Final answer:
Program music is a type of instrumental music that tells a story or paints a picture without sung words, where different movements or sections represent different elements of the narrative. It can be experienced through movies or concerts, and it demonstrates music's ability to convey emotions universally across different cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of program music refers to instrumental music that is intended to evoke images or convey the impression of events, without the use of sung words or a traditional story structure. It often relies on extra-musical elements, such as a pre-written narrative, poem, idea, or scene, which can be represented musically. Composers create program music to narrate a story or depict a scene through the music itself, with different movements or sections often representing different aspects of the narrative or scenery.
For example, when we witness a scene in a film where the music heightens the emotional impact of the visual, this is a form of program music in action. The music provides context and underscores the emotions being depicted on screen, much like in traditional program music which could portray the same scene in a concert setting without the visuals. Furthermore, the sequencing of pieces in a musical program can also present a narrative, where the emotional journey is crafted by the order of the program.
Such approaches to programming music, while sometimes challenging traditional boundaries, highlight the music as a cultural universal; a language that can convey emotions such as happiness, sadness, or fear across different cultures, even without words.