Quantitative Analysis of Phrasing Strategies in Expressive Performance: Computational Methods and Analysis of Performances of Unaccompanied Bach for Solo Violin

Abstract

This paper presents computational methods for quantitative description and analysis of expressive performance strategies in violin performances. We present general techniques for extracting beat-level tempo and loudness data, and the Local Maximum Phrase Detection (LMPD) method. The LMPD method equates local maxima in the loudness curve with interpreted phrases, and defines measures of phrase strength (clarity), phrase volatility (standard deviation), and phrase typicality (concurrence with norm), for characterizing each phrase. The methods are developed in the context of, and applied to, eleven recorded performances of the Andante movement from Bach's Sonata No. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 for solo violin by master violinists. For each performance, we present tempo and loudness summary statistics of the entire piece, its sections, and each phrase. In our experiments, we find that loudness is a more consistent indicator of phrasing strategies, suggesting that phrase structure may impose stricter constraints on dynamic than on tempo variation. The results of the LMPD method show that Kremer's performance exhibits the highest, and Enescu's the lowest, phrase volatility; Milstein's shows the highest average phrase typicality, and Enescu's the lowest; and, Grumiaux plays with the highest, and Menuhin the lowest, average phrase strength.

Rhythmic Density Affects Listeners' Emotional Response to Microtiming

“…Further, expressive timing (i.e., local tempo variations) is a phenomenon widely observed in the performance of Western art music. It has been associated with phrase structure, harmonic and melodic development, and it is understood to be a major source of expressiveness in Western art music (Clarke, 1982 ; Cook, 1987 ; Repp, 1992 , 1997 , 1998b ; Beran and Mazzola, 2000 ; Hong, 2003 ; Sundberg, 2003 ; Cheng and Chew, 2008 ; Senn et al, 2009 , 2012 ; Dodson, 2011 ; MacRitchie, 2011 ; Benadon and Zanette, 2015 ).…”

Computational Models of Expressive Music Performance: A Comprehensive and Critical Review

“…This includes work on methods for visualizing expressive parameters and their characteristics (Langner and Goebl, 2003;Chew and Callender, 2013), on inferring performance strategies like phrasing from expressive timing (Chuan and Chew, 2007) or dynamics (Cheng and Chew, 2008), and clustering of patterns of (phrase-level) tempo variations (Li et al, 2014(Li et al, , 2015(Li et al, , 2016(Li et al, , 2017. The results obtained with such methods support the existence of common performance strategies (Cheng and Chew, 2008;Li et al, 2014;Kosta et al, 2016). Quantitative studies on the contribution of various score features to expressive parameters reveal well-known relationships, like the importance of pitch (height) for predicting expressive dynamics, and the relationship between metrical features and timing deviations.…”

“…Quantitative studies on the contribution of various score features to expressive parameters reveal well-known relationships, like the importance of pitch (height) for predicting expressive dynamics, and the relationship between metrical features and timing deviations. At the same time, some results indicate that aspects of performance (like expressive tempo and dynamics) might be related in more than one way to structural aspects of the music, e.g., phrasing has been shown to be related to dynamics (Cheng and Chew, 2008) or timing (Chuan and Chew, 2007). An interesting finding is the importance of features and models that allow for describing the musical contexts, both horizontal (temporal) (Gingras et al, 2016;Kosta et al, 2016; and vertical (i.e., harmonic) (Marchini et al, 2014).…”

Analysis of Contemporary Violin Recordings of 19th Century Repertoire: Identifying Trends and Impacts

“…Specific approaches to phrasing, dynamics, bowing, tempo, rhythmic choices, vibrato, portamento, fingerings, and the like found to blur what appeared to be period modes. Such remarkable diversity of nuances was mostly traced in studies focusing on J. S. Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin (e.g., Pulley, 2002; Fabian, 2005; Ornoy, 2008; Cheng and Chew, 2008; Fabian and Ornoy, 2009; Dimov, 2010; Sretenovic and Adamovic, 2012; Gyulnazarova, 2013; Sarlo, 2015), but was also reported in recordings of several additional pieces written for either the violin (e.g., Levy, 2001; Katz, 2003; Lee, 2006; Stijn, 2009; Leech-Wilkinson, 2009) or other stringed instruments (e.g., Turner, 2004; November, 2010, 2011; Milisavljevic, 2011; Hong, 2014). …”