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City Research Online City, University of London Institutional Repository Citation: Papadopoulos, M. (1996). Motion in music: a study of movement and time through musical interpretation. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City University London) This is the accepted version of the paper. This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/7769/ Link to published version: Copyright: City Research Online aims to make research outputs of City, University of London available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the author(s) and/or copyright holders. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to. Reuse: Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. 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City Research Online: http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/ [email protected] MOTION IN MUSIC A Study of Movement and Time through Musical Interpretation MARIOS P"ADOPOULOS THESIS FOR DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS CITY UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC FEBRUARY 1996 CONTENTS Pagc ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 9 ABSTRACT 10 PREFACE 11 CHAPTERI MOTION IN MUSIC 14 1.11NTRODUCTION 14 Summary and conclusion 36 1.2 AESTHETICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 37 Conclusion 46 1.3 THE CONCEPTS 47 Modus Opcrandi 49 Stage1 49 Stage11 50 Stage111 51 StageIV 51 1.4 VISUAL REPRESENTATIONAS A MEANS TO ACQUIRING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVETO MUSICAL EXPERIENCE 57 Cheironomy 57 P--ýge2 1.5TONALBODY 62 Tactility 64 Volume 67 Density 68 Weight 69 CHAPTER H FORCES THAT SET SOUND IN MOTION 75 Part 1: MECHANISMS 75 2.1 THE PIANO -75 Duration of impact 78 Resonator 79 Multiple tones 79 Personalexperience 80 Aesthetic considerations 81 Tactile sensations 82 Conclusion 82 Part II: THE HUMAN APPARATUS 83 Lawsof Motion 84 2.2 LOCOMOTOR SYSTEM 85 Soundproduction 85 1) direction 86 2) mass 86 3)speed 87 Elasticity 89 Page 3 Basic Technical Patterns 90 Free Fall 90 Five-fingers, scalesand Arpeggios 91 Rotation 92 Staccato 92 Thrust 93 2.3 STAGE I OF MODUS OPERAADI Preparation 95 Awarenessbetween performing musicians 95 97 CHAPTER III MUSIC IN MOTION (STAGE II - IMPACI) 97 SPEEDOF MUSIC - PART 1: 3.1 INNER METRE 97 Velocity and speed 98 3.2 MOTOR MECHANISMS AND SPEED 103 Bow speedas inner metre 103 Variationsin constantelements 104 3.3 OUTER FLOW 106 Bow speed 106 Speedof the pianist'splaying mechanism 107 3.4 INNER METRE BECOMES INNER RHYTHM 110 3.5 APPLICATION 113 Page 4 PART 11: 116 3.6 SPEED AND DURATION OF CONTACT 116 Rapid attack 116 Slow attack 118 Duration: 118 1) Length of time during which the hand maintains contact with the key - Tactility 119 2) Length of time in which hammerremains in contact with the string 120 3) Length of time in which soundis kept in vibration 121 CHAPTER IV MUSIC IN MOTION 123 4.1 MASS OF MUSIC 123 1) Interpretativefactors - Agogics 127 2) Loudnessvolume 127 3) Resistance- Density 128 4) Arm weight 130 4.2 SPEED OF MUSIC IN RELATION TO MASS OF MUSIC 132 4.3 DURATION OF IMPACT AND SENSATION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FINGERTIP 134 The curve hasfurther implications 137 Page 5' CHAPTER V MUSIC IN MOTION (STAGE III - DIRECrION) 139 5.1 DISTANCE 140 Pitch 141 5.2 MUSICAL INTENSITY 144 5.3 CURVATURE 148 Density of the curve 148 5.4 DYNAMIC LEVELS 149 5.5 WAVE PATTERNS 152 a) Articulative 153 b) Passive 154 c) Transient 156 The two-note slur considered further 158 5.6 COMPOSITE PATTERNS 162 5.7 FOLLOW: THROUGH 164 5.8 MOMENTS OF INTENSITY CONSIDEREDFURTHER 165 5.9 THE INTENSIFICATION OF THE CURVATURE 172 Chords 174 Voicing of a Chord 175 Distension 177 5.10 THE REPEATED UPBEAT 178 5.11 THE AMALGAMATION OF THE VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS 183 Conclusion 190 Page CH"TER VI MASS IN MOTION (STAGE IV - IMPACT/RELEASE) 191 6.1 RELEASE 191 Instantaneous 191 Retarded 192 6.2 PEDAL LEGATO 193 6.3 MOVING ELEMENTS PRIOR TO IMPACT 194 6.4 PHANTOM NOTES 196 6.5 POLYPHONIC TEXTURES 197 6.6 FINGER PEDALLING 199 CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION 203 7.1 RELATIONSHIPS 205 7.2 PROGRESSIVEQUANTITATIVE TRANSITIONS 207 a) Dynamics 207 b) Pitch 208 c) Temporal 210 7.3 THE CONNECTING BOND 214 Page APPENDICES Excerpt from Tobias Matthay's book the Art of TOUCH 221 2. Victor Zuckerkandl: Biographical Profile 222 3. A summaryof the main points in Dr Zuckerkandl'streatise on Soundand Symbol, relevant to this study: 224 4. Metre analogousto distance 232 5. Geometry in art 233 6. Referencesand Bibliography M8 7. Marios Papadopoulos:Biographical Profile 247 8. Marios Papadopoulos:Discography 249 LIST OF TABLES TableI ModusOpcrandi 52 TableII Outcrmodc- Inncrmodc 56 TableIII Drager'sconcept of 'tonalbody' 72 TableIV Curvatures 187 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS t Figure 11-1 Movements of the pianist's locomotor system 94 Figure III- I Speed of the pianist's rising wrist 108 Figure 111-2 Spee(' of the pianist's rising wrist 108 Figure 111-3 Speed of attack and