xml willimekmusic - Citations on the Theory of Musical Equilibration

    Citations on the Theory of Musical Equilibration


  1. Catherine Abele; Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Cincinnati, USA.

    "Theorists Daniela and Bernd Willimek have interpreted the addition of a major sixth in a minor chord as representing loneliness, heartbreak and abandon while, in contrast, the added sixth in a major chord expresses warmth and security. They also acknowledge that added sixths, incorporated as a unification device, as is Pentland’s motivation, hearkens back to late-Romantic characteristics..."


    Abele, Catherine. "Barbara Pentland’s Songs for Soprano. A Performer’s Guide to Selected Major Works", 2015, p. 31f.
    Full article


  2. Soo Hwan Ahn; Doctoral Thesis, University of Huddersfield Repository, England.

    "Their hypothesis of musical equilibration offers a ground of relating a specific interval, chord, scale or collection to particular emotions..."

    Doctoral Thesis, University of Huddersfield Repository, England.


    Ahn, Soo Hwan (1). "Metropolis: Music Score for the Film Directed by Fritz Lang", 2017, p. 41.
    Full article


  3. Soo Hwan Ahn; Researcher in the Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

    "Particularly in this motif consisting of two phrases, the half-step progression from pitch 6 (B) to pitch 5 (A) at the end of each phrase is a stereotypical tragic expression [22], effectively representing Turing's melancholic nature... 22. B. Willimek and D. Willimek..."

    Original Korean:

    또한 한편으로는 단조의 우울함과 선법의 신비로움을 동시에 취하며 튜링의 감춰진 좌절감과 효과적으로 연합하기도 한다. 특히 두 개의 프레이즈로 이루어진 이 모티브에서 각 프레이즈의 끝에 나타는 음도6(B)에서 음도 5(A)로 진행되는 반음관계는 상투적인 비극적 표현으로[22], 튜링의 우울한 성격을 효과적으로 대변하고 있다...22. B. Willimek and D. Willimek..."

    Soo Hwan Ahn

    Postdoc researcher in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania.


    Ahn, Soo Hwan (2)."영화 <이미테이션 게임>에 나타난 청각적·시각적 의미의 연합", The Journal of the Korea Contents Association, Volume 21, issue 7, 2021.
    (The Association of Auditive and Visual Meanings in the Movie "The Imitation Game")
    Full article


  4. Reem Alkhaldi, Riad Khoudeir; Researcher, Fine Arts Faculty, Damascus University, Syria.

    "Bernd and Daniela Willimek (1997) examined the emotional responses linked to specific melodies. They found that the tonic chord often evoked a feeling of contentment. However, when the tonic chord didn't produce a sense of satisfaction, it could instead lead to restlessness or excitement. Minor natural chords were associated with emotions like courage, adventure, and danger. Dominant chords tended to create a feeling of movement and freedom. Subdominant chords, on the other hand, were linked to more melancholic emotions such as nostalgia, longing, and sadness. Major subdominant chords, however, could also evoke positive feelings like joy and surprise. In contrast, minor subdominant chords were associated with negative emotions like disappointment and anger. Finally, the final chord often produced a sense of pleasure, surprise, or tension..."

    Original arabisch:

    داىيييييل وديرىيييد ويميسييييغ Bernd and Daniela Willimek إيييييييييياو 1997 ]23، وهقارىتٍيييييييييييا بالسذيييييييييياإر السرتبطة ببع األلؽان - كؽرد الدرجة األول الك ير: شعؽر بالرضا. - كيييؽرد الدرجيييية األوليييي الرييييغير الحي يثن، الغزيييا وإييييدو الرضا. - كؽرد صغير الط يعي: شجاإة، هغاهرة، تؽتر، خطر. - كيييؽرد الدرجيييية الخاهديييية: الذييييعؽر بالحركيييية، والطسيييؽح، والتحرر. - كييؽرد الدرجييية الديييابعة: السقاوهييية، ايحتجييياج، التحيييدي، البكاء، الزعا. - كؽرد الدرجة الرابعة الك ير حساسية، فيرح، اىتريار، جديية، ذروة إاط ية، ابتٍاج، رضا. - كيؽرد الدرجية الديابعة الشياقو: الخيؽب، الييتس، الياإر، الفث ، الكلبة. - كؽرد ىاقو : دٌذة، هفاجتة، تحؽل. فاىعر الذكل رقػ 14 .

    Master Researcher and teacher in the Department of interior design of Fine Arts Faculty, Damascus University, Syrien...


    Alkhaldi, Reem; Khoudeir, Riad. "The relationship between architecture and music in the twentieth century till now and the importance of color as a link between them", Damascus university Journal for engineering sciences, Vol 39, No 2, 2023, p. 11.
    Full article


  5. Patricia Elizabeth Altieri Ramírez; Dissertation, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, Mexico.

    "Bernd and Daniela Willimek (2011), German musicians, conducted several quantitative studies to investigate how specific harmonic structures in music interact with other elements such as timbre, time, and intensity to create a spectrum of complex emotions that can be categorized by their mode of interaction. They found, for instance, that minor harmonies do not always evoke sadness..."

    Original Spanish:

    "Bern[d] y Daniela Willimek (2011), músicos alemanes realizaron diversos estudios con enfoque cuantitativo para identificar cómo ciertas estructuras armónicas en la música en interacción con otros elementos como el timbre, el tiempo y la intensidad pueden generar un espectro de emociones complejas que pueden ser categorizadas según su forma de interactuar. Por ejemplo, encontraron que, las armonías menores, no siempre evocan tristeza..."


    Altieri Ramírez, Patricia Elizabeth. "Experiencia musical en la formación socioemocional de futuros docentes", 2022, p. 14.
    (Musical Experience in the Socioemotional Training of Future Teachers)
    Full article


  6. Alamir Aquino Corrêa; Professor, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil.

    "The mournful, grave, and melancholy tone, in the case of the poems mentioned, which deal primarily with the inexplicable meaning of life, can make it possible to approximate them to some musical compositions in a minor key due to the sadness that has been attributed to them, for cultural reasons (BALL, 2010) or according to the Theory of Musical Balance (WILLIMEK & WILLIMEK, 2013)..."

    Original Portuguese:

    "O tom lamentoso, grave e tristonho pode, no caso dos poemas mencionados a lidar principalmente com o sentido inexplicável da vida, tornar possível a sua aproximação a algumas composições musicais em clave menor pela tristeza que tem sido atribuída a elas, por questões culturais (BALL, 2010) ou pela Teoria da Equilibração Musical (WILLIMEK & WILLIMEK, 2013)..."


    Professor, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil.

    Aquino Corrêa, Alamir . "Elegia e musicalidade em Os mortos, de Ivan Junqueira", Ipotesi - Revista de Estudos Literários, vol. 19, no. 1, 2015, p. 71.
    (Elegy and Musicality in 'Os mortos' by Ivan Junqueira)
    Full article


  7. Rovy M. Banguis; Philosophiae Doctor, Mindanao State University-Buug, Philippines.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration says that music can convey any emotion at all, not just merely volitional processes, the musical listener identifies with. Then in the process of identifying the volitional processes are colored with emotions..."


    Banguis, Rovy M.. "Semiotic Analysis of Some Selected OPM Songs", Asian Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Researches (AJAMR), vol. 1, issue 1, 2021, p. 1.
    Full article


  8. Mark Baynes; renowned jazz pianist, Auckland, New Zealand.

    "The major sub-dominant chord employed in the piece lifts the mood if you subscribe to theories of musical equilibration, which is congruent to a positive lyrical semantic, even though the piece is in a minor key. Very clever work..."


    Baynes, Mark. "Piano Lessons Specialising in Jazz and Popular Music", Jazzpiano.co.nz, 2023.
    Full article


  9. Selen Beytekin; renowned jazz musician, master's degree architecture, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Turkey.

