ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE THROUGH COMPARISON OF MULTIPLE RECORDINGS: THE SONATA NO.1 IN C (OP.1) BY JOHANNES BRAHMS ( ) LEE SEOW PHING

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1 ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE THROUGH COMPARISON OF MULTIPLE RECORDINGS: THE SONATA NO.1 IN C (OP.1) BY JOHANNES BRAHMS ( ) LEE SEOW PHING CULTURAL CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA KUALA LUMPUR 2015

2 ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE THROUGH COMPARISON OF MULTIPLE RECORDINGS: THE SONATA NO.1 IN C (OP.1) BY JOHANNES BRAHMS ( ) LEE SEOW PHING DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN PERFORMING ARTS (MUSIC) CULTURAL CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA KUALA LUMPUR 2015

3 UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA ORIGINAL LITERARY WORK DECLARATION Name of Candidate: LEE SEOW PHING Registration/Matric No: RGI Name of Degree: MASTER IN PERFORMING ARTS (MUSIC) Title of Dissertation: ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE PRACTICE THROUGH COMPARISON OF MULTIPLE RECORDINGS: THE SONATA NO.1 IN C (OP.1) BY JOHANNES BRAHMS ( ) Field of Study: COMPOSITION I do solemnly and sincerely declare that: (1) I am the sole author/writer of this Work; (2) This Work is original; (3) Any use of any work in which copyright exists was done by way of fair dealing and for permitted purposes and any excerpt or extract from, or reference to or reproduction of any copyright work has been disclosed expressly and sufficiently and the title of the Work and its authorship have been acknowledged in this Work; (4) I do not have any actual knowledge nor do I ought reasonably to know that the making of this work constitutes an infringement of any copyright work; (5) I hereby assign all and every rights in the copyright to this Work to the University of Malaya ( UM ), who henceforth shall be owner of the copyright in this Work and that any reproduction or use in any form or by any means whatsoever is prohibited without the written consent of UM having been first had and obtained; (6) I am fully aware that if in the course of making this Work I have infringed any copyright whether intentionally or otherwise, I may be subject to legal action or any other action as may be determined by UM. Candidate s Signature Date: 24TH JULY 2015 Subscribed and solemnly declared before, Witness s Signature Date: 24TH JULY 2015

4 ABSTRACT This dissertation analyzes temporal deviations across for performance by different pianists of the Sonata No.1 in C by Johannes Brahms, in order to posit inferences of emotional expression. The timing deviations were analysed using Audacity, then collated in Microsoft Excel The results were placed within two-dimensional graphs to show timing variations relative to the sections of Sonata form: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation and Coda. The timings were arranged according to the standard deviation (SDs) from the group mean of ( ± ) seconds, ranging from seconds to seconds. Interestingly, the lowest timing (fastest performance) was well over a minute faster than the mean and the highest timing (slowest performance) was over one and a half minutes from the mean. Grouping performances by similarities or differences within the 1SD, 2 SDs and beyond were useful guides to performing time in pianists. Inferences regarding a relation between timing and emotion were achieved through derivation in the standard deviation index (SDI) which is an analogue of emotional index (EI) through the variable of Time. Systematic treatment to emotion contours identified in excerpts from the 2 nd themes in various sections were quantified in ( EI) for contours should they contain significant structure signalling emotional features of music graded as levels of expression ( EI) in undulating tension relaxation relationships. ii

