Channeling Quote by Susan McClary
“Tonality itself - with its process of instilling expectations and subsequently withholding promised fulfillment until climax - is the principal musical means during the period from 1600 to 1900 for arousing and channeling desire.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Feminine Endings, 1990
Music from 1600‑1900 used tonal expectations and delayed fulfillment to evoke desire.
In simple terms: Music creates desire by building and withholding tension.
Key Takeaway
Use tonal tension to shape emotional response.
Themes
music
tonality
desire
history
Mood
reflective
educational
Type
musical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- composition
- film scoring
- theatrical performance
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
musical structure
psychology of expectation
romantic era
Questions to Reflect On
- How does tonal tension affect contemporary audiences?
- Can this technique be applied outside music?
A Different Perspective
Modern listeners may interpret tension differently.
![“The point of recapitulation in the first movement of the Ninth [Symphony of Beethoven] is one of the most horrifying moments in music, as the carefully prepared cadence is frustrated, damming up energy which finally explodes in the throttling, murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining…” quote by Susan McClary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cc5/susan-mcclary-50001_cadence_the-point-of-recapitulation-in-the-first_1498487.jpg)
