Piano Research Articles

The evolution of music style of the Romantic period’s piano works

The evolution of music style of the Romantic period’s piano works

Music is appreciated cross-modally, but is culture- and context-dependent

A recommendation of: Gakuto Chiba, Yuto Ozaki, Shinya Fujii, Patrick E. Savage Sight vs. sound judgments of music performance depend on relative performer quality: Cross-cultural evidence from classical piano and Tsugaru shamisen competitions [Stage 2 Registered Report] https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xky4j

Effect of neighbours sounds in wooden residential buildings on restorative EEG rhythm (Alpha waves)

The present study aimed to explore the effect of neighbours sounds commonly heard in wooden residential buildings on restorative EEG rhythm represented by Alpha waves. Thirty participants took part in a listening test which was performed to collect EEG data in distinct acoustics scenarios. Noise sensitivity and attitude toward neighbours were introduced as non-acoustic moderators and assessed through questionnaires before the experiment. A series of impact and airborne sounds were presented through loudspeakers and subwoofer, while participants sat comfortably in the simulated living room wearing the EEG headset (B-alert X24(r) system). The impact sound sources were two types of footsteps, adult walking and child running, recorded in a laboratory on different floor configurations and thus, varying in sound pressure level and frequency characteristics. The airborne sound sources were a lively conversation and a piece of classical piano music, digitally filtered to represent good and poor sound insulation performances of vertical partitions. The effect of sound stimuli and non-acoustic factors on restorative EEG rhythm corresponding to Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) was then analysed. Differences in response to distinct acoustic scenario were observed. Additionally, Alpha band activity showed to be affected by noise sensitivity and attitude toward neighbours of participants.

The relationship between tempo changes and relative ratio of timing in music performance

속도변화에 따라 타이밍의 상대적 비율이 유지되는가에 대해서 지금까지 서로 상반되는 입장이 있었다. 하나는 ‘상대적 비율 불변의 법칙’이라는 입장과 다른 하나는 ‘속도-특화 가설’로서 속도에 따라 상대적 비율이 달라진다는 입장이다. 본 연구에서는 양 입장을 각각 대표하는 2개의 논문을 자세히 검토한 뒤, 개선점을 도출하여 연구하였다. 음 추출의 정확도를 확보한 Disklavier(ahepfaud: DC3X ENPRO)라는 새로운 방식의 피아노를 사용하여 타이밍을 추출하였으며, 빠르고 템포가 일정한 바로크 양식의 악곡과 템포가 유동적인 낭만주의 악곡을 비교 연구하였다는 점이 기존 연구와 다른 점이다. 그로부터 얻어진 결론은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 템포가 일정하지만 빠른 바흐의 음악에서는 모든 속도 변화에서 음길이의 상대적 비율 간 일치도가 낮게 나타난 반면, 템포가 유동적인 쇼팽의 경우는 속도 변화에도 불구하고 상당히 일치도가 높았다. 그러므로 속도가 변화하면 타이밍의 비율적 관계가 유지되는가라는 질문에 대하여 모든 음악 혹은 모든 연주적 행동이 다 그렇다고 말할 수 없다. 이는 ‘상대적 비율 불변의 법칙’이 맞지 않다는 증거이다. 둘째, 속도가 느려지는가 아니면 빨라지는가에 따라 일정한 경향성을 보이면서 비율이 변화한다. 속도가 빨라지면 타이밍 변화의 폭이 늘어나고 속도가 느려지면 타이밍 변화의 폭이 줄어드는 경향을 보였다. 이는 ‘템포-특화 가설’이 맞다는 증거이다. 셋째, 음악 특징적 측면에서 빠르고 스타카토가 많은 부분이 느리고 레가토가 많은 부분에 비해 시간적 비율관계가 잘 유지되기 힘들었다. 이는 인간이 인지적으로 통제할 수 있는 부분에서는 시간의 상대적 비율관계가 속도 변화의 영향을 받지 않고 비교적 잘 유지되는 반면, 인지적인 통제의 범위를 넘어서서 신체 움직임의 한계에 종속될 수 밖에 없는 부분에서는 상대적 비율관계가 잘 유지되기 어렵다는 것을 보여준다. 그러므로 시사점으로 이러한 류의 연구에서 원곡의 본래 속도와 연주기법적 특징이 중요하게 고려되어야 한다는 점을 얻을 수 있었다. 속도변화에 따른 시간적 비율관계의 유지 여부의 문제는 다른 요소들보다도 행동의 콘트롤 여부와 관련이 있기 때문이다.Until now, there have been opposing positions as to whether the relative ratio of timing is maintained or changed according to tempo changes. One is the position in support of the law of ‘relational invariance’, and the other is the position advocating the ‘tempo-specific hypothesis’. In this study, two papers representing both positions were reviewed in detail, and improvement points were derived. This study is different from previous studies in that the timing was extracted using a new acoustic piano called DISKLAVIER(DC3X ENPRO), which has secured the accuracy of sound extraction, and a comparative study was conducted between a fast, constant-tempo baroque-style piece(Bach’s prelude no.3, BWV.848) and a fluid-tempo romantic piece (Chopin’s Nocturne, op.9 no.2). The conclusions are as follows. First, in Bach's music with a constant tempo but fast, the correlations between tempo-different versions were low in all speed changes, whereas in the case of Chopin, which had a flexible tempo, the correlations were quite high despite the speed change. Therefore, to the question of whether the proportional relationship of timing is maintained when speed changes, it cannot be said that all music or all performance actions are the same. This is proof that the “law of relative invariance” is not true. Second, the ratio changes with a certain tendency depending on whether the tempo is decreasing or increasing. As the tempo increased, the variety of the timing change increased, and when the speed decreased, the variety of the timing change decreased. This is proof for ‘tempo-specific hypothesis’. Third, in terms of musical characteristics, the temporal ratio relationship in the parts that were fast and had a lot of staccato dose not remained well, compared to the part that were slow and had a lot of legato. This is that, in the part that humans can control cognitively, the relative ratio of time is not affected by the change in speed and is maintained relatively well, whereas in the part where it is bound to be subordinated to the limits of body movement, it shows that the temporal proportion is difficult to maintain well. Therefore, the original tempo and performance technique of pieces should be considered as important. This is because the question of whether to maintain the temporal ratio relationship according to the tempo change is more related to the control of behavior than other factors.