    "Everything in the universe, whether living or non-living, vibrates at a unique frequency. Even the sounds our ears can hear give us an intuitive sense of a thing’s inner structure and form. The interplay between humans and nature is expressed in architecture by mimicking natural forms based on mathematical principles to create harmonious proportions (Willimek, 2013). Fractal geometry allows us to analyze and reproduce these harmonious aesthetic ratios..."

    Original Turkish:

    "Canlı ya da cansız her yapının bir titreşimi, frekansı yani sesi vardır. İnsan kulağının algılayabildiği kısıtlı frekanslar dahi dürtüsel olarak yapıların özünün, formunun hissedilebilmesini sağlamaktadır. İnsan ile doğanın etkileşimi, altında matematiksel algoritmalar bulunan doğal yapıların oluşumlarının dürtüsel olarak taklit edilerek belirli harmonik oranları yakalaması ile mimariye yansımıştır (Willimek, 2013). Fraktal geometri ile estetik harmonik oranlar analiz edilebilmekte ve tekrar yaratılabilmektedir..."


    Beytekin, Selen. "Cazın Matematiksel Analizi ile Fraktal Geometri’ye Dönüşümü", İTÜ Vakfı Yayınları, 2023.
    (The Transformation of Jazz through Mathematical Analysis into Fractal Geometry)
    Full article


  10. Nivedan Bhardwaj, Abhishek Sharma; Universities Chandigarh and Roorkee, India.

    "Without going into the details the general reasoning for why minor chords sound sad & major happy has been given by the theory of musical equilibration..."


    Bhardwaj, Nivedan; Sharma, Abhishek. "Relation between Music & Human Emotions", Sangeet Galaxy, vol. 7, issue 1, 2018, p. 21.
    Full article


  11. Sabrina Clarke; renowned composer, theorist, and pianist, Raleigh, USA.

    "...Neapolitan chords - which symbolise death...Daniela and Bernd Willimek. Music and Emotions: Research on the Theory of Musical Equilibration..."


    Clarke, Sabrina. "Synaesthetic Associations and Gendered Nature Imagery: Female Agency in the Piano Music of Amy Beach", 2022, p. 41.
    Full article


  12. Francesco Convertini; Bachelor Thesis, Accademia di Belle Arti di Foggia, Italy.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration is a research project based on the writings of Ernst Kurth and is the first international collection to list the emotional characteristics of harmonies. It is the result of German research by Daniela and Bernd Willimek..."

    Original Italian:

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration è una ricerca basata sugli scritti di Ernst Kurth ed é la prima raccolta a livello internazionale che elenca i caratteri emotive delle armonie. E’ frutto di uns ricercar tecesca condotta da Daniela e Bernd Willimek..."


    Convertini, Francesco. "Music & Emotion in Cinema."
    Full article
    Youtube


  13. Aniko Debreceny; internationally recognized composer, Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia.

    "A 1997-2011 study found that certain chords evoked similar emotions in over 2,100 children on four continents, specifically that the added sixth chord produced a sense of warmth or happiness (Willimek & Willimek, 2017)..."


    Debreceny, Aniko. "Synthesizing school curriculum and song: a practice-led model for creating educational songs for children", UniSC Research Bank, 2022, p. 141."
    Full article


  14. Digitales Wörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache (DWDS); Berlin, Germany.

    "An explanatory model that attributes emotions experienced while listening to music to the listener's identification congruent to a positive lyrical semantic, even though the piece is in a minor key. Very clever work..." with certain volitional contents."

    Original German:

    "Erklärungsmodell, das Emotionen beim Musikhören auf Identifikationen des Hörers mit bestimmten Willensinhalten zurückführt"


    Digitales Wörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache (DWDS). "Strebetendenz-Theorie", Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2024.
    (Theory of Musical Equilibration)
    Full article


  15. Dennis Dyballa; Master of Education; Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany.

    "The whole-tone scale presumably makes up the biggest part of this perceived emotions, as it has been said to “correspond to the mental image of floating weightlessly without a deliberate focus” by German music theorists Daniela and Bernd Willimek in their Theory of Musical Equilibration (orig.: Strebetendenz-Theorie) (22)..."


    Dyballa, Dennis. "Creating Places: Musical Worldbuilding and Immersion in Role-Playing Video Games", 2024, p. 57.
    Full article


  16. Markus Eham; Professorship in liturgy, music, and voice education, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.

    "The world of sounds has a special connection to the world of our emotions. Empirical studies have confirmed correspondences between harmonies and emotional characteristics: For example, the major tonic represents sober agreement, the minor tonic represents sadness when played softly, but anger when played loudly. The seventh chord is the sonic expression of resistance, protest, tearfulness, while the major subdominant represents relief, joy... (cf. D. and B. Willimek)..."

    Original German:

    "Die Welt der Klänge hat einen besonderen Bezug zur Welt unserer Gefühle. In empirischen Untersuchungen ließen sich Entsprechungen zwischen Harmonien und emotionalen Charakteren bestätigen: So steht die Dur-Tonika für nüchternes Zustimmen, die Moll-Tonika für Trauer,wenn sie leise erklingt, hingegen für Zorn, wenn sie laut gespielt wird. Der Septakkord ist der klangliche Ausdruck für Widerstand, Protest, Weinerlichkeit, die Dur-Subdominante für Gelöstheit, Freude...(vgl. D. und B. Willimek)..."


    Eham, Markus. "Vom Leben singen, den Glauben künden", p. 2.
    (To sing of life, to proclaim faith)
    Full article


  17. Niels Falch; Dissertation, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

    "Jewish American composers, such as Irving Berlin, consciously or unconsciously used these five different minor moods to indicate different emotions in a song...Daniela and Bernd Willimek..."


    Falch, Niels. "From Oy to Joy: Jewish musical style in American popular songs 1892–1945", 2020, 253.
    Full article


  18. Mutiara Dewi Fatimah; Dissertation, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Surakarta, Indonesia.

    The selection of chords that mark the cadences in melodic phrases is often associated with the expression of emotions intended to be conveyed throughout the narrative of a song. This is the approach taken by some German researchers who have developed the theory of musical equilibrium tendency ("StrebetendenzTheorie"). This theory seeks to explain the psychological (emotional) effects of music. In doing so, musical sequences are examined down to their fundamental components, namely harmony. Musical harmony forms the basis of their argumentation..."

    Original indonesian:

    "Pemilihan chord yang menandai alinea pernyataan-pernyataan dalam kalimatkalimat melodis lagu tak pelak seringkali dikaitkan dengan ekspresi emosi yang ingin diekspresikan seiring berjalannya kisah naratif lagu. Hal inilah yang dilakukan oleh beberapa peneliti di Jerman yang mengemukakan teori ekuilibrasi musik (―StrebetendenzTheorie‖). Teori ini berusaha mengaitkan efek psikologis (emosional) dari musik. Deret-deret musikal dikaji dalam komponen esensialnya, yaitu harmoni. Harmoni musikal menjadi landasan argumentasi penelitiannya..."


    Fatimah, Mutiara Dewi. "Sajumput mendung putih (Transformasi terlihat menjadi terdengar). Laporan penelitian artistik (Penciptaan seni)", 2017, p. 25.
    (White cloud bouquet (Transformation of the visible into the audible). Artistic research report (Art creation))
    Full article


  19. Alicia Fernández Sotos; Doctoral Dissertation, Departamento de Psicología Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibrium (Strebetendenz-Theorie in German) is one of the earliest attempts to formulate psychological paradigm explaining the emotional effects of music. It reduces various musical sequences to their most essential component: harmony. This aspect serves as the foundation for the theory's arguments. Harmony is considered the essence of music in its most concentrated form. Thus, the psychology of harmony becomes the psychology of musical emotions (Willimek and Willimek, 2013). The authors provide an overview of the emotional nature of harmony..."

