Works by J. S. Bach, Telemann, W. F. Bach, Handel and Kleinknecht.

Postscript:
Aysha Wills, traverso (Phlegmatic)
David Westcombe, traverso (Sanguine)
Artem Belogurov, harpsichord (Choleric)
Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, baroque cello (Melancholic)

Video recorded for Oude Muziek online Festival, shown on eMTV https://oudemuziek.nl/agenda/alle-concerten-20212022/emtv-2021/emtv21-zeist-28-aug-1500-postscript/the-four-temperaments/

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The idea that music influences our emotions has existed at least since ancient Greek times, but it was the 17th and 18th centuries that saw a flourishing of writings codifying the ways in which a composer could convey emotional states to a receptive public. 

Based on an ancient Greco-Roman theory,  the four temperaments - phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic, and sanguine  - were responsible for how the affects resonated with the audience.

These theories are a fascinating mixture of natural sciences, ancient theories, astrology, scientific speculation and pure fantasy. The writers of the time had long lists of associations with each temperament in addition to psychological descriptions - including seasons, times of day, colors, planets, and even organs:

Phlegmatic - peacefulness and moderation, easy-going and relaxed individuals, winter, night, water, neptune, and the colour green.

Choleric - anger and fury, decisive and ambitious people, summer, noon, fire, Mars, and the colour yellow.

Melancholic - sorrow and pain, people who think and feel deeply, fall, evening, earth, Saturn, and the colour blue.

Sanguine - love, joy,  enthusiastic and extroverted people, spring, morning, air, Mercury, and the colour red.

For us, four musicians with distinct musical personalities, it was interesting to explore not only how the music affects the audience, but how each one of us relates to the four temperaments. We each performed a short piece or a movement to present our designated temperament, followed by a complete work where the given temperament is prominently featured. 

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Met het ongewone combo van twee traverso’s, een cello en een klavecimbel diept Postscript uit de oeuvres van Bach, Telemann en Händel sonates, dansen en fantasia’s op waarmee de vier persoonlijkheidstypen of ‘temperamenten’ zich in klank laten vatten. Van sanguinisch tot cholerisch en van flegmatisch tot melancholisch: Hippocrates’ theorie wordt aan de ultieme akoestische test onderworpen.