Janáček's Theory of Speech Melody

Janáček's Theory of Speech Melody suggests that the emotional character and meaning of speech are conveyed through distinctive pitch patterns, rhythms, and intonation. He believed that these melodic contours reflect the speaker's feelings and intentions, creating a musical "sentence" that reveals more than words alone. Composers can mimic these speech melodies to express authentic human emotions in music. Essentially, Janáček viewed speech melodically as a vital emotional code, and his work emphasizes capturing these natural speech patterns to achieve genuine musical expression.