Introduction
Over the course of history there has been a close relationship between rhetoric and music; this is especially evident in the Baroque period (rhetoric).
Until relatively recently in Western society, music was an form primarily focused on vocals, and consequently words were of extremely high importance. Due to this trend, composers were usually inspired by rhetorical principles when coalescing text and music (rhetoric). Likewise, even after instrumental-centered music became popular, rhetoric principles continued to be relied on in creating both vocal and instrumental music.
What is still largely unclear is how the interrelationships influenced the craft of composition. This is ...