5 ABSTRAK Dissertasi ini menganalisa perubahan pelbagai pemusik temporal di antara piano dalam persembahan Sonata No.1 dalam C olahan komposisi Johannes Brahms. Perubahan temporal secara tidak langsung digunakan untuk membuat inferensi terhadap ekspresi emosi. Perhitungan temporal dalam istilah biasa masa dianalisa menggunakan teknologi rakaman perkomputeran iaitu pengiraan melalui perisian Audacity. Data yang terkumpul diproses menggunakan statistik Microsoft Excel Keputusan berbentuk geraf dua dimensi menunjukkan variasi masa antara 10 pemusik piano mengikut klassifikasi musik Sonata: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation dan Coda. Data disusun dalam urutan menaik mengikut perubahan piawai (SD) dari purata sebanyak ( ± ) saat. Persembahan dengan rakaman masa yang terendah sekali, saat (tercepat) adalah kurang seminit daripada purata dan persembahan yang terpanjang sekali iaitu saat melebihi purata ini sebanyak satu setengah minit. Penyusunan data mengikut persamaan dan perbezaan dalam urutan 1SD, 2SD memudahkan analisa perbandingan antara rakaman pelbagai pemain piano. Inferensi melalui perhubungan antara masa dan emosi dikira dari analog index perubahan piawai (SDI) iaitu Index Emosi (EI) menggunakan variabel masa. Kaedah Musikologi Sistematik memudahkan kuantifikasi kontor emosi di mana gradiasi pelbagai struktur musik emosi dalam thema kedua (2 nd themes) Sonata ini menyerlah dari segi keterampilannya dalam ombak gabungan tensi-relaksi. iii

6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Especially to Dr. Michael Edward Edgerton, the supervisor who is friendly and simple, his teaching and thoughts on music surpassed limitations found in many standard textbooks, Thank you very much for the guiding light. My gratitude and thanks are also dedicated to all the people who have made my study of 3 hardworking years possible at this university. iv

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ABSTRAK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.....ii......iii. iv v-viii LIST OF FIGURES.. ix-x LIST OF TABLES LIST OF APPENDICES.. xi...xii v

8 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction History Systematic Musicology: definitions Research Objectives 5 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction The Brahmsian Piano Performance Practice The Sonata No.1 in C (op.1) by Johannes Brahms ( ) The Explicit Musical Expression a performing Science and Art A Composer s Message Listener s Perceptual Experience a b The Cognitive and Emotive in Music Expressions The Gestalt Principle in Music Expressive Intensions of Performer as a Study of Expressions in Music a b Basic emotions...13 Dimensional Approach : Valence_Arousal ( VA_AR) and Kinematics Energy (KE) (Affective and Sensorial Spaces) c Music in Multidimensional Spaces with emphasis on Emotions and Time (Affective and Temporal Spaces) d Continuous measurement of subject reactions during performance vi

9 e f g h The Study of Time 27 Analysis of Time by empirical measurements.29 Mathematical Model.31 KTH Rule System Conclusion Analysis of deviations in recorded human performances.. 36 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction Time, as a parameter in calculation Standard Deviation, Standard Deviation Index, SDI Emotion Index and Interpretation Research Design Overview Design Data Collection and Analysis of Time Systematic analysis of timing deviations in 10 pianists...47 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS 4.1 Overview Timing Profiling Time according to Sections The meaningful Internal Reference in Comparison Studies Relationship of Time to Structure vii

10 CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION 5.1 Time as an indicator of interpretation Data collection and analysis of Affect (emotional expression) in piano performances Time and Structural Similarities in the Exposition and Recapitulation Affect between sections within pianists (Horizontal Comparison) Emotion Contours of the 2nd theme (Exposition, bar 43-50) within pianists Time and Structural Differences in the Retransition Affect within sections between Pianists (Vertical Comparison) Emotion Contours of the 2 nd theme (Retransition, bar ) between Pianists..75 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION 6.1 Overview Implication of Research Limitation of Research Suggestion for Future Research Conclusion...79 REFERENCES APPENDICES viii

11 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 2.0 The Performance Cycle Hevner s adjectives mapped into the 2D Emotional Space from (Schubert,E.,1999) 2.2 Mean Emotionality Response Time Series for Beethoven(B)Mozart(M) and Tchaikovsky(T) from (Lucas B.J.,Schubert,E.&Halpern,A.R., 2010) 2.3 The Russell Circumplex model of Emotion, from (Russell,J.A.,1980) 2.4 Valence Arousal 2 Dimension Affective Emotion Space & Mixed Model of Valence from (Hunter,P.G. & Schellenberg E.G., 2010) 2.5 VA_AR (Affective) and Kinematics Energy (Sensorial) Spaces from (De Poli, 2003) Music in Multidimensional Spaces The experimental set-up for piano expression from (Nakahara, H.et.al., 2010) 2.8 A pianist s postural angle, θ from (Shoda,H.&Adachi,M.,2011) Measure in music expression Timing, Mean and Standard Deviations (Levey-Jennings chart) (a) & 4.1(b) Performance of 10 pianists, Sonata No1 in C (op.1) 1st mvt by Johannes Brahms with TIME as an indicator ix