speed of rebound 118 Figure VII- 1 Graphic representation of Chopin's Etude Op 25 No I1 209 Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am immensely grateful to my supervisor Prof. Malcolm Troup whose great wealth of knowledge and experience, both as a concert pianist and an academic, were of invaluable assistance to me in formulating my ideas. I would also like to thank my family, my wife and two children, for without their patience and support this work could not have been completed. I grant powers of discretion to the University Librarian to allow this thesis to be copied in whole or in part without further referenceto me.This permissioncovers only singlecopies madefor study purposes,subject to normal conditionsof acknowledgement. Page ABSTRACT 'Motion in Music' is a study of movement and time through musical interpretation. It looks at ways in which motion, both physical and conceptual, is featured in the musical performanceand it is, therefore,written with the performanceof music in mind. As such, it provides us with a fresh approach to music-making. The study is based on a series of definitions and a distillation of personalexperiences rather than a summationof experimental observations. In view of the author's musical background, the piano is featured most prominently in this study. In Chapter I, we examine the background on the subject and, so as to determine to what extent such motion is virtual and to what extent real, we look at it in its aesthetical, psychological and philosophical contents. The act of music-making is then analysedin four stages:from the preparatory,to the moment contact is made with the instrument and to the passagethrough time from one note to the onsetof the next. The concept of the 'sphere',as representingthe musical tone, is introduced in order to trace the courseof this sonorousbody through tonal space. In the ensuingchapters, we examine the forces which initiate sound - the mechanismsof the instrument and the mechanicsof the body - and seehow the tonal body reactswhen theseare applied. Such an investigation permits us, however loosely, to relate musical phenomenato the laws of motion and to show how the sonorous body, once set in motion, undergoes its 'mass changesto speed,shape and direction - changeswe refer to as 'speedof music', of music' and 'direction of music'. As the perception of movementin music involves directly or indirectly the participation of all our sensory system, both in the creative processof expressingthe musical line and in its apprehensionin the first place, we examine its effect on our tactile, auditory and visual channelsof communication. In order to enhanceour understandingof musical growth and musical progressionfurther, we impart to it a visual perspective based, amongst others, on melodic contour and bodily movement as well as on the gesturesof the conductor or those commonly used in the world of pedagogy. Thus, in Chapter V, a series of free hand-producedgraphic representations emergewhich representsuch musical activity. By way of conclusion, we seek out various degreesof motion and their relationships. We identify these as being of paramountimportance in producing aestheticallypleasing musical texturesand proposefurther study as to the precisenature of such relationships. Page 10 PREFACE This is a study of movement and time through musical interpretation; a concept that performing musicianshave long beenaware of, but which is still waiting to be defined. In a good musician there is an instinctive senseof the part movement and time play in relation to the structure of the piece, with all the elementsimplied: that is, phrase content, rhythmic patterns, harmonic basis and tension, architectural structure, dramatic and emotional balance.The senseof movementand time is one of the tools of communication; it hasboth a theoretical application and a spontaneousapplication. There are problems,springing essentially from the fluid medium;music when realizedis ephemeralexisting for the momentin time. Thereforestereotyped rules are unnatural.But some logical basis appears to exist. Experienceshows that the more convincing performancesdo exhibit logical patterns,however general. These may be the result of instinct,but exhibit a surprisinguniformity. The purpose of this study is to searchout this logical basis. At the conclusion, the reader should have a higher awarenessof the tools at the performer's disposal. Indeed, the study explores one aspect of the search for the definition and application of what is generally termedmusicality. Page11 The study is built around the definition and the interpretation of the following concepts: a) speedof movement b) forces that set soundin motion c) massof sound d) vehicle in motion e) direction of movement The researchthat has taken place and the in-depth reading of relevant literature which it has entailed, grew out of my own experiencesin the field of music-making - as concert pianist, conductor and teacher.My daily practice in the searchfor improving my performanceshas been an inexhaustible source of enlightenment to me as to how music is performed and perceived.