    Original Spanish:

    "La teoría del equilibrio musical (en alemán, Strebetendenz-Theorie) es una de las primeras en formular un paradigma psicológico que explica los efectos emocionales de la música. Así, se reducen diferentes secuencias musicales a su componente más esencial, la armonía, aspecto que se utiliza como base de la argumentación en esta teoría. La armonía es la esencia de la música en su forma más concentrada. De esta forma, la psicología de la armonía es la psicología de las emociones musicales (Willimek y Willimek, 2013). Los autores ofrecen una visión general de la naturaleza emocional de la armonía..."


    Fernández Sotos, Alicia. "Percepción de Emociones en la Música: Un Estudio de la Influencia del Parámetro Musical 'Duración'”, p. 51.
    (Perception of Emotions in Music: A Study of the Influence of the Musical Parameter 'Duration')
    Full article


  20. Rizalul Fiqry, Agustinasari; Researchers at University STKIP Taman Siswa Bima, Indonesia.

    "The resulting tones are then categorized into major or minor scales. Major scales tend to convey feelings of happiness, liking (optimism), while the sequence of notes represented in a minor key tends to convey feelings of sadness, discomfort (pessimism) as suggested by several German researchers in the theory of musical equilibration (StrebetendenzTheorie). This theory seeks to link the psychological (emotional) effects of music (https://qmuse.wordpress.com, 2015)..."

    Original Indonesian:

    "Nada yang terbentuk kemudian dikelompokkan dalam tangga nada mayor atau minor. Tangga nada mayor cenderung bernuansa rasa senang, rasa suka (optimis), sementara sekuen nada-nada yang terepresentasi dalam kunci minor cenderung bernuansa rasa sedih, rasa kurang nyaman (pesimis) seperti yang dikemukakan oleh beberapa peneliti Jerman dalam teori ekuilibrasi musik (StrebetendenzTheorie). Teori ini berusaha mengaitkan efek psikologis (emosional) dari musik (https://qmuse.wordpress.com, 2015)..."


    Fiqry, Rizalul; Agustinasari. "Penggunaan Audacity pada Pengukuran Nada Lantunan Kalero untuk Menelusuri Karakter Sosial Dou Donggo Masa Lampau", Seminar Nasional Taman Siswa Bima Tahu, 2019, p. 137.
    (The Use of Audacity in Measuring the Echo Tone of Kalero to Explore the Social Character of Dou Donggo in the Past)
    Full article


  21. Aruna G.; Department of Pharmacology, St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hanamkonda, India.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration expresses that music itself does not pass on feelings: rather, it communicates methodologies of will that the audience can relate to. It is not until the recognizable proof happens that these techniques of will tackle a passionate character. This thought is exhibited utilizing a mixed bag of distinctive harmonies and symphonious structures. To give one sample, a minor harmony does not impart any distress all by itself: rather, it moves the audience to relate to the message, "No more." The flow at which the harmony is played convey the message as something which is seen as pitiful (when played piano) or furious (when played strong point)..."


    G., Aruna. "Cognitive Control: The Role of Emotional Feelings", Research & Reviews: Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2015.
    Full article


  22. Aikaterini Ganiti, Thrasyvoulus Tsiatsos, Nikolaos Politopoulos; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

    "Willimek and Willimek (2013) certify that specific harmonic structures cause the same emotional responses as the participants gave identical answers, confirmiing that the link can be categorized systematically..."


    Ganiti, Aikaterini; Tsiatsosm, Thrasyvoulus; Politopoulos, Nikolaos. "The Impact of Background Music on an Active Video Game", in "Interactive Mobile Communication Technologies and Learning: Proceedings of the 11th IMCL Conference", 2018, p. 20.
    Full article


  23. Iwan Gunawan, Afdhal Zikri, Sailendra Bedantara; Universitas Pendidikan, Indonesia.

    "Daniela and Bernd Willimek have conducted research based on the Theory of Musical Equilibration, which focuses on the relationship between music and emotions (Russell, 2013). The research describes how chord progressions in the tonal system affect the listener's emotions based on the balance between tension and release. This is an important foundation as the main feature in the processing of melody and harmony in the tonal system..."


    Gunawan, Iwan; Zikri, Afdhal; Bedantara, Sailendra. "Grain Gamelan": Adaptation of One More Grain Band's Songs to Gamelan Pelog Slendro", in "Resital. Jurnal Seni Pertunjukan (Journal of Performing Arts)", 2023, p. 291.
    Full article


  24. Shymaa Hammad; Dissertation Philosophy, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany.

    "While music listening has marked physiological benefits, playing an instrument or taking vocal lessons offers benefits related to memory, language , and cognitive development (Willimek & Willimek, 2011)..."


    Hammad, Shymaa. "Developing foreign language skills through songs and educational games- based approaches: an empirical study", Digitale Bibliothek Thüringen (DBT), Jena, 2019, p. 78.
    Full article


  25. João Leonardo Harres Dall Agnol; Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Brasilia.

    "Although the structural difference is subtle, the perception of major and minor scales differs radically, as melodies composed with major scales are generally recognized as 'happy,' while minor scales form 'sad' melodies (WILLIMEK, 2014)."

    Original Portugues:

    "Apesar da diferença estrutural ser sútil, a percepção das escalas maiores e menores difere radicalmente uma vez que as melodias compostas com escalas maiores são geralmente reconhecidas como “alegres”, enquanto que as escalas menores formam melodias “tristes” (WILLIMEK, 2014)."


    Harres Dall Agnol, João Leonardo. "Geração Procedural de Melodias por Gênero Usando Aprendizado de Máquina", 2022.
    Referenz


  26. Karl Hörmann; Professor, internationally renowned dance and music psychologist, Germany.

    "With deeper knowledge of music psychology as a field of research on musical effects, which is not limited to the prevailing mainstream statistics that are largely irrelevant to artistic music-making, as B. and D. Willimek (2014) rightly criticize, an original and distinctive artistic exchange can unfold in a very special individual act and its unmistakable expressive impact."

    Original German:

    "Mit tieferen Kenntnissen der Musikpsychologie als Gebiet der musikalischen Wirkungsforschung, die sich nicht auf die im gegenwärtigen mainstream herrschende Statistik beschränkt, die für künstlerisches Musizieren weitgehend irrelevant ist, wie B. und D. Willimek (2014) zurecht kritisieren, kann sich ein orginärer und und orgineller künstlerischer Austausch im ganz besonderen individuellen Tun und seiner unverkennbarer expressiven Wirkung entfalten."


    Hörmann, Karl. "Ton-Psychologie" in "Musik-, Kunst- und Tanztherapie", Hogrefe, 2014, vol. 25, issue 2, p. 97.
    (Tone psychology)
    Referenz


  27. James M. Honeycutt; Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, Champaign, USA.

    "The theory of musical equilibration explains the emotional impact of music as a process in which the listener identifies with the content of the will encoded in the music (Willimek and Willimek, 2014)..."


    Honeycutt, James M.. "Invited commentary on using music intervention and imagined interaction to deal with aggression and conflict", Journal of Aggression, Conflict, and Peace Research, 2023, p. 6.
    Full article


  28. Shyama Iyer; Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.

    "Willimek and Willimek describe the nature of the same musical chord being played two different ways: The distinction here is the same as that between someone whispering the words “No more!” or screaming them. When spoken softly, the words sound sad, but when spoken loudly, the same words sound furious. The same thing is true of minor chords: a quiet minor chord sounds sad, whereas a loud one sounds angry..."


    Iyer, Shyama. "The Utility of the Bhava-Rasa Theory in Contemporary Musical Theatre", 2022, p. 24.
    Full article


  29. Nigel Jarrett; Award-winning writer and music journalist, Pontnewydd, Wales.

    "The Willimeks go on to show how major chords can also sound sad, and minor ones stimulating, the latter illustrated by Carlos Santana’s Samba Pa Ti. Music-induced feelings of horror, wistfulness and security are also explained in chordal terms..."


