Musical expression
Musical expression is that element of musical performance which recognizably embodies a particular emotion, ideally causing a sympathetic emotional response in its listeners.[1] The emotional content of musical expression is distinct from the the emotional content of specific sounds (e.g., a startlingly-loud 'bang') and of learned associations (e.g., a national anthem), but can rarely be completely separated from its context.
The components of musical expression continue to be the subject of extensive and unresolved dispute.