Retracted: Analysis of Different Keying Modes and Brain Sound Image Establishment Mode in Piano Playing

Retracted: Analysis of Different Keying Modes and Brain Sound Image Establishment Mode in Piano Playing

Exploring Spatio-spectral Electroencephalogram Modulations of Imbuing Emotional Intent during Active Piano Playing.

Imbuing emotional intent serves as a crucial modulator of music improvisation during active musical instrument playing. However, most improvisation-related neural endeavors have been gained without considering the emotional context. This study attempted to exploit reproducible spatio-spectral electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations of emotional intent using a data-driven independent component analysis framework in an ecological multiday piano playing experiment. Through the four-day 32-ch EEG dataset of 10 professional players, we showed that EEG patterns were substantially affected by both intra- and inter-individual variability underlying the emotional intent of the dichotomized valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal (high vs. low) categories. Less than half (3-4) of the 10 participants analogously exhibited day-reproducible (≥ three days) spectral modulations at the right frontal beta in response to the valence contrast as well as the frontal central gamma and the superior parietal alpha to the arousal counterpart. In particular, frontal engagement facilitated a better understanding of the frontal cortex (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) and its role in intervening emotional processes and expressing spectral signatures that are relatively resistant to natural EEG variability. Such ecologically vivid EEG findings may lead to better understanding of the development of a brain-computer music interface infrastructure capable of guiding the training, performance, and appreciation for emotional improvisatory status or actuating music interaction via emotional context.

Comparative Evaluation of Effect of Piano Music and Gayatri Mantra on Presurgical Vital Parameters in Patients Undergoing Major Maxillofacial Surgery under General Anesthesia

Comparative Evaluation of Effect of Piano Music and Gayatri Mantra on Presurgical Vital Parameters in Patients Undergoing Major Maxillofacial Surgery under General Anesthesia

Scale Degree Six, Diatonicism, and Chromaticism in the Piano Music of Scott Joplin

Scale Degree Six, Diatonicism, and Chromaticism in the Piano Music of Scott Joplin

Retracted: Improvement of Speech Recognition Technology in Piano Music Scene Based on Deep Learning of Internet of Things.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4024511.].

