Music arouses emotions. But exactly what people feel when listening to a piece of music and how they express these feelings is influenced mainly by the times they live in and their culture. A research group led by Sven Oliver Müller at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin has carried out research on the changing emotions in Europe’s musical life, focusing in particular on the impact of music’s communal spirit. TEXT PETRA MIES Photo: Corbis 32 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 15 FOCUS_Music ncle Martin, who is in his Will Martin and Niklas experience sim- Reverent silence or loud enthusiasm: late 40s, wants to give his ilar feelings in the crowd when they at- The behavior of an audience is influenced nephew Niklas, who recent- tend the concert in Berlin’s Tempodrom by the culture, time and environment. ly turned 16, a treat. “It will arena in November? Will the nephew telling stories from her long life. Anna, be fantastic,” announces respond in a similar way to his uncle who is thinking about the fact that she U the older man. “I managed to get hold who, like so many others in the audi- once again hasn’t practiced the piano, of tickets for the Simple Minds con- ence, will remember the 1980s and the is looking forward to spending the eve- cert, they are amazing. We can go to- rebellious mood of his youth? ning with her beloved great-grandma. gether.” His nephew looks puzzled. But she’s not sure if Beethoven, played “Simple Minds? Do they actually still EMOTIONS AND THE in the stiff atmosphere of the Berliner perform?” The boy knows little or CHANGING TIMES Philarmonie, will move her in a simi- nothing about the Scottish band that lar way to the wild concert by German has been one of his uncle’s musical Anna, 14 years old, and her great grand- rapper Cro she recently attended with icons since his teenage years. His un- mother, who will soon be 90, have very her friends. cle rummages around, shows him re- different concert plans. “The Berlin A rock party mood in one instance cords, CDs and photo albums, plays Philharmonic!” cries the old lady again and sublime-tasteful classical music in him songs, revels in the music and and again. “Beethoven’s Fourth and the other – when it comes to the expe- tells him stories about things that hap- Seventh! I heard them when Wilhelm rience of music, contrasting emotions pened back then. “Here, look, here I Furtwängler was still principal conduc- compete. am with my friends Michi and Klaus, tor, and Karajan too! Those were such What do people feel when they hear it was crazy.” great times,” says Henriette, and starts the same thing in public with others? > Photo: Aleksandar Kamasi/Shutterstock.com 4 | 15 MaxPlanckResearch 33 FOCUS_Music » The function assumed by brass band music, workers’ anthems and pop tunes at such major events shouldn’t be underestimated. They don’t serve the purpose of individual listening pleasure, but the “we feeling.” Does everything sound equally joyful to relationship between music and emo- cal party conferences, whose media per- everyone because the composer com- tions is constituted not only by man ception is dominated more by strong posed a certain passage of the piece in a and sound, but also by the body and television images than musical associa- particular way, or simply sad in other knowledge, taste and communities.” tions. Nevertheless, the function as- places? And what influences people’s re- Music is the language of feelings. A sumed by brass band music, workers’ an- sponse in the process? Do their environ- platitude, perhaps. But according to thems and pop tunes at such large-scale ment, era and education play a role? Müller, the fact that these emotions are events shouldn’t be underestimated. How, when and why do groups form in also shaped by learned musical and non- They don’t serve the purpose of individ- society through musical practices? How musical experiences and taste patterns ual listening pleasure, but the generation important are shared interests, friend- and, above all, by shared listening, cre- of a “we feeling.” Music can hold a group ships and enmities? And to what extent ates “complex textures.” These include together and direct it in a subtle way. did emotions in Europe change over the dancing concert goers as well as the per- course of the 19th and 20th centuries, formances led by virtuoso conductors. EXPOSURE TO HARD ROCK AS and where do the continuities lie? In order to investigate these phe- A TORTURE METHOD These are the questions explored by nomena, the research group studied a the scientists working on the Felt Com- huge number of sources. It scrutinized But it can also exert strong control. As munities? Emotions in European Music Per- audio and visual documents, music cri- far back as the world wars, occupying formances research project. The project