Can Composers Express Emotions through Music?

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility that musical composers can reliably convey distinct and definable emotional qualities through pitch, temporal and loudness information contained in a musical score. Five musical composers were provided with a list of six terms relating to emotional states. The terms were: joy, sorrow, excitement, dullness, anger and peace. Each composer was asked to compose short melodies embodying the emotional qualities described by the six terms. Fourteen listeners were played the melodies, and were asked to provide judgments relating to their emotional quality. Melodies were judged to embody the emotional quality intended to be conveyed. Unintended emotional qualities were judged to be present in melodies in varying degrees. The notion that emotional qualities can be effectively conveyed through music is discussed.