Automatic Computer Composition for Piano Music via Deep Learning and Blockchain Technology

Automatic Computer Composition for Piano Music via Deep Learning and Blockchain Technology

Local Periodicity-Based Beat Tracking for Expressive Classical Piano Music

Local Periodicity-Based Beat Tracking for Expressive Classical Piano Music

Inštruktívna tvorba vybraných súčasných skladateľov a jej využitie v umeleckom vzdelávaní v základných umeleckých školách

Slovak piano music of 21st century composers is quite extensive, so it is important to know how to navigate through it. The versatility and genre variation in this work is rich, yet relatively unknown to the music public. This is evidenced by the fact that we hear mostly old familiar pieces at music events. Also due to this, the use of instructive piano works by contemporary composers in the pedagogical process is relatively underrepresented. Our aim is not to map all the available literature, but to highlight that which meets the criteria for use in the pedagogical process.

ФОРТЕПИАННЫЙ КОНЦЕРТ В ТВОРЧЕСТВЕ КИТАЙСКИХ КОМПОЗИТОРОВ: К ИСТОРИИ СТАНОВЛЕНИЯ ЖАНРА

The article is devoted to the history of the formation of the piano concerto genre in the musical art of China. Due to the late development of the piano, an instrument alien to the culture of the Celestial Empire, all the stages of mastering the piano and comprehending its specifics by Chinese musicians have been completed in just over a hundred years. Despite the fact that the piano concerto came to the attention of Chinese authors much later than other European genres, it turned out to be very consonant with their mentality. The work chronologises the gradual development of the piano concerto in Chinese musical culture — through the “introduction” of classical examples of European composers into the repertoire in the early XXth century, to its development first by the Russian-born composer A. Avshalomov, and then by Chinese composers Jiang Wenye and Zhang Xiaohu. Based on the research of musicologists Guo Hao and Wu Jiajun, the article defines the periodization of the formation of the piano concerto in China and notes the characteristic trends in the work of Chinese composers in their approach to the interpretation of this genre and their special attitude to the programme. The paper reveals the constant features of the classical piano concerto mastered by Chinese composers and the new things they brought to this genre in the process of adaptating it based on the national musical tradition.

Research on Rhythm Training of Double Piano Playing

In the process of double piano performance, mastering the sense of rhythm is the basic skill of double piano performance, but it is also a skill that tests the performer's ability. By strengthening the training of double piano rhythm, the player can continuously improve his own control of the playing rhythm, so as to play the double piano better. Based on this, the article first explores the artistic characteristics of double piano performance, then explores the rhythm combination forms in double piano music, and finally proposes targeted rhythm training methods for various rhythm organization forms, with a view to providing some reference for performers.

Piano music by Viktoria Poleva: Experience of performing embodiment

Relevance of the study. The main characteristic identifiers of Victoria Poleva's compositional style are considered, in particular, the dominant piano component of the music worldview, which translates the main ideas and meanings in the spiritual and instrumental genres of oeuvre. The actual factors of the special study of the meaningfulness of the texture embedded in the piano within the style of "sacred minimalism" are highlighted. The main performance specifics of the works were found to be close to the correct understanding in the construction of the interpretive version. The piano work of the composer has not been scientifically studied, the lack of competent analytical works prompts the study "Music for the Piano" (author's name), which is a sought-after and popular repertoire. Scientific investigations of this matter will reveal one of the bright styles of modern music art in the field of musicology and cultural studies. For the first time in home-bred art history, the main stylistic guidelines, image-emotional, programmatic priorities were identified, and the majority of piano music material was examined and analyzed. The chosen aspect of the research is under the spotlight of modern, global, concert life.
 The main objective of the study. The purpose of the article is to reveal the artistic meanings-messages of the composer, the peculiarities of their concert performance, the role of meaningful interpretation of piano reception.
 The methodology. Empirical research method was used from the experience of numerous performances of Viktoria Poleva's works, the analytical method reveals the essence of the actual problem; the comparative method consists in comparing the interpretive versions of pianists' performance live, and by comparing them in video and audio recordings, it allows presenting modern performance trends; the source method in the form of archival notes, newspaper publications, posters, work with manuscript scores argues the basis of the outlined aspect; relying on citations during communication with the author brings the research result closer to reliability.
 Results and conclusions. It has been proven that the author's philosophical and artistic messages hit the listener's reactions-impressions through her performing skills during live music performances. The top priority role of a pianist’s training is emphasized. The importance of world performances of compositions that reflect the author's spiritual quest is explained in terms of restoring the man’s balance and harmony in response to the today’s cruel challenges. The author substantiates the means of music expressiveness in the piano presentation, which serve to achieve the goal-affect, as the main idea of focusing on powerful manifestations of aesthetic impression. Attention is focused on special, technical and artistic piano techniques that enhance sound effects, and with the help of which the main essence of the composer's ideas is expressed. Significance. The piano music of V. Poleva is gaining widespread worldwide popularity, the score music is mostly in the state of manuscripts and needs publication, the topic of piano works is relevant for future scientific research.

