William Hong wrote:

>IIRC, it was called "the doctrine of the affections," or something like
>that.  Handel, of course, was only carrying on a tradition that other
>Baroque composers going back to Monteverdi (the Second Practice and all
>that) used, and I'm almost certain others farther back in the past did it
>as well.

No, this is definitely not the doctrine of affections.  The "affects" were
very specific, deeply thought out psychological "moods" as it were that
were achieved (or attempted) throughout the whole piece.  It is much more
than simple word painting.

Kevin