    Jarrett, Nigel. "Revealing The Mystery Of Emotions In Sounds", Jazz Jourmal, 2023.
    Full article


  30. Hannah Jefferies; Musician and researcher, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, Belgium.

    "Willimek has created a comprehensive theory of how these harmonies affect our emotions directly..."


    Jefferies, Hannah. "Music, Meaning and Emotion. Music as Emotional Exressivity: How Can Music Be Seen as Expressive?"
    Full article


  31. Lisa de Jong; Researcher in Health Economics, Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands.

    "However, this hope quickly turns into a false hope, making these major chords feel rather sad. When a tonic chord is played in a minor key, as in 'Let Me Kiss You', a feeling of dissatisfaction arises. The following major chord provides a sense of relief and makes the listener hope that the minor tonic chord will not return...(Bernd Willimek, Daniela Willimek)..."

    Original Dutch:

    "Echter, deze hoop begint al snel als valse hoop aan te voelen, waardoor deze majeurakkoorden toch als verdrietig ervaren kunnen worden. Als er een tonica-akkoord in mineur gespeeld wordt, zoals ook het geval is in ‘Let Me Kiss You’, dan wordt er een gevoel van ontevredenheid gecreë majeur akkoord dat volgt zorgt voor een gevoel van opluchting en laat de luisteraar wensen dat de tonica in mineur niet terugkomt...(Bernd Willimke, Daniela Willimek)..."


    >De Jong, Lisa. "Morrissey: the songs that saved your life. Muziek, emoties en identiteit", 2017, p. 9.
    Full article


  32. Ronald Kah; Innovative film music composer and pioneer of royalty-free music, Potsdam, Germany.

    "According to the Theory of Musical Equilibration, a feeling of 'being in agreement' with a major chord becomes a feeling of 'no longer being in agreement' with a minor chord. As a result, emotions such as sadness and even anger can develop. For this reason, minor chords sound sad to a large part of the audience."

    Original German:

    "Nach der Strebetendenz-Theorie wird somit aus einem “Einverstanden-Sein” Gefühl bei einem Dur-Akkord ein 'Nicht-Mehr-Einverstanden-Sein' Gefühl bei einem Moll-Akkord erzeugt. Daraus können sich in der Folge Emotionen wie Trauer und auch Wut herausbilden. Aus diesem Grund klingen Moll-Akkorde für einen Großteil der Hörerschaft traurig..."


    Kah, Ronald. "Warum klingt Moll traurig und Dur fröhlich? Einfach erklärt", 2022
    (Why do minor chords sound sad and major chords sound happy? Simply explained)

    Full article


  33. Amruta Vinayrao Kale, P. K. Kamble; Professors, Government Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati, India.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration which resulted is the first description of harmonic functions as the listeners' ability to identify with processes of the will; these processes run counter to the equilibration effects. There have only been a very few critical analyses of the emotional effect which has musical harmonies , This can be explained by the widespread concern that such hypotheses could make the speaker appear ridiculous. After all, before the Theory of Musical Equilibration, there was absolutely no way to provide a rational explanation for the emotional responses music evokes..."


    Kale, Amruta Vinayrao; Kamble, P. K.. International Conference on Applied Science, Technology & Mamagement: "Music: The Vision of Humanities & Science", 2018, p. 67.
    Full article


  34. Emre Karacaoğlu; Forensic Scientist and Historian of Science, Turkey.

    "Now let's get to the heart of our discussion: Bernd Willimek and his wife, the pianist Daniela, have extensively studied the relationship between chords and emotions. They see the root of a chord (the tonic) as an expression of individual will: one is content with the present but remains ready to act. This note can be found in both major and minor chords. However, the decisive factor for the emotional impact is the second note of the chord, the third: it determines whether we perceive a bright, cheerful, or rather dark, melancholic impression..."

    Original Turkish:

    "Şimdi asıl mevzumuza gelelim: Bernd Willimek ile eşi piyanist Daniela’nın akorlar ve duygu ilişkileri hakkındaki çalışmalarına değineceğim. Bir akorun içindeki tonik notayı (yani kök notayı) kişinin iradesine yönelik bilinci olarak değerlendirmemiz gerekir: İçinde bulunduğu andan dolayı memnun ama yine de her zaman hareket etmeye hazır. Doğal olarak, majör akorda da, minör akorda da bu notadan bulunur. Ama bizim için asıl değişikliği akorun ikinci notası, yani gamdaki üçüncü nota belirliyor: medyant..."


    Karacaoğlu, Emre. "Ülkenin, Dünyanın ve Varoluşun Gamları", 2016.
    (The Sorrows of the Country, the World, and Existence)
    Full article


  35. Vasileios Kelebekis; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration is the first psychological model that explains the emotional impact of music. It deconstructs musical sequences into one of their most important components, harmony, and directly uses this component as the basis of its argument. Harmony, in its condensed form, is vital to music, as it can reflect melodic and other musical processes within a single moment, which can otherwise only be depicted over a specific period of time..."

    Original Greek:

    "Η Θεωρία της Μουσικής Εξισορρόπησης («Theory of Musical Equilibration») είναι το πρώτο ψυχολογικό μοντέλο που εξηγεί την συναισθηματική επίδραση της μουσικής. Αποδομεί τις μουσικές αλληλουχίες σε ένα από τα πιο σημαντικά συστατικά τους, την αρμονία, και χρησιμοποιεί άμεσα αυτό το συστατικό σαν βάση της επιχειρηματολογίας της. Η αρμονία στην συμπυκνωμένη της μορφή είναι ζωτικής σημασίας για την μουσική, αφού μέσα σε μια μοναδική στιγμή μπορεί να κατοπτρίσει μελωδικές και άλλες μουσικές διεργασίες, οι οποίες διαφορετικά μπορούν να απεικονισθούν μόνο μέσα σε ένα συγκεκριμένο διάστημα χρόνου..."


    Kelebekis, Vasileios. "Αξιολόγηση της επίδρασης της μουσικής στην απόδοση σε ένα σοβαρό παιχνίδι", 2016, p. 45.
    (Evaluation of the effect of music on the performance in a serious game)
    Full article


  36. Ines Körver; Science editor, Berlin, Germany.

    "Music theorist Bernd Willimek and his wife Daniela, a trained pianist, say it is primarily the harmonies or tonal intervals. In several experiments, they showed that participants characterized subdominants, aeolian minor, and whole-tone scales in the same way. Willimek and Willimek attribute this to listeners identifying emotions conveyed through music with certain abstract volitional contents..."

    Original German:

    "Der Musiktheoretiker Bernd Willimek und seine Frau Daniela, eine studierte Pianistin, sagen, es seien vor allem die Harmonien bzw. Tonintervalle. In mehreren Experimenten haben sie gezeigt, dass Probanden etwa Subdominanten, äolisches Moll und Ganztonleitern in jeweils gleicher Weise charakterisierten. Willimek und Willimek führen das darauf zurück, dass die Hörer durch Musik vermittelte Emotionen mit bestimmten abstrakten Willensinhalten identifizieren..."


    Körver, Ines. "Folker", 1/2020.
    Full article


  37. Kimberly Kroetch; MacEwan University, Edmonton, Kanada.

    "Chords rooted in the dominant note of the key naturally build up an anticipation of resolution (Willimek and Willimek, 2013) and neither Lennon nor McCartney strayed from the standard practice of using the dominant 7th to resolve back to the tonic chord..."


    Kroetch, Kimberly. "Lennon v. McCartney", 2020.
    Full article


  38. Reinhard Kungel; Film director and author, Wolfratshausen, Germany.

    "...Theory of Musical Equilibration. According to it, music cannot directly express emotions... However, music can do something else, namely, suggest abstract volitional content with which the listener identifies..."

