Music Examples Research Articles

Instrumentale Melodieanfänge und ihr Verhältnis zur Form am Beispiel historischer und gegenwärtiger ungarischer Tanzmelodien

AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyze the beginning of different dance tunes in connection with variously performed dance tunes. The purpose of this paper is also to draw attention to the need for micro-analysis, which has been neglected for a long time in instrumental folk music research, in order to better understand instrumental musical melody creation. The selected musical examples come from different (partly historical) eras and different geographical areas of Western Transdanubian and Transylvanian Hungarian folk music collections. Typical starting elements (fifth-forth changes, direction of moving of scales, etc.) are related to dance music with different names. The analysis ignores the evolution of tempo and variation throughout the piece, as well as the ensemble's “Primas” ornamentation, timbre, harmonies and unique solutions of the accompaniment. At the same time, the author paid attention to the form and structure of the entire piece in addition to the beginnings of the melody. The study was written in honor of the 100th birthday of Walter Deutsch, the creator of modern Austrian ethnomusicology.

Love and Emotions in Pietist Hymnography—From the Past to Us: Musical Examples

This study aims to analyze, through religious hymns in the German-speaking area from the early 18th century, the influence that the Pietist theological movement, starting from Philipp Jacob Spener’s Pia Desideria, had on the centralization of the self in the Protestant religious world, through the introduction of personal feelings of love towards God. On the one hand, the origins of Pietism can already be traced back to the late 16th century in areas affected by the radical reforms of the Anabaptists. On the other hand, it is from the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century that this theological and spiritual movement destabilized orthodox Lutheranism in some symbolic cities of Protestant Germany, such as Frankfurt am Main, Halle, and the Duchy of Westphalia, up to Moravia. The extensive publication of hymnals and musical compendia for the use of individuals, lay groups (collegia pietatis), faith communities, and churches denotes a fervor and a desire to preach their way of “practicing” spirituality, which greatly contrasts with both orthodox Lutheranism and the prevailing rationalism in the religious and philosophical sphere in Germany of the mid-18th century. For the first time since the Reformation, Lutheranism saw the use, in the theology of the preached and sung Word, of personal feelings and emotions that connect the individual with God, who is made an object of individual as well as collective worship. This was one of the most significant accusations that came from the University of Wittenberg against Pietism, namely the shift of theological and spiritual focus from the centrality of God to the centrality of the self, which manifests its faith through the most intimate emotions and feelings. Through the analysis of some examples taken from hymnographic and theological production, centered on the individual feelings of the believer, this article focuses on how this influenced the religious revival movements that would pervade England and the United States of America for more than two centuries (from the First Great Awakening in the late 18th century to the Pentecostal movements of the 20th century), with a spotlight on Italian hymnody during the Risorgimento.

A Literature Review on the Theme of Female Music in the Accompanying Marriage Songs in Jiahe County, China

The accompanying marriage songs in Jiahe County (hereinafter referred to as JHAMS) are rare female music examples in Chinese folk wedding rituals. They are particularly precious and special for Chinese music research, which does not pay much attention to gender research. This paper uses a qualitative systematic literature review method to search, screen, classify, analyse, and compare the existing gender research literature on JHAMS. It is found that the proportion is only 10.53%, and the research topics are mainly "female psychology" and "female roles." It can be seen that further increasing and deepening the gender research on JHAMS has important exploratory significance and academic value.

Artificial Intelligence: Duality in Applications of Generative AI and Assistive AI in Music

This paper explores the multifaceted role of Artificial Intelligence in the field of music, more specifically, examining the positives and negatives of generative and assistive capacities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in music involves the application of computational techniques to various aspects of music creation, production and consumption. In the domain of assistive AI, the concentration is on how machine learning could potentially help musicians in the area of composition and performance to enhance their musical creativity. The paper will discuss an interesting collaborative effort between pure human creativity and computational assistance covering an explanation for a vast number of tools using generative as well as assistive artificial intelligence models. In addition, the paper will address the concerns facing the music industry while this technology keeps on improving, the potential drawbacks and ethical considerations. It opens the question of authenticity and emotional depth, and when or if this new technology could be able to replicate it. Further explanation in the paper will consider music examples with a focus on music styles assisted and generated by the use of artificial intelligence, from pop to classical music. With a thorough analysis of the aforementioned subject, the paper aims to provide a detailed perspective on the constant evolution of AI tools used in music with highlights on the need for a balanced approach. In providing a detailed perspective on the evolving landscape of AI tools in music, this study adopts a methodological approach that involves comprehensive analysis of both the benefits and challenges associated with these innovative gadgets. The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the intersection of technology and artistic expression. By examining the potential benefits and challenges with these innovative models, the paper signifies ongoing discourse on the impact of technology on artistic expression.

