Peter Manuel wondered about those...

>...who argue that although one may be deeply moved by "sad" music (or
>'sad' passages), that experience, however perhaps marked by a lump in
>the throat, is not in fact sadness per se (if it were, why would we enjoy
>it?),

Why not?  This assumes that we enjoy only 'positive' feelings, and are
averse to their opposites.  I don't know about this.  Why would anyone
attend a "weepie"?  I think most consider that both kinds of feeling are
worth visiting, can teach us something, are part of life.  And I don't
think it's joy at others' pain, schadenfreude.

Sad music certainly moves (obviously; can't think of any music that
doesn't), though it doesn't necessarily move to sadness.  This urge to
be moved for a spell is IMO the real dichotomy: between being stirred
and numbness -- its undesired opposite, which most try to avoid.

So music we call sad can stir, can even evoke sad thoughts ...but a leaf
falling can do that too.  As does sublime music; hence the tears that
come during some concerts.

Bert Bailey