12 Figure Page 4.2a Comparison Study of 9 pianists against the Reference(Martin Jones) in 4 sections of the Sonata No.1 in C, Johannes Brahms 4.2b Comparison study of 9 pianists against the Reference (Martin Jones) in 4 sections of the Sonata No.1 in C, Johannes Brahms 4.3 Study of time (within pianists ) in the (2nd theme, α) at different sonata sections (Exposition, bar (39-62) & Recapitulation, bar ( ) a 4.4b Excerpts of the 2 nd theme (24 bars):exposition Excerpts of the 2 nd theme (24 bars):recapitulation Study of Time against identified bars in the Development and Retransition sections in 10 pianists 5.1 Timing flow of 4 pianists from bars (88-172) at Development to Retransition Sections 5.2 Emotion Index EI at Exposition bar (43-50) in 10 pianists 5.3 Emotion Index EI at Recapitulation bar ( ) in 10 pianists 5.4 Emotion Index EI at Retransition bar ( ) in 10 pianists Emotion Contour Comparison studies in 10 pianists 68 (5.2a)(5.3a) &(5.4a) Excerpts of the 2 nd theme (8bars): Exposition, Recapitulation & Retransition Abstraction of 2 nd theme bar (43-50) Exposition, Sonata No.1 in C 5.7 Abstraction of 2nd theme bar ( ) Retransition, Sonata No.1 in C x

13 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.0 Hevner s adjectives in Schubert s 2D Modal Data on 10 pianists Emotion Index Timing, Mean and Standard Deviations Data (Total Time) in ascending order :4 sections of the Sonata: Performance of 10 pianists : Piano Sonata No.1 in C (1st mvt) by Johannes Brahms 4.2a Comparison study of 9 pianists against the Reference (Martin Jones) in 4 sections of the Sonata No.1 in C, Johannes Brahms 4.3 Comparison Studies in phrases of similar structure:summary of structure between Exposition and Recapitulation (2 nd theme, α) 4.4 Timing( within pianist) in structurally similar phrases of the (2 nd theme.α) at Exposition and Recapitulation sections 5.0 Study of time against identified bars in 10 pianists performing the Development / Retransition sections Study of time from bars (88-172) in 4 identified pianists Calculation table on Emotion Index (EI) from bars 43-50, for 10 pianists, a selected 8 bar excerpt from the Exposition Section Calculation table on Emotion Index (EI) from bars , for 10 pianists, a selected 8 bar excerpt from the Recapitulation Section Calculation table on Emotion Index (EI) from bars for 10 pianists, a selected 8 bar excerpt from the Retransition Section Emotion Contours summarizing Fig.5.5 (Bars,EI,Peak,Valley) 69 xi

14 APPENDICES Appendix A B Structure of the Sonata No.1 in C (1 ST Movement) by Johannes Brahms ( ) Score of the Sonata No.1 in C (op.1) by Johannes Brahms ( ) Peters Edition (1 st mvt) Page C Pictures of 10 pianists 104 D Tables and Graphs Worksheet for Table 4.1: Average of 3 observations 105 Worksheet for Table 4.4: Average of 3 observations:timing within pianist in structurally similar phrases of the 2 nd theme at the Exposition (bar 9-62) and Recapitulation (bar ) Worksheet for Table 5.0: Average of 3 observations: Timing flow of 4 Pianists bar (88-172) from Development to Retransition sections Worksheet for Table 5.2: Average of 3 observations: Data from bar (43-50) Exposition Section for EI calculation Worksheet for Table 5.3: Average of 3 observations: Data from bar ( ) Recapitulation Section for EI calculation Worksheet for Table 5.4: Average of 3 observations: Data from bar ( ) Retransition Section for EI calculation Emotion Contour Comparison Studies in 10 pianists 119 xii