Amplifying the Anomaly: How Humans Choose Unproven Options and Large Language Models Avoid Them

ABSTRACT Both large language models (LLMs) and the human brain develop internal models of reality to make accurate predictions. Both typically prefer choices with the strongest track records. However, when faced with a creative challenge, LLMs remain committed to high-probability options while humans can opt for unproven ones. This paper delves into one way of making unlikely events plausible—“amplifying the anomaly.” The concept involves extrapolating viable consequences from an unlikely proposition. Rather than being treated as oddball events or “one-offs,” the anomaly permeates the creative work. Notably, novelty and appropriateness can be in tension with each other, with high utility coming at the cost of low novelty. Amplifying the anomaly aligns these competing demands. It enhances originality: the rarer a proposition and the more thoroughly it is worked out, the more unique and surprising the result. At the same time, the effectiveness and value of the unproven option also rises: thorough elaboration in the creative product establishes its fitness. Musical examples by Beethoven, Schubert, and contemporary composer Skye Macklay, along with creative products from other domains, illustrate this principle. Classic LLMs have several limitations that make it difficult to amplify the anomaly: they are steered toward norm-driven outcomes, make short-term decisions, and are not designed to self-evaluate. As a result, they have difficulty of developing unusual propositions in a non-obvious way without human guidance. Alternatives approaches, including adversarial networks and team AI, are briefly examined. Implications for the future of computational and human creativity are discussed.

Exploring the variability of musical-emotional expression over historical time

A listening experiment was designed to test whether modern listeners perceive the same affective content in Baroque music as the composer intended to portray. Listeners rated three musical examples from Johann David Heinichen’s 1728 treatise Der General-Bass in der Composition for valence and arousal. Examples were chosen based on descriptions by the composer in which he outlined their intended affective content. Results showed a significant mismatch between original descriptions and listener ratings, indicating a change in the perceived affective content of the music. The historical variability of musical-emotional expression in general, with a focus on the role of structural emotion cues (particularly mode), is discussed, closing with suggestions for future research in the area of historical musical emotion

Vocal Trills: 18th-Century Performance Practice Considerations Viewed Through the Lens of 19th-Century Methods

Abstract: Eighteenth-century vocal literature abounds with trills, so approaching this skill methodically is advised. This article includes a literature review of four eighteenth-century vocal treatises (Tosi, Agricola, Mancini, Hiller), which agree about the importance of mastering the trill, but neglect practical suggestions about how to develop it. Four nineteenth-century vocal methods (Vaccai, Panofka, Lütgen, Marchesi) are discussed, including plans for how to practice the trill. Mozart's opera Così fan tutte is utilized as a case study in the synthesis of vocal treatises and vocal method books. Musical examples from each role are complemented with links to recordings of well-produced trills.

Musical Literacy Development: The Case of Qin Zheng Playing Techniques of Zhou Wang

The Qin Zheng, an ancient Chinese musical instrument, embodies centuries of cultural heritage and artistic expression. Amidst its strings, melodies resonate with stories of ancient China, reflecting the country’s rich history and cultural identity. The objective of this study is to analyze the Qin Zheng playing techniques of Zhou Wang in musical literacy development. The research investigates Zhou Wang’s historical development, pedagogical approach, and playing techniques through a qualitative analysis. The study focuses on the Xi’an Conservatory of Music as the primary research site, where Zhou Wang has taught and mentored students for over three decades. Key informants include Zhou Wang herself, her students, and colleagues in the field of Chinese musical education. Data analysis involves structured interviews, observations of performances and teaching sessions, and transcription of musical examples. The findings reveal Zhou Wang’s mastery of Qin Zheng techniques, including intricate right-hand and left-hand skills, and their significance in fostering musical literacy development. The study highlights the potential benefits of integrating music education, particularly traditional Chinese music like Qin Zheng, into curricula as a means to enrich students’ language skills, cognitive abilities, and emotional intelligence.

