Expressionism in music refers to which idea?

• A. The idea that music expresses internal emotional states
• B. Music refers to external ideas
• C. Music is purely abstract
• D. Music lacks emotion

Answer: (A)

Expressionism in music centers on conveying inner emotional life through sound. It aims to reveal subjective feelings—like fear, longing, or tension—rather than simply describing external ideas or scenes. Composers push harmony, rhythm, and timbre to extremes to express psychological depth and the subconscious, often using dissonance and abrupt contrasts to provoke an emotional response. A landmark example is early 20th-century German expressionism, where composers sought to externalize intense inner states rather than paint an objective picture of the world. That focus on expressing internal emotion is why this idea fits best. The other notions—music representing external ideas, being purely abstract, or lacking emotion—do not capture the emphasis on lining music up with inner psychological experience.