Musical-rhetorical theory : origins in classical rhetoric and musical applications in the Age of Humanism

The Age of Humanism, marked by a revitalized interest in the cultural achievements of ancient Greece and Rome, saw the rise of musical theories which were directly influenced by principles of classical rhetoric. Such musical-rhetorical theories were prevalent throughout the Age of Humanism and clearly reflected influences of classical rhetorical theory as set forth in the treatises of Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian, and Longinus.

This study examines humanist theories of musical-rhetoric both in their borrowings from principles of classical rhetoric and oratory, and in their musical applications and functions. Particular attention has been given to the writings of Joachim Burmeister and Christoph Bernhard, within whose works musical-rhetorical theory was most clearly defined and applied. Throughout our discussion of Burmeister's and Bernhard's theories, principles of rhetoric and oratory will be shown in their influences upon the classification of musical styles, the structural organization of musical compositions, and in the establishment of systems of musical figures and their artistic deployment.

Three applications of musical-rhetorical theory are discussed in this study. Aspects of musical-rhetoric have been deemed applicable to the justification of performance practices, as a means of musical analysis, and in the process of musical composition itself. This study also considers the affective functions of music and rhetoric, as both the classical authors and humanist scholars viewed those two arts as maintaining the powers of persuasion and arousing the affections.

It is not the intent of this study to survey all of the theories of musical-rhetoric developed in the Age of Humanism; rather, this thesis examines the functions and applications of musical-rhetorical theory, especially those proposed by Burmeister and Bernhard, as such theories are aligned with both principles of classical rhetoric and humanist cultural ideals.