Donald Satz wrote:

>Stirling had mentioned "recall" which would allow the composer to feel a
>particular emotion.  In addition, I think a composer can feel an emotion
>without actually having experienced it in the past; it's called empathy.
>
>Regardless of where this feeling is coming from, the significant thing to
>me is that the composer feel the emotion at the time of composition.

Which time of composition? When the idea first hits and it goes into a
notebook as a fragment? When it is being worked on in a contrapuntal way,
as Bartok did in his quartets? When it comes up as material later reworked
and used in a different form, as Beethoven did? When it is rearranged, an
entire movement dropped and another added as Mahler did? What time frame
are we talking about for this emotional feeling?

Music isn't composed directly from raw emotion, except in those cheap
pseudo-biographical films.  It is an intellectual as well as an emotional
experience.  I don't even see how it would be possible for a composer to
write under the influence of a strong emotional surge.  People in the heat
of emotion are seldom able to organize their work.

Raw emotions you want? Then maybe baby cries and screams would would pass
as music for you...  plain unadorned sobs and sniffles would be the most
effective since they would carry the most immediate and recognizable
emotional power.  Music is much more than those raw sounds.  That's what
makes it art, and makes it memorable.  That's what makes it complicated and
deep.  It's more than just an emotional outcry, a passing angst or giggle.
And the best part of music is that it can say so many different things at
the same time.  It takes the talent, experience and discipline of a great
composer to make music that's lasting and meaningful.

Mimi Ezust