Single affect principle

The single affect principle is a musicological term describing the idea that contrasting affects (moods or sentiments) cannot belong in the one and the same musical movement,^[1] the harmonic structure of which would thus be limited by enharmonic modulations. It was one of the defining characteristics of pre-Classical music (Renaissance, Baroque etc.), and gradually became obsolete ca. 1800. There has been a resurgence of its use in contemporary historicist and minimalistmusic.

References

1. http://www.musicalratio.com/onaffect.html