Instrumental Works Research Articles

Особливості читання партитур вокально-інструментальних творів доби бароко

The urgency of the problem. Score reading is a discipline that has significant potential for the formation of performing skills of musicians. The importance and practical significance of its mastery is evident in the professional activity of the concertmaster-pianist. Studying and performing the repertoire has a number of features that depend on who accompanies the vocalists or instrumentalists. Interpretation of Baroque works is a difficult task. This issue has been the subject of research, but little attention has been paid to the interaction between reading scores and further professional activities. The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of reading scores of vocal and instrumental works of the Baroque era, which is carried out in the work of the concertmaster of the academic vocal class. This goal provides an overview of the main stages that are present reading scores on the piano, as well as on the specific problems that arise in the play of baroque works, in terms of the spread of the movement of historically informed performance. The scientific methodology is associated with the use of methods of analysis, synthesis, and comparative approach. The results of the study are to highlight the specifics of reading scores of the Baroque period by a concertmaster-pianist and highlight the main problematic aspects. Conclusions. Mastering of reading scores involves systematic work, which includes a number of stages. This is an analysis of a piece of music, highlighting the main lines of texture, paying attention to areas of expressive sound of voices and instruments. Score reading involves choosing the material to be played and excluding secondary material. However, the performance of baroque works on the score requires additional efforts, which are associated with the reproduction of the material in different keys, the ability to play the line basso ostinato. It should be noted that the vocal parts of soloists can and should vary. Accordingly, the performance of musical practice of this period is a task that requires significant preparatory work.

Instrumental Masters of the Second Expedition to Kamchatka

The second expedition to Kamchatka constantly drags the researchers' attention as one of the greatest scientific events of the 18th century. The success of V. Bering's team strongly depended on the accurate work of instruments - compasses, sundials, sand- and spyglasses. All those breakable and expensive devices was to be kept in steady functional condition, in cases of damage - have an opportunity to repair it quickly or to get another analogue. That is why form the very beginning the staff included an instrumental master. During the all years of the expedition there were three of them - two academic employees (G. Kobylin, S. Ovsyannikov) and one from the Admiralty (S. I. Kuznetsov). The author reveals the equipment used for routing, land-surveying and mapping; characterizes the role of these scientific and nautical instruments as well as the general state of Russian instrument-making of that period. A list of materials and equipment which an instrument-maker took with him is included in the article too. Especially interesting is the data of S. I. Kuznetsov's participation, whose name has not been mentioned in historical works yet. Further search of sources which provide the information of biographical details, characters and scopes of their work is a good prospect of the developing the topic.

Load calculation and effect of deformation observation around Mudanjiang seismic station

With the acceleration of urbanization, the impact of human production and life on the earthquake observation environment is increasingly prominent. In order to study the influence of the construction of buildings (structures) around the observation station on the geophysical observation data, taking the deformation observation vertical pendulum tiltmeter and cavern strain gauge of Mudanjiang Seismic Station as examples, through field verification, inspection of instrument and equipment working state, environmental interference and meteorological factors, it was found that the construction time and direction of the southeast residential area of the observation station were related to the abnormal characteristics. In this study, based on the principle of superposition of normal concentrated force point load on the surface of semi-infinite body, the load change caused by the construction of station surrounding engineering was quantitatively calculated, and the influence degree of load was analyzed, which would provide support for further clarifying the interference source.

Structural and Semantic Features of the Thematicism in György Ligeti’s Instrumental Concerti Between 1980 and 2000

Structural and Semantic Features of the Thematicism in György Ligeti’s Instrumental Concerti Between 1980 and 2000

The Influence of Scientific Theories on Musical Form in Contemporary Instrumental and Electroacoustic Works

This article highlights the contradiction between theories of form in musicology (originating in the mechanistic and organicist definitions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries), and new forms created by contemporary composers since circa 1970. The initial discussion introduces various “traditional” definitions of form in aesthetics, semiotics and musicology. Following this, a critique of the mechanistic approach, drawing on the work of André Souris, is presented. The third part discusses some recent scientific theories which composers have drawn from. The remainder of the article provides examples of the manifestation of new musical forms based on scientific theories such as the spiral, morphogenesis, fractal geometry, psychological-literary analysis, and L-systems.