    Original German:
    "...Strebetendenz - Theorie. Nach ihr kann Musik gar nicht direkt Emotionen ausdrücken ... Doch Musik könne etwas anderes, nämlich abstrakte Willensinhalte suggerieren, mit denen sich der Hörer identifiziert..."


    Kungel, Reinhard. "Filmmusik für Filmschaffende: Theorie und Anwendung", 2024.
    (Film Music for Filmmakers: Theory and Application)
    Full article


  39. Tin V. La; Dissertation, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, USA.

    "This document investigates the elegiac aspect of this work through the scope of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and the theory of musical equilibration...These three theories attempt to psychologically, philosophically, and scientifically explain the effect that music has on human emotions. Each perspective complements the other in helping us better understand this phenomenon. Supported by substantial research and scientific data, the theory of musical equilibration is the most thorough of these three theories..."


    La, Tin V.. "Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin: Human emotions, grief, and the history of the Tombeau", 2023, p. iv and 32.
    Full article


  40. Fifteen Questions; Interview with Oksana Linde, Venezuelan composer and pioneer of South American electronic music, Venezuela.

    "Theory of Musical Equilibration is an explanation to what I have witnessed and felt, an example of how important the connections are between music and science..."


    Fifteen Questions. "Interview with Oksana Linde", Other Worlds, part 2".
    Full article


  41. David Lindovský; Univerzita Jana Amose Komenskenského, Prague, Czech Republic.

    "What are the underlying causes of the emotional responses elicited by various keys and chord progressions in film scores? Prior to 1997, a definitive scientific explanation remained elusive. However, German music theorists Bernd and Daniela Willimek introduced a groundbreaking hypothesis known as the /Strebetendenz Theory/ as a result of their research conducted between 1997 and 2012. This theory offers a psychological framework designed to elucidate the emotional impact of film music..."

    Original Czech:

    "Co vlastně způsobuje emocionální reakce na jednotlivé tóniny a typy akordů ve filmové hudbě? Vědci do roku 1997 nepřednesli přesnou odpověď, až němečtí hudební teoretici Bernd a Daniela Willimek přišli s pozoruhodnou hypotézou zvanou /Strebetendenz - Theorie/, na základě výzkumu mezi lety 1997 a 2012. Navrhli psychologické paradigma, které vysvětluje emocionální efekty filmové hudby..."


    Lindovský, David. "Vliv filmové hudby na diváka", bachelor's thesis, 2022, S. 28.
    (The influence of film music on the viewer)
    Full article


  42. Zlata Dmitrievna Lomizova; Scientific and practical conference for students from the city of Pensa, Russia.

    "For example, the music theorist Bernd Willimek is of the opinion that 'music can evoke emotions when the listener associates certain things with it..."

    Original Russian:

    "Например, музыкальный теоретик Бернд Уиллимэк (Bernd Willimek) считает, что «музыка может вызывать эмоции, если у слушателя установятся с ней какие-либо ассоциации»..."


    Lomizova, Zlata Dmitrievna. "Воздействие музыки на работоспособность школьников", 2021, p. 2.
    (The Influence of Music on Students)
    Full article


  43. Gayatree Lomte et al.; Art’s, Commerce and Science College, Kiran Nagar, Amravati, India.

    "The music research is increasingly focusing on understanding the complex characteristics of this interaction is the link between music and emotions. Since, fundamentally, it only consists of non-living frequencies for a long time; the fact that music has an emotional impact upon us was one of the greatest of mystery...Daniela and Bernd Willimek..."


    Lomte, Gayatree; Nawsalkar, Ram K.; Despande, Swapnil G.; Butey, Pradeep K.. "Emotional Responses and Music Structure on Human Health: A Review", 2015, S. 40.
    Full article


  44. Marcos Lutyens; Worldwide active performance and installation artist, scintist, England.

    "We based our associations on an amalgamation of sound theories. Major chords in E, F and B, for instance, are associated with bright, happy feelings while minor chords in A♯, C♯, and D♯ often have dark, sinister tones that relate to sad emotions...Daniela and Bernd Willimek, Music and Emotions: Research on the Theory of Musical Equilibration (die Strebetendenz-Theorie) in http://www.willimekmusic.de/music-andemotions.pdf..."


    Lutyens, Marcos. "Ultra-aesthetics and advanced neuroplasticity or simply, a path to expanded consciousness", 2018, p. 27.
    Full article


  45. José Eugênio de Matos Feitosa u.a.; Author of the book "A Arte de Compor Música para o Cinema", Escola de Música de Brasília. Brazilia.

    "In a 15-year longitudinal study with approximately 2100 participants, Willimek and Willimek (2017) examined the relationship between various types of chords and common human emotions. In their experiment, the authors go a step further and consider chords both as independent (isolated) units and in their harmonic function..."

    Original Portugues:

    "Em um trabalho longitudinal com duração de quinze anos e que envolveu cerca de 2.100 participantes, Willimek e Willimek (2017) exami- naram a relação entre diversos tipos de acorde e emoções humanas comuns. Em seu experimento, os autores vão além, abordando os acordes em duas perspectivas: como entidades autônomas (isoladas) e exercendo funções harmônicas..."

    Other authors::

    Eunice Dias da Rocha Rodrigues

    Music educator and researcher.
    Universidade de Brasília, Brazil...

    Maria Clotilde Henriques Tavares

    Professor of Neurophysiology and Psychobiology
    Universidade de Brasília, Brazil...


    De Matos Feitosa, José Eugênio. "Expectativas musicais relacionadas à harmonia como gatilho para emoções", 2019, S. 435
    (Musical expectations in relation to harmony as triggers for emotions)
    Referenz


  46. Akiko Matsumoto; Dissertation, Columbia University, New York City, USA.

    "Harmony (i.e., chord, progression, key, tonality, consonance, dissonance) conveys emotion. A study by Willimek and Willimek (2013) introduced that a human baby [child] exhibits predictive processing of major-minor and consonance-dissonance as a component of the Western tonality system..."


    Matsumoto, Akiko. "Emotion Recognition Education in Western Art Music”, Melbourne, Australia, 2015, p. 16.
    Full article


  47. Catherine Meeson; Renowned singer-songwriter, indie producer, and creative director, Austraia.

    "Overall I found it a great study, and look forward to further research and findings [in] the field..."


    Meeson, Catherine. "Review of Laura Russells Translation (2013) of “Research on the Theory of Musical Equilibration (Die Strebetendenz-Theorie)”, Melbourne, Australia, 2014.
    Full article


  48. Marko S. Milenković; Professor of Musicology at the Univerzitet u Nišu, Serbia.

    "The authors Danijela and Bernd Willimek (Willimek, 2013) developed music preference tests (the Basic test and the Rocky test) in order to verify their theory of musical equilibration of the striving tendency theory. The results showed that short musical pieces with pronounced harmony were preferred over those with neutral cadences. According to the authors, the theory of musical balance is based on conscious and unconscious perceptions that depend on the effects of dissonant intervals – seconds (major and minor). In typical chords that tend towards resolution, seconds are perceived on the threshold of the unconscious and resolve when the harmonic progression continues..."

    Original Serbian:

    "Autori Danijela i Bernd Vilimek (Willimek, 2013) razvili su muzičko-preferencijske testove (the Basic test i the Rocky test) pomoću kojih su sproveli istraživanje a cilj je bio potvrđivanje hipoteze Teorije muzičkog uravnoteženja. Rezultati su pokazali da su kratka muzička dela a izrazitom harmonijom u prednosti u odnosu na one sa neutralnim kadencama. Prema autorima, principi Teorije muzičkog uravnoteženja leže u svesnim i nesvesnim percepcijama koje zavise od efekata koje izazivaju disonantni intervali-sekunde (velike i male)..."


