The cello suites of Johann Sebastian Bach exhibit several types of power-law scaling, the best examples of which can be considered fractal in nature. This article examines scaling with respect to the characteristics of melodic interval and its derivative, melodic moment. A new and effective method for pitch-related analysis is described and then applied to a selection of the 36 pieces that comprise the six cello suites.
The Bourrée Part I from Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suite No. 3 provides a clear example of structural scaling. The recursive form of this structure can be visualized in the manner of a well known fractal construction — the Cantor set.
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