Alan Dudley's remarks about emotion in music--and the particular question
as to whether composers and performers feel them (or need to)--reminds
me of a comment from Beethoven, early in his career as a piano virtuoso.
Beethoven said that he took delight (I believe he was talking about his
improvisations) in manipulating the emotional state of his audience. I'd
have to read the passage again, but my recollection was that he revealed
himself to be quite distant from the mood that he conjured up on the piano,
by no means feeling these emotions but quite aware analytically of the
means he was using to evoke them.
Nick
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