    Milenković, Marko S.. "Emotivne senzacije u odnosu na pojedinačne akorde sa stanovišta kognitivne muzikologije", 2018, p. 128.
    (Emotional sensations in relation to individual chords from the perspective of cognitive musicology)
    Full article


  49. Ivana Milošević; Professor of Musicology at the Univerzitet u Nišu, Serbia.

    "The link between music and emotions is more of an issue than ever before, and music research is increasingly focusing on understanding the complex characteristics of this interaction. After all, for a long time the fact that music has an emotional impact upon us was one of the greatest of enigmas, since fundamentally it only consists of inanimate frequencies” (Willimek 2011, 1)..."


    Milošević, Ivana. "Polyphonic Music and Aspects of Its Perception", 2020, S. 119.
    Full article


  50. Kharisma Misbachhullah; Musician and Composer, master's dissertation, Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

    "The choice of chords in the composition of a musical work is often linked to the expression of emotions that one wants to express as the narrative of the song unfolds. This is what several researchers in Germany have done by proposing the theory of musical equilibration, the Strebetendenz theory. This theory attempts to link the psychological (emotional) effects of music, for example, with chords as a basis..."

    Original Indonesian:

    "Pemilihan Akor dalam penggarapan sebuah karya musik seringkali dikaitkan dengan ekspresi emosi yang ingin diekspresikan seiring berjalannya kisah naratif lagu. Hal inilah yang dilakukan oleh beberapa peneliti di Jerman yang mengemukakan teori ekuilibrasi musik StrebetendenzTheorie. Teori ini berusaha mengaitkan efek psikologis (emosional) dari musik, misalnya sebagai Akor menjadi basis..."


    Misbachhullah, Kharisma. "Penciptaan Gerak melalui Seni dalam Estetika", 2016, p. 3.
    (Creating Movement through Art within Aesthetics)
    Full article


  51. Dimitrios Mylis; Musician and Composer, University of Portsmouth, England.

    "...Finally, Daniela and Bernd (2013) also explain the reason that a minor chord sounds sad by comparing it with the perceived feeling of someone when he hears the phrase "No more". According to them, "if someone were to say these words slowly and quietly, they would create the impression of being sad, whereas if they were to scream it quickly[, they would create the impression of being angry]. Likewise, "if a minor harmony is repeated faster and at greater volume, its sad nature appears to have suddenly turned into fury" (Daniela and Bernd Willimek, 2013)..."


    Mylis, Dimitrios. "A composition informed by a study on the emotional power of music", 2016, p. 29.
    Full article


  52. Ziauddin Nazimpour; Musicologist, Teheran, Iran.

    "Bernd Willimek's theory of musical balance is rooted in the teachings of Ernst Kurt's music psychology. This is the first international compilation to catalog the emotional character of musical harmonies and is also the first comprehensive description of the emotional impact of musical harmonies. This theory explains the basis of the properties of harmonic structures from a psychological point of view by identifying the consequences they leave on the listener's emotions and encodes them musically..."

    Original Persian:

    "نوشته‌ی دانیلا و برند ویلمک نظریه‌ی تعادل موسیقایی برند ویلمک‌، ریشه در آموزه‌های روانشناسی موسیقی ارنست کرت دارد. این اولین تالیف بین‌المللی است که شخصیت عاطفی هارمونی‌های موسیقایی را فهرست‌بندی می‌کند و در عین حال اولین توصیف کلی از تأثیر عاطفی هارمونی موسیقی نیز هست. این نظریه اساس ویژگی‌های ساختارهای هارمونیک را از منظر روانشناسی و به وسیله شناسایی پیامدهایی که در احساسات شنونده به جای می‌گذارند، توضیح می‌دهد و آنها را کدگذاری موسیقایی می‌کند."


    Nazimpour, Ziauddin. "نظریه تعادل در موسیقی".
    (The Theory of Musical Equilibration)
    Full article


  53. Marc Neufeld; Head doctor, psychiatrist, theologian, church musician, and composer, Switzerland.

    "3.5.7.13 Harmonies elicit emotions: the Theory of Musical Equilibration
    Although this work assumes that music, and especially a song, is an object of a relationship, a theory will nevertheless be presented, or precisely because of this, which attempts to clarify how concrete compositional elements, more specifically: harmonies, can generate emotions: the 'Theory of Musical Equilibration' by Bernd Willimek..."

    Original German:

    "3.5.7.13 Harmonien erzeugen Emotionen: die Strebetendenz-Theorie
    Auch wenn in dieser Arbeit davon ausgegangen wird, dass Musik und insbesondere ein Lied ein Beziehungsgegenstand ist, soll dennoch oder gerade deshalb eine Theorie vorgestellt werden, die versucht, deutlich zu machen, wie konkrete kompositorische Elemente, genauer: Harmonien, Emotionen erzeugen können: die "Strebetendenz-Theorie" von Bernd Willimek..."


    Neufeld, Marc. "Die Bedeutung von Liedern in der Lebensgeschichte", 2011, p. 194.
    (The Significance of Songs in One's Life Story)
    Content


  54. Richard Parncutt-1; music psychologist, professor of systematic musicology, University Graz, Austria.

    "Daniela and Bernd Willimek have published a theory of “musical equilibration” that explains the emotional qualities of specific musical chords or pitch-class sets in Western tonal music. Some examples: The whole-tone scale, depending on how it is implemented in a musical texture, can give a strong feeling of floating or dreaming. Minor triads sound angry if loud and sad if quiet. Loud music based on a diminished seventh chord sounds tends to sound threatening..."


    Parncutt, Richard. "Project ideas for students of music psychology/cognition and systematic musicology"
    Full article


  55. Richard Parncutt-2; music psychologist, professor of systematic musicology, University Graz, Austria.

    "Passages based on diminished triads may evoke fear or despair, while augmented or whole-tone passages may evoke a feeling of amazement, mystery, or weightlessness (cf. Willimek and Willimek 2017)..,"


    Parncutt, Richard. "Psychoacoustic Foundations of Major-Minor Tonality", 2024, p. 307.
    Full article


  56. Vrushali Pathak; Department of Psychology, Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, India.

    "In his book, Musikpsychologie, musicologist Ernst Kurth offered an insight into understanding the psychology of listening to music. He concluded that before we perceive frequencies and interpret them as music, they are physically experienced and then undergo an internal translation with a different essential nature (as cited by Willimek & Willimek, 2013). While sound stimuli may cause general physiological changes (arousal), these changes must be interpreted cognitively for a specific emotion to emerge..."


    Pathak, Vrushali. "Role of music in understanding emotions with special reference to Shringara: a psychological exploration", International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities, vol. 7, issue 12,2016, p. 325.
    Full article


  57. 24 Players ; USA.

    "The theory of musical equilibration posits that music can lead listeners through a series of emotional states, ultimately returning to a state of equilibrium. Understanding this theory can help composers like Davis create musical pieces that guide players through a rollercoaster of emotions..."


    24 Players. "Music Impact on Player Emotions and motivations", 2023.
    Full article


  58. Sigit Purnomo; Master's Thesis, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

    "Daniela Willimek (2013: 14-15 and 34) state that natural minor scales evoke a sense of courage."

    Original Indonesian:

    "Willimek dan Daniela (2013: 14-15 dan 34) menyatakan bahwa tangga nada natural minor menimbulkan keberanian..."


    Purnomo, Sigit. "Karakteristik dan Fungsi Musik Film “Overtaken” dalam Film Serial Animasi One Piece", 2015, p. 12.
    (Charakteristik und Funktion der Filmmusik "Overtaken" im Anime-Serienfilm One Piece)
    Full article


  59. Bethany Ramsey; Researcher, Utah State University, USA.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration attempts to explain why major chords sound happy and minor chords sound sad. Put simply, it says that major chords sound happy because they are strong and solid chords, and we as humans don’t desire strong, solid things to change. The third of the chord has a slight tendency to resolve upward, but not enough to actually want to change. Major chords make us feel content..."