Nielsen, Shakespeare and the Flute Concerto: From Character to Archetype

In June 1916 Nielsen supplied incidental music for the tercentenary Shakespeare celebrations in Hamlet’s castle of Kronborg, Helsingør (Elsinore). The three choruses and two songs he composed constitute one of his least-known works. But they had a legacy, and not only in the final choral number, which, to other words, subsequently became a candidate for Danish national anthem. Shortly after the event, Nielsen confided that he found Ariel and Caliban (for each of whom he had composed a sharply characterful song) so fascinating that he was considering writing an instrumental work based on their contrasting temperaments. This he never did, at least not overtly. However, ten years later the drastic instrumental contrasts in his Flute Concerto invite a reading based on the Ariel/Caliban duality. The distinctiveness of the concerto’s confrontation between the flute solo and the orchestral bass trombone has long been recognised. However, this duality takes on a more focused and at the same time broader significance when viewed in the light of Nielsen’s life-long, albeit mainly indirect, engagement with Shakespeare. Suggesting how a composer’s occasional character-music may re-emerge in their concert work in the guise of archetypes, our article seeks to contribute to a growing field of investigation into the relationship between ‘applied’ and concert music.

Новые приемы игры и технические трудности в произведениях для духовых инструментов ХХ века: педагогический аспект

one of the main problems of music pedagogy was and still is the problem of mastering performing skills by instrumentalist students. This problem is particularly important when students master the modern repertoire, which differs from the classical one by the presence of new techniques and technical difficulties. The purpose of the work is to consider new playing techniques and technical difficulties in works for wind instruments of the twentieth century in the context of pedagogy and education. The results of the study: the modern repertoire, with rare exceptions, is mastered by performing musicians in music and pedagogical universities, and the entire previous period of study is devoted to playing works of baroque, classical and romantic musical styles. University teachers have to deal with students who are not prepared for the perception, understanding, or performance of music of the twentieth century. The novelty of the work consists in methodological recommendations for solving the existing problem.

Авангардный облик русского фольклора в вокальных и инструментальных произведениях композиторов второй половины ХХ века

in the second half of the twentieth century, when the avant-garde proposed truly revolutionary principles for organizing the sound environment, not only the treasures of ancient Russian church music were rediscovered, but also the interest in Russian spiritual culture as a whole, including musical folklore, significantly increased. Russian society at the end of the century was engulfed in disbelief, disappointment, fatigue. Hence there are images of the “decaying” world, the end of the world. The apocalyptic situation manifested itself not only in the fire of civil wars, but also in the feeling of disharmony of people with themselves and with others. As a result, domestic culture began to return to the fold of universal human values, eternal problems and traditional ideas about peace and good. This article considers the basic principles of the implementation of musical folklore in the vocal and instrumental works of domestic avant-garde composers of the second half of the twentieth century. It is noted that neo-folklorism, which arose in domestic music in the 1980–1990s in connection with the idea of national revival, through the semantics of rite, cult archaic, means of folk musical language, strengthened the Russian roots of domestic culture and strengthened the national philosophical heritage embedded in folk music.

Инструментальные сочинения П. Ф. Юона 1930-х годов: феномен позднего стиля композитора

The paper aims to reveal peculiarities of P. Juon’s (1872-1940) late style in the context of the historical and cultural situation of the first decades of the XX century. The article analyses creativity of the distinctive Russian-Swiss composer with a view to identify specificity of his works. Scientific originality of the study lies in the fact that the researcher for the first time examines some of Juon’s compositions, which allows revealing aesthetic uniqueness of his late creative work. Analysing the instrumental works, the core of the composer’s musical heritage of the 1930s, the researcher identifies specificity of interaction of the style-formative elements associated with the last stage of Juon’s creative work - culmination of the artist’s long-term artistic evolution.