An Analysis of Double Bass Vibrato

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rates, widths, and pitches of university double bass players’ vibrato in relation to pitch height, fingers used, and tempo. Forty ( N = 40) undergraduate and graduate double bass players performed excerpts in first, fourth, and thumb positions. The overall mean vibrato rate and width was 5.17 Hz and 19 cents. Analyses indicated that university double bassists employed faster vibrato rates and increased width as they performed in progressively higher registers. The third and fourth fingers vibrated the fastest, but the second finger produced the largest width. Musical examples played with a fast tempo were both faster and wider (5.35 Hz, 20 cents) than musical examples played with a slow tempo (4.94 Hz, 19 cents). Participants vibrated almost equally above and below the in-tune pitch—overall mean pitches of vibrated and non-vibrated tones varied by 1 cent. Music educators may use these results to create more consistent descriptions of double bass vibrato and, potentially, more efficient methods for teaching vibrato.

Musical Preferences among Students Aged 9–19: A Study on Musical Genres and Styles

This study aimed to explore students’ musical genre preferences, exploring variations across gender and age groups in Hungary. Additionally, we investigated the relationships among the popularity of musical genres and connections between musical programs and related activities. With the help of stratified sampling, we examined the opinions of students aged 9–19 about each genre (N = 1159) using specific musical examples. In this study, musical genres were classified into four main types based on related music videos, including classical popular music (CPM), rock music (RM), classical art music (CAM), and folk music (FM). Different types of analyses, such as t-tests, one-way and two-way ANOVAs, and correlational analyses such as correlation coefficients (r), chi-square tests, and eta squares, were employed in this study. The results showed that the popularity of the four pieces of music classified as CPM, RM, CAM, and FM had a moderately strong correlation with each other. The correlations between FM, CPM, and RM did not differ from each other, but they showed significantly weaker correlation values than the correlation between FM and CAM. Moreover, significant differences were found in the students’ perceptions of the genres based on their gender and age groups. Among the four performances, the girls had a greater preference compared to the boys for each one, except for the folk music piece. The youngest age group (9–12) showed the highest preference for the CPM, although the difference compared to the oldest age group (17–19) was not statistically significant. Therefore, this study is beneficial for music education, focusing on students’ genre preferences, including CPM, RM, CAM, and FM.

The use of an interactive whiteboard in solfeggio teaching

This paper explores the application of digital technology, that is, interactive whiteboards, in solfeggio lessons. Digital technology, such as computers and interactive whiteboards, is gradually becoming part of the classroom, both in general education and music schools. In addition to traditional teaching tools (blackboard, chalk/markers, piano, and printed textbooks), computer programs and web applications can be beneficial complements to solfeggio lessons. The music classroom for teaching solfeggio is a great place where interactive whiteboards can be integrated. However, to effectively implement any form of digital technology in solfeggio, the teacher must be competent, IT-literate, know basic musical terms in English, and be receptive to the modern possibilities offered by technology. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility of using an interactive whiteboard in solfeggio teaching. Employing a descriptive methodology, the study entailed the application of the interactive whiteboard for certain classroom activities while covering topics in solfeggio such as intonation, music dictation, and theoretical musical concepts. The research revealed that the interactive whiteboard can primarily function as a conventional whiteboard without its multimedia capabilities, allowing the written content to be preserved. In addition, interactive whiteboards have numerous advantages when utilized for singing musical examples, writing musical dictations, and practicing theoretical musical content.

Composition Techniques Specific to the Arabic Musical Language in Kareem Roustom's Violin Concerto No. 1

The Violin Concerto by K. Roustom stands out as a distinctive fusion of compositional styles, positioning itself uniquely within contemporary violin compositions. Rather than eliminating precedents, the concerto embraces a convergence of structurally and ideatically diverse directions, resulting in a harmonious and unified end product. The creative process, starting from seemingly unrelated hypotheses and concluding in a cohesive manner, finds precedent in various musical examples across different eras. The concerto's complex profile, revealed through analysis, reflects a mixture of elements that resist facile extraction or definition. The diversity of languages interwoven into the works' architecture lends them significant value, offering interpretive richness from initial reception to deep analytical exploration. Simultaneously, the imperative of originality underscores the nature and implementation of the directions within the concerto. Complemented by the composers' mastery, educational backgrounds, and intellectual capacities, the concerto exemplifies authenticity and value, contributing to the evolving landscape of contemporary creative expressions.

