Affekt
German composer
Definition
The emotional or expressive content of a piece or movement — the primary feeling the music is designed to convey, according to Baroque doctrine.
Interpretive Guidance
Bach's fugue subjects, dance movements, and chorale preludes each embody a specific Affekt. Identifying it — grief, joy, grandeur, agitation — is the first interpretive act. The entire movement should emanate from that single affect.