The term Affektenlehre (doctrine of the affections) and the Swedish word affekt in discussions about 17th-century and early 18th-century music

Abstract

The term Affektenlehre (doctrine of the affections) and the Swedish word affekt indiscussions about 17th-century and early 18th-century music

The meaning of words can shift or change over time, which can lead to misconceptions. This article discusses potential misconceptions in the use of, on the one hand, the term ‘doctrine of the affections’ or ‘theory of the affections’ (Swe. affektlära) and, on the other hand, the Swedish word affekt as an equivalent to the 18th-century German term Affect, in discussions about 17th century and early 18th-century music. The first of these misconceptions is that Affektenlehre was used in the 17th- and early 18th centuries for theories on how music could represent the affections. The second is that a systematic and schematic doctrine about the representation of the affections in music was commonly used during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The third is that the composers and performers of the early and mid-18th century were less emotionally engaged than the sources of the time suggest. To use the Swedish term affekt as an equivalent to the 18th-century German term Affect in discussions about 17th- and 18th-century music means risking confusion with the meaning of the term in today’s affect-theory. It might also promote an understanding of the term as referring to a more abstract and idealized emotional state than the sources support.