Empfindsamkeit: A musical style characterized by expressive, sensitive, and intimate emotion, often featuring sudden changes in dynamics and tempo to convey deep feeling.
Context and Significance
Empfindsamkeit holds a pivotal place in 18th-century music, bridging the Baroque and Classical periods. This style emphasizes emotional expression, making it particularly significant in chamber and solo instrumental music. Empfindsamkeit is often associated with the keyboard works of C.P.E. Bach, where it showcases the ability to convey nuanced feelings through music. The style encourages a personal, introspective experience, inviting listeners into the emotional world of the performer. Its influence is apparent in compositions across Europe, impacting various genres and instruments.
Historical Background
Emerging in the mid-18th century, Empfindsamkeit, or “sensitivity,” is deeply rooted in the cultural movement of the Enlightenment, which valued individual emotion and expression. C.P.E. Bach, a key figure in its development, crafted music that departed from the ornate complexities of the Baroque, favoring a more direct and emotive approach. This style evolved as a reaction against the strict forms of the era, seeking to capture the fluctuating nature of human emotion. It paved the way for the later Romantic emphasis on personal expression in music.
Examples
Empfindsamkeit is vividly exemplified in C.P.E. Bach’s keyboard sonatas, such as his “Sonata in A Minor, Wq. 49/1,” where sudden dynamic shifts and expressive pauses highlight the emotive quality of the music. The style is also evident in the works of Carl Friedrich Abel and Johann Gottfried Müthel, whose compositions demonstrate the intricate balance between structure and emotional depth. These pieces often employ unexpected harmonic progressions and rhythmic variations to evoke an intimate and personal musical dialogue.
Related Terms
Sturm und Drang: A movement emphasizing dramatic emotion and individualism.
Galant Style: A light, elegant musical style preceding Empfindsamkeit.
Sentimentalism: A broader cultural emphasis on emotion and sensitivity.