The Role of Structure in the Musical Expression of Emotions

Abstract This chapter reviews empirical research on how different factors in the composed musical structure influence the perceived emotional expression. Most of this research deals with Western classical music. There are more than 100 studies of the relationship between musical structure and emotional expression, featuring a variety of methods. Section 14.2 reviews the methodological approaches that have been used in these studies. It then summarizes the findings from these studies for each structural factor in Section 14.3. Finally, Section 14.4 provides an overall summary and some implications for future research.