Empfindsamer Stil

E305815

Empfindsamer Stil was an 18th-century musical style characterized by heightened expressivity, sudden contrasts, and intimate, sensitive emotional nuance, particularly associated with North German composers.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Empfindsamer Stil canonical 4

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (78)

Predicate Object
instanceOf 18th-century musical style
musical style
associatedRegion Northern Germany
surface form: North Germany
associatedWith Berlin School of electronic music
surface form: Berlin school of composers

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Frederick II of Prussia
surface form: Friedrich II of Prussia

Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg
Hamburg school of composers
Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
Johann Adolf Hasse
Johann Joachim Quantz
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
countryOfOrigin Germany
hasCharacteristic abrupt harmonic shifts
anticipation of Classical and Romantic expressivity
avoidance of strict contrapuntal complexity in favor of expression
close relationship between music and spoken declamation
contrast between homophonic and more elaborate textures
contrast between lyrical and agitated passages
contrast between recitative-like and song-like passages
contrast with the more objective Baroque style
cultivation of empfindsamkeit (sensibility)
detailed performance indications
emphasis on clarity of melodic line
emphasis on individuality of expression
emphasis on inner emotional states
emphasis on naturalness in musical expression
emphasis on small-scale forms
emphasis on subjective feeling
expressive ornamentation
expressive use of rests
flexible rhythm
focus on intimate genres such as keyboard music
frequent changes of affect within a movement
frequent dynamic changes
frequent use of sigh motives
frequent use of suspensions and delayed resolutions
heightened expressivity
intimate emotional nuance
irregular phrase structure
quasi-improvisatory passages
sensitive emotional nuance
sensitive response to text in vocal music
speech-like melodic writing
sudden contrasts
sudden textural contrasts
use of appoggiaturas and expressive dissonances
use of broken-chord accompaniments
use of chromaticism for expression
use of dynamic markings such as crescendo and decrescendo
use of expressive tempo fluctuations
use of melodic sigh figures (Seufzer)
use of minor keys for pathos
use of ornamentation as a vehicle for emotion
use of rhetorical musical figures
use of silence and pauses for expression
use of simple textures to highlight expression
use of unexpected modulations
use of unexpected pauses
influenced Classical style
early Romantic expressivity
influencedBy Baroque rhetorical traditions
Enlightenment culture of sensibility
languageOfTerm German
literalMeaning sensitive style
relatedConcept Empfindsamkeit
surface form: Empfindsamkeit (culture of sensibility)

Sturm und Drang
galant style
timePeriod early Classical era
late Baroque era
mid-18th century
typicalGenre chamber music
keyboard sonata
lieder
sacred music
typicalInstrument clavichord
fortepiano
harpsichord

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach movement Empfindsamer Stil
Carl movement Empfindsamer Stil
subject surface form: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Keyboard sonatas relatedTo Empfindsamer Stil