tiques, fan publications, diaries, letters, powers used music as part of their occu- started five years ago and at its high- memorabilia, and merchandising prod- pation strategy, and music also served as point involved almost 20 doctoral stu- ucts. Music is ultimately only all of a propaganda tool and source of resis- dents, postdoc fellows, academic staff these things combined. tance. Depending on the circumstances, members and assistants. The project is Whether concert audiences scream music was intended to humiliate, en- due to conclude with a workshop on the or are so silent that every little cough courage and even torture those who history of emotions and music, as well represents an unpleasant interruption, heard it. Wars that involve the use of as further future research perspectives. or whether music triggers a profound music and the associated emotions con- happiness in them or makes them ag- tinue to the present day. For example, in DANCING AUDIENCES, gressive is not, in any way, grounded in 2004 the US military made use of not VIRTUOSO CONDUCTORS their individuality. As the 46-year-old only bombers but also aggressive music historian explains, it is only through in the Iraqi city of Falluja, which became Historian and Research Group Leader the interplay of zeitgeist, education and established as a rebel stronghold under Sven Oliver Müller sees the question as emotions that the codes of musical the American occupation. Giant speak- to whether and how music, education practices arise and enable us to under- ers bombarded the rebels with the mu- and emotions are linked as “a fascinating stand how people perceive them. Com- sic of hard rock bands Metallica and AC/ topic in which all the answers inspire munication in musical life fulfils four DC. And, according to Müller, this is not more curiosity about other questions.” ideal-type functions: “It serves the pur- the only example of “music being used According to Müller, this topic can- poses of information, opinion forma- on a martial basis to exercise force and not be considered in isolation from the tion, socialization and entertainment.” power over the human mind and body.” relevant social and cultural back- The extent to which it can create and In her seminars, Marie Louise Herz- ground, historical situation, societal threaten communities is often underes- feld-Schild repeatedly draws attention to discourses, and social practices. “The timated. One need only think of politi- the fact that the emotional impact of 34 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 15 Fostering community: Musical interludes have a permanent place at political party conferences. Newly elected party chairman Matthias Platzeck (middle) joined in the performance of the miners’ choir at the SPD party conference in 2005. music is particularly strong when it is er reports how, during the project, his- Sibelius make people sadder than eight experienced in a group. “I show the stu- torians, sociologists, musicologists and bars of Mozart’.” However, despite the dents that even soft historical factors in even anthropologists jointly investigat- broad nature of the topic, they succeed- this cultural context enable well-found- ed the auditory experience in Europe ed in providing a clearer picture of the ed statements to be made about society,” over the last two centuries. sociological power of musical sounds. explains the philosopher, who holds a “In our team, with its accumulated doctorate in musicology. If you only ex- THE SOCIOLOGICAL POWER OF specialist knowledge, ‘change’ was al- amine how the body reacts to certain MUSICAL SOUNDS ways the connecting and key concept musical phrases, if you only measure for our work,” adds Müller. “The forms brain flows without considering the def- Neurologists and psychologists also of musical emotions that were experi- inition of music and its reception and came to a summer school held in Ber- enced at a Roman opera or religious ser- social-aesthetic context, it is practically lin two years ago to participate in an vice in 1810 are not identical to those impossible to understand the emotion- unusual forum involving disciplines experienced at a punk concert in Liver- al state of an era or group. “The concept that usually tend to work on a separate pool in 1997.” of music involved here is very broad,” basis. Müller fondly remembers how To put it succinctly, collective emo- stresses the 33-year-old researcher. productive it was to discuss different tions during the experience of music This macro-understanding constant- methodological approaches and com- also have their fashions, and the way ly prompted the Max Planck research bine them whenever possible. “Need- they should be assessed within their team to work on an interdisciplinary ba- less to say, we didn’t succeed in reduc- specific context also changes.