Rhetoric in Music - The Notes tell All

At the Conservatory, many years ago now, I learned from two incredible musicians about rhetoric in music. This was during a special workshop: The Arcadia project.  Musicians: Jos van Immerseel and Jaap  Schröder.  Jos Van Immerseel is a Belgian harpsichordist, pianist and conductor. Jaap Schröder is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and pedagogue.

Ever since that wonderful workshop I have thought about the following: what do the notes tell me? 

Especially in Baroque music I feel the notes tell all.  They tell us the tempo, the expression, the dynamics and articulation.  As that may be seen as a bit much, I still contemplate that notion.  The notes speak to us and of course we can "play" with bowings.  Clearly using certain bow strokes help free the notes and phrases in baroque music and others restrict or "kill" the music.  A strong word perhaps, but many phrases work with down - up bow direction for instance.  Interestingly, I experience the same with fiddling.  The notes are set free...

The notes show direction: going up or down.  Melodic drama comes with huge jumps for instance.  I believe the notes tell us tempo and they function as a guide for our interpretation.  I am sad to notice that oftentimes tempo indications, such as grave are misinterpreted in modern violin performance.  Grave appears less slow in baroque music. When humming or playing a section of the piece, rhetoric as presented by the notes will lead us.  The notes will come to life in an appropriate tempo.  It is so very interesting: it never ceases to give me great pleasure to listen to what the notes tell me.