Теоретик, композитор, педагог Михаил Березовский и его «транскрипция» трактата Николая Дилецкого

The article is devoted to the Baroque theorist and composer Mikhail Berezovsky. In the scholarly literature, it is already possible to find some references to his musicological treatise consisting of two parts: A Brief Exposition of Musical Singing (elementary music theory) and Grammar. A Collection from Many (theory of composition). We have also discovered Berezovsky’s 12-voice partesny concerto Who shall ascend the Hill of the Lord? Due to filigree research as well as indirect data, the dates of the composition of both works have been established as pertaining to the 1730s. Both of the survived copies of Grammar. A Collection from Many are placed in theoretical manuscripts adjacent to Nikolay Diletsky’s The Grammar of Musical Singing. The comparative analysis of the two Grammars shows, that Berezovsky’s treatise appears to be a concise presentation of Diletsky’s ideas, slightly updated with new information. The same pertains to the terminology of the: it is freed from an excessive amount of Latin synonyms and supplemented by new terms not yet relevant during the time of Diletsky. All the musical examples are newly composed by Berezovsky, and none of them is derived from Diletsky. The comparison of the musical examples with the music of the concerto Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Has made it possible for us to identify a number of correspondences, albeit, not literal ones. The complete text of both parts of Berezovsky’s treatise supplements the article, having been adapted to contemporary Russian, as does a dictionary of terminology. The abridged revised version of Nikolay Diletsky’s The Grammar of Musical Singing, originally written in 1670s, made in 1730s for a new generation of new readers, could be appreciated only as an evidence of a stagnation that occurred in the Russian partesny singing theory. The musical style changed considerably; at the same time, the music theory was progressing at a much more slow pace.

A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of a Modernist Work Composed in Captivity: Olivier Messiaen, "Quartet for the End of Time"

French composer Olivier Messiaen, who joined the French army as a medic in the Second World War, was imprisoned by the Germans as a prisoner of war in Görlitz's Stalag VIII A camp in June 1940. Because he did not actively fight in the war as a medic, a German officer sympathized with Messiaen, secretly delivering him paper, pencils and erasers and even having a room in the rectory cleared for him to compose. Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) was composed in such an environment. The fact that the piece includes a non-standard instrumental combination consisting of piano, cello, violin, and clarinet as a quartet is a result of the existing instruments in the camp and the presence of competent musicians playing them. The structural design of the work includes both musical and mystical qualities on the axis of Messiaen's personal belief. The work, which consists of eight parts in total, symbolizes timelessness, that is, eternity, by depicting the seven days of creation and the eighth day when God rests, as represented in the Bible. The premiere of the work took place on January 15, 1941, in front of an audience of four thousand prisoners and guards. In this article, the non-musical motivations and the composition techniques used in the work titled Quatuor pour la fin du temps are examined in relation to each other. The main purpose of the research is to discover the determining effects of the non-musical motivation, which guides the compositional process of the work, on the musical elements of the work. In addition to some technical aspects such as Indian rhythms/Indian modes, Greek rhythms, medieval classical rhythmic principles, French organ music tradition, synthetic modes/synthetic rhythms, and total serialism, Quatuor pour la fin du temps is also analyzed in terms of phenomena and concepts such as Catholicism, ornithology, and synesthesia. In the Introduction chapter, Messiaen's life is summarized on the basis of his personality as a composer, the compositional process of the Quartet is reviewed in the historical framework, and the research purpose, including the research methods used in this article are explained. In the following chapters, all movements of the Quartet are analyzed one by one. The compositional techniques used by the composer are examined in detail through the written out (text) analysis of the musical passages detailing them with footnotes whenever necessary, and these prose analyses are supported by musical examples of the relevant musical passages quoted from the Quartet’s score. The Conclusion chapter consists of the inferences and evaluations made from the findings.

Renaissance canons with asymmetric schemes

By a scheme of a musical canon, we mean the time and pitch displacement of each entering voice. When the time displacements are unequal, achieving consonant sonorities is especially challenging. Using a first-species theoretical model, we quantify the flexibility of schemes that Renaissance composers used or could have used. We craft an algorithm to compute this flexibility value precisely (finding in the process that it is an algebraic integer). We find that Palestrina consistently selected some of the most flexible schemes, more so than his predecessors, but that he by no means exhausted all feasible schemes. To add support to the model, we present two new compositions within the limits of the style utilizing unexplored canonic schemes. In the Online Supplement, we provide MIDI realizations of the musical examples and Sage code used in the numerical computations.

