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Aural analysis for performing musicians The relationship between accents and expression

Aural analysis for performing musicians The relationship between accents and expression. Richard Parncutt Universität Graz. VI . Kongress der Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie, Weimar, 6.-8-10.06. Parncutt: Aural analysis for performing musicians. Introduction.

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Aural analysis for performing musicians The relationship between accents and expression

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  1. Aural analysis for performing musicians The relationship between accents and expression Richard Parncutt Universität Graz VI . Kongress der Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie, Weimar, 6.-8-10.06

  2. Parncutt: Aural analysis for performing musicians Introduction • Information transmitted in performance • Typical performance of a work • Salience and accentuation • Immanent vs performed accents

  3. Aims • analyse a musical work aurally • explain its perception • guide its interpretation • understand the “work itself” • not a specific performance

  4. Information transmitted in music performance • score (categorical) • note names, note values… • tempo and dynamic markings… • performance (continuous) • tempo, timing, dynamics, articulation, timbre…

  5. “Typical” performance of a work • “typical” = average MIDI data (Repp, 1997) • Schumann "Träumerei" (op. 15, No. 7) • Chopin Etude in E major (op. 10, No. 3) • result: average is preferred! • conclusion: “typical” performance exists • a suitablebasis for aural analysis

  6. Salience • Definitions of “eventsalience”: • probability of noticing • perceptual importance • “Aural analysis” should: • highlight salient events • explain why they are salient

  7. Accent • Broad definition: • any salient event • Broad classification: • immanent (werkimmanent) • performed (interpretatorisch)

  8. Performed accents • agogic • articulatory • dynamic • timbral Immanent accents • metrical M • grouping G • melodic C • harmonic H

  9. Performance of accents

  10. Parncutt: Aural analysis for performing musicians Examples • Melodic, harmonic accents • Metrical, grouping accents • Functions of performed accents • Combinations of accent types

  11. Melodic accents

  12. Harmonic accents

  13. Metrical accents M M M M M > > >

  14. Grouping accents …………………………………..

  15. Function of performed accents • Q: Which immanent accents are emphasized most in performance? • A: Those that are already salient • Conclusion: Performance accents • clarify & exaggerate immanent accents • disambiguate musical structure

  16. Combinations of accent types

  17. A testable prediction Expressiveness depends on local immanent accent density Expressiveness: • intensity of emotion • deviation of tempo etc. from global mean Local immanent accent density: • typical analysis by music theorist • “local” = sum of sliding window

  18. Parncutt: Aural analysis for performing musicians Conclusions • The art of musical interpretation • What the theory neglects • What makes a good theory? • Future research

  19. Thesis Performed accents clarify or exaggerate • selected immanent accents • perceived musical structure Cf. Crelle (1823) “Ausdruck und Vortrag für Fortepiano-Spieler”

  20. The art of musical interpretation • Awareness of • structure (immanent accents; their salience) • expressive possibilities (performed accents) • Immanent accents: • Which to emphasize? (already salient?) • How much? • Performed accents: • Which to use? • How much? • In what way? • diversity of “good” interpretations ☺ • non-falsifiable theory? ☻

  21. What the theory neglects Shape of gestures • (implied) physical movement • idiosyncratic gestures, clichés Aspects of musical meaning • Ecological origins • Life experience

  22. Pragmatic evaluation How can a music theory be useful? • relatively simple and general • supports explanation and understanding • invites new performance interpretations • can link theory teaching to performance Compare: • Riemann Funktionslehre • Schenker Stimmführung/Ursatz • pitch-class set theory

  23. Future research • Qualitative: • aural analyses • pedagogical tests • Quantitative: • computer model (cf. Sundberg & Friberg) • comparison of predictions with MIDI data • In both cases: • openness for revision and extension • first pianists, then others

  24. Sorry about my accent! Aural analysis for performing musiciansThe relationship between accents and expression Richard Parncutt Universität Graz VI . Kongress der Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie, Weimar, 6.-8-10.06

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