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Single Idea 12164

[from 'The Nature of Musical Expression' by Roger Scruton, in 21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 4. Emotion in Art ]

Full Idea

To describe a piece of music as expressive of melancholy is to give a reason for listening to it; to describe it as arousing or evoking melancholy is to give a reason for avoiding it.

Gist of Idea

Expressing melancholy is a good thing, but arousing it is a bad thing

Source

Roger Scruton (The Nature of Musical Expression [1981], p.49)

Book Reference

Scruton,Roger: 'The Aesthetic Understanding' [Methuen 1983], p.49


A Reaction

Expressing sexual desire, while avoiding arousing it, is the nice challenge for a particular type of art. Would Scruton say that expressing joy is a good thing, but arousing it is bad? It is a nice observation, though.