The Imitatio Auctorum Principle in the Research of Musical Figures in Baroque Treatises

The principle of imitatio auctorum and the didactic model præceptum — exemplum — imitatio are based on the rhetorical tradition. They are refl ected in the musical theoretical texts of the Renaissance and Baroque. Studying musical examples of fi gures similar to rhetorical ones, the author in the article provides premises that determined the choice of exemplary authors and analyses the refl ection of the imitatio auctorum principle in the treatises of Joachim Burmeister and Christoph Bernhard.

Задостойник Рождеству Христову демественного многоголосия: варианты распева

The article is devoted to the study of one demestvenny polyphonic hymn: the "zadostoynik" for the Nativity of Christ (irmos of the 9th song of the festive canon, performed at the liturgy instead of the hymn to the Theotokos «It is truly meet to bless thee»); the history of its origin and existence is traced according to 11 singing manuscripts of the 17th - the first quarter of the 18th century, fragments of manuscripts and musical examples are given. In the light of the newly discovered aspects of the mutual influence of two styles of early Russian polyphony – troestrochy («triplets») and demestvo - the author wrote two articles in parallel in 2023: a more general “On the problem of interaction between the styles of early Russian polyphony in the 17th century (on the example of zadostoyniks)”, and the present one, dedicated to only one of the zadostoyniks - the Christmas one. The article describes all the cycles of demestvenny zadostoyniks in which there is a Christmas one, while building a historical picture of the change in forms and ways of recording demestvenny polyphony: in the form of a part of a separate voice in a separate book, in the form of a hook score of Kazansky (demestvenny) notation and in the form of musical notation scores. Analyzing demestvenny notation and transcripts, some of which were made by Evgeny Skurat, the author identifies 3 different chants of the Christmas zadostoynik: the main, parody variant, quoting the voice «put'» from a similar triplets chant, and a paraphrase variant using the initial motive "put' strochnoy" in solo “pochin demestvom”. The elite, court tradition of Russian polyphonic singing in its heyday mastered a new method of composing demestvenny scores using the technique of parody, counterfactual. In one of the variants of the chant, we see elements of an innovative polyphonic writing technique: imitation in augmentatio and in diminutio in all four voices of the score.

Chamber music examples and performance analysis for the development of musical talent for undergraduate education

The development of musical talent can be possible with the mentoring of scientists in the field of musical talent. Academics in the field of music have tested the effectiveness of examples, and their analyzes can make important contributions to the development of musical talent. This research has a qualitative character since it was conducted with a document analysis technique based on experience and observation, and it is an examination of the researcher's selection of materials to be used in music teaching, the reasons for this, and analysis. This study provides fifteen chamber works including string duos, trios, quartets, quintets, and sextets suitable for the undergraduate students. The aim of this study is during undergraduate education, the technical development of the student is prioritized in instrumental studies. Secondly, solo repertoire decision is made by teachers for the young student to expand their repertoire. Chamber music education is neglected in comparison to solo repertoire and technical repertoire. Playing together with other students is a very helpful to hear and play simultaneously. Therefore, this list will help students to analyze their chamber music repertoire and understand the technical difficulties as well as publisher info, timing etc.

De musica latine scribenda: How to approach a Latin text as a composer without summoning a demon in the process (2022)

While composing vocal music, it is usually required an extra “set of rules” that is generally related with the language of the text used in the music. Each language has characteristics connected with its pronunciation, prosody, meaning, etc., that are necessary in order to set the text in a way that is understandable, but also some of these “quirks” can be exploitable and shape the music in a way that is closer to the sound, rhythm or even the culture carried by the language. This first paper on the topic addresses the use of Latin language in musical composition, as many others have tackled its pronunciation in performance but there is not much written about how a composer can use the language confidence and efficiency. In this paper, the concepts of syllable length and tonic accent in Latin will be introduced and they will be explained and applied through musical examples from different historical periods.

Computer Tools for Modeling Swing in a Jazz Ensemble

Abstract In a jazz ensemble, the timing patterns within each instrument and between instruments vary systematically depending on the instrument, tempo, style, and other parameters. A set of computer tools is described to modify these timing parameters according to previous measurements, allowing a large flexibility to account for individual differences and preferences. Four different jazz trio recordings were transcribed and annotated, and the tools were then used to recreate or modify the timing patterns in synthesized versions. These tools can be used for pedagogical purposes in which a music example can be played with different timing interpretations. It can also be used as a tool for research in which controlled factorial experiments can be designed.