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Research Emphases

In order to decipher musically motivated emotions, doctoral students work on independently chosen case studies. The focus of analysis is on common, even everyday practices, with each dissertation examining a relevant emotional phenomenon. Can common or distinct patterns of emotional behavior be detected over the two centuries? Or was the music of emotions subject to the prevailing political context, the social situation, religion, or gender? Dissertation topics are drawn from three thematic areas: attempts at control, loss of control, and the cult of genius:

Attempts at Control

Musical performances can be seen as intentional attempts to control emotions. The focus here is on majority views, on the behavior of audiences attempting to manage their emotions and emotional expressions – for example, in church services or symphony concerts.

Loss of Control

Another focus of research is on upheavals in musical life as emotional strategies of minorities or youth cultures. These have not always been the result of spontaneous inspiration, but have often involved calculated displays of emotions in the context of controversies over the interpretation of culture.

The Cult of Genius

Further research addresses how the emotional significance of musical “geniuses” derives not only from the reproduction of music, but also from their personal public reception. It is possible that new media created new forms of veneration, that the cult surrounding opera singers of the 19th century was revived in the pop stars of the 20th century. Have emotions blurred the boundaries between popular and elite music taste?