Романтическое начало в инструментальном творчестве композитора Азона Фаттаха: на примере Сюиты на корейские темы и Лирической пьесы для валторны и фортепиано

The paper aims to identify specificity of Azon (Azantin Nurtynovich) Fattakh’s chamber compositions, to reveal their figurative filling and style features. The article examines chamber music genres in the composer’s creative work: pieces for solo instruments, program cycles. Special attention is paid to analyzing two Azon Fattakh’s opuses: the Korean Suite and the Lyrical Piece for the French Horn and the Piano. The researcher’s attention is focused on their structural peculiarities, specificity of musical language. The author mentions the following typical characteristics of Azon Fattakh’s style: dominance of folkloric motives, reliance on tonal and melodic features of the Tatar folklore, observation of romantic harmony principles, tendency for the romantic type in chamber instrumental music. Scientific originality of the study is conditioned by the fact that the researcher analyzes creative work of a composer whose heritage is still poorly studied; the material includes Azon Fattakh’s opuses which have not been previously investigated in domestic musicology. The Korean Suite preserved in the draft version is subjected to a comprehensive analysis. The research findings are as follows: the author provides a survey of Azon Fattakh’s chamber instrumental works (the analyzed compositions occupy a special place among them), which broadens general understanding of his music.

Instrumental Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB): Measurement and Evidence of Multiple Motives

Many theories explain counterproductive work behavior (CWB) as a reactionary response to negative stressors at work. The rationale is that stressors cause negative affect states, leading employees to want to strike out at a target (i.e., the organization, coworkers or supervisors) to buffer or reduce negative emotional states. However, there is some evidence that CWB can occur for other reasons. So-called instrumental CWB is difference from reactive forms of CWB in that it is premeditated, calculated, and the employee’s intent is some goal other than an intent to harm. For example, an employee may make fun of coworkers, not with the intent of harming those coworkers, but rather because making fun of others is seen as an acceptable form of interacting with others and the intent is to create stronger social bonds. Building on previous research, we define and develop a measure for four instrumental motives for CWB: two social motives:(1) affiliation and (2) conformity, as well as two self-enhancement motives: (1) status gain and (2) tangible resources. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that instrumental motives explained additional variance in both counterproductive work behavior aimed at individuals (CWBI) and at the organization (CWBO) over reactive motive for CWB.

A sandwich temperature control membrane inlet mass spectrometer for dissolved gases and volatile organic compounds in aqueous solution

A sandwich temperature control membrane inlet system based on a miniature mass spectrometer is presented that demonstrates improved analytical performance for the measurement of dissolved gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in aqueous solution. Aqueous solution is directly brought to the monolayer flat membrane interface at a constant flow rate. A heating resistor and a thermocouple are fixed on the side of the membrane and aqueous solution respectively. This new strategy allows for a temperature compensation method, affording an improvement of sensitivity and a reduction of response time compared with the conventional heating solution temperature control strategy. Furthermore, a static heating mode is applied to effectively remove the memory effect. Automatic sampling and measurement are achieved by using the membrane inlet system with silicone sheeting of 50 μm thickness. The vacuum is below 3 × 10−5 Torr, which can make the instrument work normally. A good linear response is observed for benzene in the range of 0.1 ppm–10 ppm and the detection limit is 50 ppb. The analytical capacity of this system is demonstrated by the on-line analysis of VOCs in aqueous solution, in which the dominant ions are detected rapidly. The results indicate that the sandwich temperature control membrane inlet mass spectrometer (STC-MIMS) has a potential application for on-line analyzing organic pollution in aquatic environments.

Chamber music works by Amanda Maier in the context of European Romanticism

Chamber music works by Amanda Maier in the context of European Romanticism

Development of fabric smoothness tester

An instrument has been designed and developed to measure the smoothness behavior of finished cotton fabrics. The instrument is based on pendulum principle. The weight (hang on string) comprises a frictionless wheel movable along arc shaped platform. The platform acts as a sample holder. When the weight is subjected to push, it swings back and forth in the platform. The amplitude of the swing reduces due to friction of the fabric. The amplitude is inversely proportional to the friction or roughness of the fabric. Various types of finished cotton fabrics are tested on the developed instrument. The results are compared with Kawabata system to verify the working of instrument. These results are also compared with the bending length and crease recovery behavior of the particular fabric sample. It is found that the lesser the bending length the more will be the smoothness. If the crease recovery angle is high, the fabric will be smoother. One way analysis of variance has been applied to find out effect of different processes on fabric surface smoothness property.