    Ramsey, Bethany. "Can Minor Songs Be Happy?", 2016.
    Full article


  60. Lluís Guerra Recas; Dissertation, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain.

    "Ultimately, harmony, as a highly developed language of sound generation, is also considered a potential vehicle for generating emotions. Building on a study by Ernst Kurth and the theory of 'Equilibration Effects', Willimek (2013) describes it as 'the first description of harmonic functions as the listener's ability to identify with the processes of the will' and goes one step further by examining the relationship between music and emotion, describing the psychological processes through which harmony acquires emotional significance for the human being..."

    Original Spanish:

    "Finalmente la armonía, como lenguaje muy desarrollado de generación de discurso sonoro, también es tenido en cuenta como posible vehículo generador de emociones. Basándose en un estudio de Ernst Kurth y la teoría de los "Equilibration Effects", Willimek (2013) la describe como "primera descripción de las funciones armónicas como la capacidad del oyente para identificarse con los procesos de la voluntad", y da n paso más allá investigando la relación entre música y emoción describiendo los procedimientos psicológicos por los cuales la armonía tiene un significado emocional en la persona..."


    Recas, Lluís Guerra. "Personalización subjetiva en los sistemas de música interactiva en los videojuegos. En busca de una experiencia de juego a la medida del individuo", 2021, p. 71.
    (Subjective personalization in interactive music systems in video games. In search of a tailored gaming experience)
    Full article


  61. Evangeline Mae Roberts; Master of Music, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA.

    "Bernd and Daniela Willimek assessing participants’ interpretations of a variety of musical objects found that the whole-tone scale is often perceived as “dreamy” or “floating,” a perception that fits nicely with the avatar’s perception of her situation as she traverses Tiny Woods..."


    Roberts. Evangeline Mae. "Welcome to the World of Pokémon: Music and the Player's Experience in Chunsoft's Pokémon Mystery Dungeon", 2018, p. 54.
    Full article


  62. Ana Cláudia Rodrigues; Master's theses in design and multimedia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.

    “The psychology of harmony is the psychology of musical feelings” (WILLIMEK, 2013)".


    Rodrigues, Ana Cláudia. "Objectos Musicais", 2014, p. 47.
    (Musical Objects)
    Full article


  63. Gregory James Rossetti; Dissertation, State University of New Jersey, USA.

    "According to a study by Daniel[a] and Bernd Willimek on the relationship between musical tropes and emotions, “a diminished seventh chord is considered to have several elements [that] strive for resolution,” specifically because it is a collectionof two tritones that can resolve in numerous ways, thus potentially blurring a true harmonic center.91 The study cites specific examples mostly fromthe Romantic era, including Franz Schubert’s Die Krähe (The Crow) from the cycle, Winterreise. Thispassage illustrates, “the diminished seventh chord can communicate a sense of complete despair..."


    Rossetti, Gregory James. "Overworlds, Towns, and Battles: How Music Develops the Worlds of Role-Playing Video Games", 2020, p. 65
    Full article


  64. Ruth Louise Round; Master of Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

    "The harmonic structure of the fanfare is simple in triadic root position D Major ( i.e. D, F#, A) before modulating (switching) to its dominant or A Major (the fifth note of the D Major scale) in its triadic root position ( A, C#, E). In Strebetendenz Theory the effect of this modulation has been identified as giving 'motion' (Will[i]mek and Will[i]mek, 2011, p. 75)..."


    Round, Ruth Louise. "Music signifiers: focussed listening to music as a stimulus to creative writing ”, p. 54.
    Full article


  65. L. Salazar-Montoya, V. Medrano, J. Rodgers; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, USA et al..

    "The minor key of Western music conveys emotional overtones of sadness, disappointment, deficiency, discontent, melancholy, separation, and suppression: “the major…clouded by the minor”; “the minor third is not seen as an independent interval, but rather as a “clouded” major third which has been robbed of its leading-note tension” (Willimek & Willimek, 2013)..."


    Salazar-Montoya, L.; Medrano, V.; Rodgers, J.. "Mentoring Mary’s Monster: Bioecology, Empathy, and Passion in Mentoring the 'Minoritized'”, The Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching, vol. 2, special issue 1, 2018, p. 1.
    Full article


  66. Anita Sayar; Neuroscientist and ssychologist, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.

    "Expanding upon Meyer’s idea of 'harmonic tension,' Cook’s experiment, and 'Sound Symbolism,' the Musical Equilibration Theory asserts that all emotions tied to music can be represented by empirical data, specifically, the emotions felt by the harmonies in music (Willimek, 2013). A large-scale multiphase research study conducted by Daniela and Bernd Willimek (2013) worked to support the Musical Equilibration Theory. Children of different ages were asked to report their spontaneous responses to major and minor chords. Children perceived the music containing major chords as courageous and comfortable, and the music containing minor chords as associated with loneliness and despair (Willimek, 2013). The way in which the children attributed a certain emotional character to musical harmonies was consistent with the results of Cook’s experiment and Meyer’s theory of “harmonic tension.” This shows support for the notion that emotions felt by music are predictable and measurable among a human population..."


    Sayar, Anita. "Comparison of the Effect of Major- Versus Minor-Keyed Music on Long-Term Declarative Memory in High School Students", 2921m p. 98.
    Full article


  67. Scape-Media; Buenos Dias Argentina!, Wesel, Germany.

    "As far as I’m concerned, the Strebetendenz-Theorie (Theory of Musical Equilibration) by german music theorists Bernd and Daniela Willimek (first published in 1997) is still the best approach to this topic. In subsequent studies they were able to prove that certain musical accords (harmonies of sounds) will be interpreted the same way all over the world..."


    Scape-Media.de; "L’Onda de Vapor?"
    Full article


  68. Sam Sernavski; Master Thesis, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark.

    "...The conquest of music Equilibration (which is originally Strebetendenz Theorie) was of the earliest example of psychological model which attempt to clarify the emotional effects of music by desiccating the basic elements of music among others modes and intervals..."


    Sernavski, Sam. "Composing alarms for train stations", p. 25
    Full article


  69. Mareike C. Sittler et al.; researchers, Goldsmiths, University of London, England.

    "Every song was randomly presented for 30 s. Due to the balanced use of instrumental and vocal songs, the possible effects of emotions prompted by the lyrical content of the songs could be controlled. The musical analysis was based on the theory of Willimek and Willimek (2011), as well as on the criteria proposed by Eerola, Friberg and Bresin (2013) and Gabrielsson and Lindström (2010)..."


    Sittler, Mareike C. (1); Cooper, Andrew (2); Montag, Christian (1). Researcher psycholoy(1), actor and researcher(2), Goldsmiths, University of London, England. "Is empathy involved in our emotional response?", 2019, p. 12.
    Full article


  70. Soundaudio; Cocos Islands, Australia.

    "These German researchers developed the Theory of Musical Balancing (die Strebetendenz-Theorie), which provides the first viable hypothesis about the emotional effects of music, offering important contributions to psychological research..."


    Soundaudio. "How Music Affects You Emotionally?", 2024.
    Full article


  71. Joey Stanford; Vice President of Privacy and Security, Paris, France.

    "What might we interpret from this? Music and psychology have formulated the Theory of Music Equilibraon (Willimek, Music and Emoons, 2011) which explains why certain styles of music have certain emoonal effects (I shall explain this in my next secon). Applying this to this scene, the minor chords Mansell employs, combined with the soſt but heavy (according to the Equilibraon theory) instrumentaon, typically evoke disposions of sadness, grief and overall negavity..."


    Stanford, Joey. "To What Extent Can Film Constitute a Philosophical Argument?", p. 8.
    Full article


  72. Werner Stangl; Retired Assistant Professor of Education and Psychology, University of Linz, Austria.

    "The Theory of Musical Equilibration of music theorist Bernd Willimek attempts to catalog the emotional characters of musical harmonies and formulates an initial justification for the emotional impact of musical harmonies. It postulates that the emotional experience of music is based on the listener's identification processes with volitional contents encoded in the music..."