Loud and Clear: A Guide to Levelled Piano Music by Women Composers in the 20th and 21st Centures - by Olivia Adams (Book)

CAML Review is published three times per year. It is concerned with music and music materials and strives to promote a better understanding of the cultural importance of music libraries, archives and documentation centres locally, regionally and nationally.

Analysis of the Current Situation of the Players and Works of Guangdong Piano Music

Analysis of the Current Situation of the Players and Works of Guangdong Piano Music

A Study of Clara Schumann's Piano Music Performance, Composition and Teaching under the Feminist Movement

The music of female composers has long been little studied, and the importance attached to female composers is far less than that of male composers. However, there are many excellent female composers in the history of music development, such as Clara Schumann. The 19th century, when Clara lived in the West, was a time of great talent, and poetry, literature, and music all developed tremendously, and some of the great works that have been passed down to the next generation were basically written in that era, and their authors are also remembered. This is another reflection of how difficult it was for a woman to occupy a place under male domination. In contrast, female musicians were somewhat underappreciated, due to the gender inequalities that society had given them, and their talents were buried. Clara's achievements as a multi-tasker, performer, composer, and educator have led the music world to reexamine the role of women in music history.

A Survey of Augmented Piano Prototypes: Has Augmentation Improved Learning Experiences?

Humans have been developing and playing musical instruments for millennia. With technological advancements, instruments were becoming ever more sophisticated. In recent decades computer-supported innovations have also been introduced in hardware design, usability, and aesthetics. One of the most commonly digitally augmented instruments is the piano. Besides electronic keyboards, several prototypes augmenting pianos with different projections providing various levels of interactivity on and around the keyboard have been implemented in order to support piano players. However, it is still unclear whether these solutions support the learning process. In this paper, we present a systematic review of augmented piano prototypes focusing on instrument learning based on the four themes derived from interviews with piano experts to understand better the problems of teaching the piano. These themes are (i) synchronised movement and body posture, (ii) sight-reading, (iii) ensuring motivation, and (iv) encouraging improvisation. We found that prototypes are saturated on the synchronisation themes, and there are opportunities for sight-reading, motivation, and improvisation themes. We conclude by presenting recommendations on augmenting piano systems towards enriching the piano learning experience as well as on possible directions to expand knowledge in the area.

Stepping into the unknown: the experiences of tertiary piano students studying improvisation

ABSTRACT For many music students studying classical piano in tertiary institutions, techniques in improvisation are not included in their undergraduate curriculum. Despite the acknowledged musical benefits of improvisation, piano pedagogy curricula remain firmly rooted in the nineteenth century, focusing on the performance of the familiar canon of classical repertoire. In this study, in which we set out to explore the possible benefits of introducing formal improvisation lessons, eight students were selected from two universities in Hong Kong and Perth respectively. Using an active research methodology, the students were given four one-hour improvisation lessons each of which was followed by a focus group interview. In addition to making recommendations for improvisation to occupy a space in undergraduate classical piano curricula, other unexpected findings regarding group teaching for pianists, and teaching across an international context are presented.