Classical Rondos and Sonatas as Stylistic Categories

Sonata and rondo movements are often defined in terms of large-scale form, yet in the classical era, rondos were also identified according to their lively, cheerful character. We hypothesized that sonatas and rondos could be categorized based on stylistic features, and that rondos would involve more acoustic cues for happiness (e.g., higher average pitch height and higher average attack rate). In a corpus analysis, we examined paired movement openings from 180 instrumental works, composed between 1770 and 1799. Rondos had significantly higher pitch height and attack rate, as predicted, and there were also significant differences related to dynamics, meter, and cadences. We then conducted an experiment involving participants with at least 5 years of formal music training or less than 6 months of formal music training. Participants listened to 120 15-second audio clips, taken from the beginnings of movements in our corpus. After a training phase, they attempted to categorize the excerpts (2AFC task). D-prime scores were significantly higher than chance levels for both groups, and in post-experiment questionnaires, participants without music training reported that rondos sounded happier than sonatas. Overall, these results suggest that classical formal types have distinct stylistic and affective conventions.

Recapitulatory Compressions in Some Texted and Instrumental Works by Schubert

The thematic organization of musical reprises and recapitulations has not received as much attention as that of expositions. One reason for this is the assumption that recapitulations are simply retracings of thematic paths already plotted in the exposition, with their tonal profiles adjusted to remain in the tonic. The present article seeks to complexify this view by devoting analytic and interpretive attention to a handful of refrains, reprises, and recapitulations that feature deletions of some of their referential thematic material. My primary claims are, first, that such recapitulatory compressions afford feelings of temporal and perspectival distortion (such as “too soon” or “too close” or “too large”) to listeners and to virtual protagonists, and second, that they work in concert with aspects of the presented content of the movements at hand—text, topic, mode, and so on—to project complex and multifaceted musical narratives. Examples come from poetry, song, and instrumental music and include Goethe's “Erster Verlust” and Schubert's setting of it (D. 226); Müller's “Täuschung” and “Die Nebensonnen” and Schubert's settings of them (D. 911); and Schubert's Allegro in A minor for Four hands, “Lebensstürme,” D. 947.

Discovering Essential Voices in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Solo Instrumental Suite Movements

This video-article presents the concept of “essential voices” in Bach’s solo instrumental works, which explains how notes can be connected together or implied so as to form continuous musical voices that support the solo part. The contrapuntal lines that essential voices highlight are often repeated in transformed ways within movements to relate different thematic rotations and heighten the musical drama. The video concludes with an analysis and performance of the intriguing Sarabande from J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011, accompanied by a four-part setting of essential voices for cello ensemble.

Motorcycle Instrument Clusters for Collision Reconstruction

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The behaviour of the instrument cluster of passenger cars during a collision is reasonably well understood, following a number of studies over the past decade. However, one of the frequent questions asked is if motorcycle instruments can be considered in the same way as passenger cars. Motorcycle instruments work in the same way as passenger car instruments. The older models use a Bowden cable to drive a spinning magnetic cup, which drags an instrument needle against a hair spring. Newer models (typically post 2000) use a stepper motor which requires power to drive the needle to any indicated position, including returning it to zero. Hence if power to the instrument is lost as a result of a collision, there is no electrical power to the motor to move the needle, and it should be left at its last position before the power was lost. However, the accelerations experienced by a motorcycle instrument during a collision are significantly different from those of an instrument cluster housed within the dash of a passenger car. Over the past few years a number of crash tests involving motorcycles have been carried out in the USA and UK and the behaviour of the instruments were analysed to see how they perform at holding any residual reading.</div></div>

Business and Human Rights: Making the Legally Binding Instrument Work in Public, Private and Criminal Law

The paper’s starting point is the United Nations Human Rights Council working group’s revised draft of a Legally Binding Instrument to Regulate, in International Human Rights Law, the Activities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises of July 2019. The paper examines the draft treaty’s potential to activate and operationalize public law, private law, and criminal law for enforcing human rights. It conceptualizes a complementary approach of these three branches of law in which private and criminal legal enforcement mechanisms stand in the foreground. It argues for linking civil (tort) and criminal liability for harm caused by hands-off corporate policies, complemented by the obligation to interpret managerial duties in conformity with the human rights standards of public international law. The combination of public, private, and criminal law allows effective enforcement of human rights vis-a-vis global corporations.

F. Schubert’s last Piano Sonatas in the aspect of his song-like thinking

F. Schubert’s last Piano Sonatas in the aspect of his song-like thinking