A little later, about 1767, in a letter to Philipp Emmanuel Bach, the poet Gerstenberg, of Copenhagen, expressed with perfect lucidity the idea that true instrumental music, and especially clavier music, ought to give utterance to precise feelings and subjects; and he hoped that Philipp Emmanuel, whom he described as "a musical Raphael" (ein Raffael durch Töne) would realise this art.[1]
Musicians, then, had become plainly aware of the expression and descriptive power of pure music; and we may say that certain German composers of this period were intoxicated by the idea. Of these was Telemann, for example, for whom Tonmalerei or music-painting takes the foremost place.
But what we must plainly realise is that it was not merely a literary movement that was in question, seeking to introduce extra-musical elements into music, making it a sort of painting or poetry. A profound revelation was occurring in the heart of music. The individual soul was becoming emancipated from the impersonality of form. The subjective element, the artist's personality, was invading the art with an audacity that was absolutely unprecedented.—It is true that we recognize the personality of J. S. Bach and Händel in their powerful works. But we know how rigorously these works are unfolded, in accordance with the strictest laws, which not only are not the laws of emotion, but which evidently evade or contradict them of intention—for whether in the case of a fugue or an aria da capo, they inevitably bring back the motives at moments and in places determined upon beforehand, whereas emotion requires the composer to continue
- ↑ O. Fischer: Zum muzikalischen Standpunkte des Nordischen Dichterkreises (Sammelbände der I.M.G., January–March, 1904).