    Original Germen:

    "Die Strebetendenz-Theorie des Musiktheoretikers Bernd Willimek ist der Versuch einer Auflistung von emotionalen Charakteren musikalischer Harmonien und formuliert eine erste Begründung für die emotionale Wirkung musikalischer Harmonien. Sie postuliert, dass das emotionale Erleben von Musik auf Identifikationsprozessen des Musikhörers mit Willensinhalten basiert, die in der Musik encodiert sind..."


    Stangl, Werner. "Online Lexikon für Psychologie und Pädagogik", Strebetendenz-Theorie.
    (Online Encyclopedia for Psychology and Education, Theory of Musical Equilibration)
    Full article


  73. Priya Tran; George Mason University, Fairfax, USA.

    "...take the Theory of Equilibration and use it to answer this question, we will find that it is the harmonic structure of music that categorizes, for example, a hip-hop song from something like country. They sound different because either genre has a particular harmonic structure that is used to create those pieces of music (Perez-Sancho, 2008). So, if we incorporate the idea that the emotions in music come from harmony and the idea that genres of music are identified by their harmonic structure, then we can deduce that certain genres of music lead to certain emotional responses from their listeners. And, as I will discuss, a huge chunk of those listeners are adolescents..."


    Tran, Priya. "Synthesis Essay. Research Question: How does the relationship between music and the brain relate to the psychological effects of certain genres of music on adolescents?", 2018.
    Full article


  74. Edrich Du Troit: Dissertation, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

    "The uncomfortable sound created by the chord communicates the strong sentiment of the words. Diminished seventh chords are often used to convey emotions of despair and melancholy and resistance to change or ideas (Willimek & Willimek, 2013). Composers have used the chord to elicit responses in a wide range of musical genres, including Lieder, orchestral music, and film scores (Willimek & Willimek, 2013). De Villiers’ use of the diminished chord brings the emotion captured in the text and code to the foreground..."


    Du Troit, Edrich. "Patriotism as a theme in selected art songs by M.L. de Villiers and Stephen Eyssen", 2021, 34f.
    Full article


  75. Maximilian Utke; Bachelor Thesis, Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart, Germany.

    "Furthermore, the link to the harmonic characteristics, as outlined by Willimek (Table 8), warrants further investigation. The prevalent seventh chord in the benchmark (Hyundai Ioniq, Renault Zoe, VW ID3, Jaguar I-Pace) would be categorized as conveying "resistance, protest, defiance, tearfulness, softness, braking, stepping; and in minor keys, the adoption of a minor character..."

    Original German:

    "Ebenso ist eine Verbindung zu den Harmoniecharakteren, wie sie von Willimek definiert sind (Tabelle 8), zu hinterfragen. Der in der Benchmark häufig verwendete Septakkord (Hyundai Ioniq, Renault Zoe, VW ID3, Jaguar I-Pace) wäre dort mit „Widerstand, Protest, Aufmüpfigkeit, Weinerlichkeit, Weichlichkeit, Bremsen, Schrittbewegung; bei Molltonika: Übernahme des Mollcharakters“ bewertet werden..."


    Utke, Maximilian. "Akustische Untersuchung elektrisch betriebener Fahrzeuge auf ihre Emotionalität unter Berücksichtigung gesetzlicher Normen", 2020, p. 54.
    (Acoustic analysis of electric vehicles regarding their emotional impact, taking into account legal regulations.)
    Full article


  76. Olga Vechtomova et al.; Professors and doctoral candidate, University of Waterloo, Canada.

    "Past research in musicology has found a correlation between some aspects of music and emotions. In one large-scale study, researchers found evidence that certain harmonies have strong associations with specific emotions, for example, the diminished seventh is associated with the feeling of despair (Willimek and Willimek 2014)..."


    Vechtomova, Olga; Sahu; Gaurav; Kumar, Dhruv. "LyricJam: A system for generating lyrics for live instrumental music", 2021, p. 1.
    Full article


  77. Mónica Paola Vega Suárez; Dissertation, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogota, Colombia.

    "'Music does not directly describe emotions, but it evokes processes of will with which the listener identifies, and the relationship with these processes is what gives music its emotional content' (Willimek and Willimek, 2013). This indicates that the listener associates certain types of emotional states with already established sounds through their desire..."

    Original Spanish:

    "'La música no describe directamente las emociones, pero si evoca procesos de voluntad con los que el oyente se identifica, y la relación con estos procesos es lo que le brinda a la música ese contenido emocional' (Willimek and Willimek, 2013). Esto indica que el espectador vincula cierto tipo estados emocionales a sonoridades ya establecidas mediante su deseo..."


    Vega Suárez, Mónica Paola. "Música para videojuegos del género survival horror", 2017, p. 3.
    (Music for video games of the survival horror genre)
    Full article


  78. Darrin Sean Verhagen; Master of Arts, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

    "Certain musical devices are likely to elicit particular physiological (high arousal-low arousal) and judgmental (appetitive or aversive) responses. Whilst focused on the mechanics of harmony as the catalyst, The Theory of Musical Equilibriation suggests that listeners identify with volitional processes in music, which are then coloured by emotions (Willimek, 1998)..."


    Verhagen, Darrin Sean. "Noise, Music and Perception: Towards a Functional Understanding of Noise Composition", 2024, S. 40.
    Full article


  79. Robin Alexander Winter; Master-Thesis, Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany.

    "In their work 'Music and Emotion', Daniela and Bernd Willimek present their foundational studies on Bernd Willimek's theory of Musical Equilibration. This theory offers a method to tangibly grasp the emotional impact of music by examining its harmony. B. Willimek describes the perception of musical harmonic progressions as the listener's identification with volitional processes that oppose the striving tendency..."

    Original German:

    "Daniela und Bernd Willimek zeigen in ihrer Arbeit Musik und Emotion Ihre aufbauenden Studien zur Strebetendez–Theorie von Bernd Willimek. Die Strebetendez– Theorie zeigt einen Weg, die emotionale Wirkung von Musik greifbar zu machen, indem die Harmonik der Musik betrachtet wird. B. Williemk beschreibt die Wahrnehmung musikalischer harmonischer Abläufe als Identifikation des Hörers mit Willensvorgängen, die der Strebewirkung entgegen gerichtet sind..."


    Winter, Robin Alexander. "Die heilende Kraft der Stimme in der Musiktherapie", 2023, p.13.
    (The healing power of the voice in music therapy)
    Full article


  80. Robert Wozniak; Bachelor's Thesis, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Karlskrona, Sweden.

    "Willimek & Willimek (2011) write detailed work on the effects that contemporary musical structures have on emotion.."


    Wozniak, Robert. "Toward a Transdisciplinary Model of Highly Emotional Experiences in Narrative Media: An Inwards Sound Design Approach", 2017, p. 12.
    Full article


  81. Fan Zhang; Doctoral Thesis, Brunel University London, England.

    "Theory of Musical Equilibration (also known as Strebetendenz-Theorie in the original German) is the first psychological paradigm to create an emotional effect on music..."


    Zhang, Fan. "Music Emotion Recognition based on Feature Combination, Deep Learning and Chord Detection", 2019, p. 84.
    Full article


  82. Fan Zhang et al.; Professors, University London, England, and Chengdu, China.

    "In our system, based on 'Theory of Musical Equilibration' in the book 'Music and Emotions' which designed and conducted by Daniela and Bernd Willimek [9], the different kinds of chords are the key for the emotion recognition system..."


    Zhang, Fan; Meng, Hongying; Li, Maozhen; Cui, Ruixia; Liu, Chang. "Music Emotion Recognition Based on Chord Identification", 2022, p. 3.
    Full article