Don Satz on hysteria:

>This is a subjective area, and also depends on how one defines hysteria.
>Bypassing the "clinical" element of the word, I define hysteria as
>"emotional excess." I believe that this definition applies very well to
>Tchaikovsky whose music, to my ears, often flies into the excessive
>category for no reason I can gather other than it reflected his basic
>insecurities.

Could you be more specific? I think his climaxes are well prepared and
motivated, that's why I don't consider them excessive.

>There is nothing in Haydn's output that I sense to be hysterical in theme
>or content.  After all, it's the "classical" period.

In his fast movements there's almost an excessive happiness on the verge
to hysteria.  Hysterical happiness, Haydn is going in a spin.....

As you probably understand, I think hysteria is something positive (at
least in music).

Mikael
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