The idea that music influences our emotions has existed at least since ancient Greek times, but it was the 17th and 18th centuries that saw a flourishing of writings codifying the ways in which a composer might convey emotional states to a receptive public.
The Theory of Affects (or Affektenlehre), which was developed in Germany during the Baroque era, described how music aroused passions in the listeners. This theory would not be complete without taking into account the variability of reactions on the part of the listeners: not everyone would be equally moved by the sadness or joy expressed through the music. This is where the temperaments come into play. Based on an ancient Greco-Roman theory, the four temperaments - phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic, and sanguine - were responsible for how the affects resonated with the audience. A melancholic person would be the first to weep when the music represents sorrow, while it would not affect a sanguine person as much, and so on.
Explanations of these processes are a fascinating mixture of natural sciences, ancient theories, astrology, scientific speculation and pure fantasy. The writers of the time had long lists of associations with each temperament in addition to psychological descriptions - including seasons, times of day, colors, planets, and even organs.
Here is an overview of what each temperament is associated with:
Phlegmatic - peacefulness and moderation, easy-going and relaxed individuals, winter, night, water, neptune, and the colour green.
Choleric - anger and fury, decisive and ambitious people, summer, noon, fire, Mars, and the colour yellow.
Melancholic - sorrow and pain, people who think and feel deeply, fall, evening, earth, Saturn, and the colour blue.
Sanguine - love, joy, enthusiastic and extroverted people, spring, morning, air, Mercury, and the colour red.
For us, four musicians with distinct musical personalities, it was interesting to explore not only how the music affects the audience, but how each one of us relates to the four temperaments.
It didn't take us long to figure out which of the four temperaments each one of us tended towards. After a few online personality type tests (for greater scientific accuracy of course), we each picked a short piece or a movement to present our designated temperament, followed by a complete work where the given temperament is prominently featured.
We enjoyed preparing this program and indulging our dominant personality traits immensely and hope you will find something to your liking here too!