Thoughts · 23 March 2026
The Soul of Interpretation — From Affect to Expression
Anabasis and katabasis, the minor second as the saddest interval, the eight-bar period. On the craft of expression.
“Music must come from the soul” — the motto runs through the history of interpretation. In the Baroque, affect was the central concept of musical aesthetics: the depiction of human emotion as the true aim of music. The idea that music should simply be beautiful would have seemed foreign to people of the eighteenth century.
Composers commanded a rich arsenal of means. The choice of key, the melodic contour, tempo, dynamics and articulation were not accidental but served the deliberate depiction of an affect. An ascending melody (anabasis) called for a crescendo and conveyed positive feeling or entreaty; a descending line (katabasis) called for a decrescendo and expressed sorrow or submission.
Intervals too carried symbolic meaning. The minor second was held to be the saddest interval; chromatic descents across a fourth, the passus duriusculus, symbolised intense pain. Large consonant intervals such as the fourth or fifth expressed energy and positivity, dissonant ones negative emotion. Regular melodic patterns pointed to peaceful affects, irregular ones to confusion or agitation.
Rhythm was equally significant. Shorter note values indicated higher emotional arousal, longer ones calm. Repeated semiquavers depicted excitement or combativeness. Combining short values with wide intervals intensified the expression. The same held for metre: regular patterns suggested predictability, irregular ones unrest.
What does this mean for us? An ascending melody calls for a natural crescendo, a descending one for a decrescendo. The step is articulated differently from the leap. The passus duriusculus demands particular emphasis to convey its meaning of deep disturbance.
These principles apply beyond the Baroque. In Mozart’s violin concertos we recognise the principles of the musical period: eight bars, divided into two four-bar phrases, each bar with its own interpretative function. The first bar is strong and accented, the second lighter and unaccented, the third somewhat accented but less than the first, the fourth very light. This basic pattern shapes all Classical music.
In the end it is about more than historical correctness: it is about grasping the soul of the music. Every musician brings their own experience. Sometimes it helps to tell oneself stories — Mozart’s A major Concerto as a wedding scene, the Adagio as a speech of love, the following Allegro as a joyful feast. Interpretation is a journey that never ends.
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