OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF TWO MUSICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF AN EXCERPT FROM BERLIOZ'S "LA MORT D'OPHÉLIE" Hiu Yan (Crystal) Lau A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE May 2020 Committee: Ronald C. Scherer, Advisor Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers Emily Pence Brown © 2020 Hiu Yan (Crystal) Lau All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ronald C. Scherer, Advisor Objective: Art song is a unique genre in the realm of European classical music, which embraces the combined beauty of vocal melody, instrumental accompaniment, and text. In a performance context, the same composition can be performed with a variety of emotional interpretations. The purpose of this study was to determine sound production differences relative to two emotional interpretations in performing an excerpt from a classical art song. Methods/Design: The first author, a soprano with a master’s degree in vocal performance, recorded an excerpt from “La Mort d’Ophélie” composed by Hector Berlioz (1803-69). The excerpt was sung in two contrasting musical interpretations: an “empathetic legato” approach, and a “sarcastic” approach with emphatic attacks. Microphone, airflow (Glottal Enterprises MSIF-2), and electroglottography (EGG; Kay Model 6103) signals were digitized. These recordings were analyzed for acoustic, airflow, and glottographic measures. The vowels in the musical excerpt were analyzed in terms of intensity, long term average spectra (LTAS), fundamental frequency vibrato rate and extent, vowel onset, intensity comparison of harmonic frequencies, and glottal measures based on electroglottograph waveforms. Results & Conclusions: Data analyses revealed that stressed vowels, when performed with the emphatic approach compared to the legato approach, had faster vowel onset, increased glottal adduction (relative to the EGGW25 measure), increased intensity of harmonics in the 1500 to 3000 Hz range, inferred increase in subglottal pressure, increased airflow for the /f/ consonant, and greater aspiration airflow for the plosives /t/ and /p/. The vibrato extent for both fo and airflow were both greater for the emphatic approach. Findings also revealed larger amplitude iv values of the EGG waveform, but this finding was not statistically significant. Long-term average spectrum (LTAS) analyses of the entire production displayed minor increases across all formant frequencies for the emphatic approach. While this is a single-case objective study, it emphasizes the reality and informative nature of physiological, aerodynamic, and acoustic production differences in the pedagogical and interpretive aspects of art song performance. Vocal performers, teachers, and other music educators may benefit from applying findings like those of this study to developing performance strategies while maintaining healthy vocal production. v To my paternal Grandma, who taught me how to play Für Elise for the first time, and showed me what a smile can conquer. To my maternal Grandma, who entered the Heaven after her battle against COVID-19 in April 2020, and demonstrated why language barrier did not stop her from spreading love and kindness. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion process of this study, as well as this graduate degree, was nothing but full of adventures and exciting discoveries. I owe my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Dr. Ronald C. Scherer. I first met Dr. Scherer as a client at BGSU Speech and Hearing Clinic, then as a student in his Voice Science and Voice Disorders classes. Having the opportunity to become the first graduate student in the voice science specialization has sparked my curiosity in voice science and vocal pedagogy. It was truly a blessing and honor to work with such a knowledgeable and wonderful thesis supervisor, fellow vocal music enthusiast, as well as a supporter of dad jokes and chocolate. I am extending my gratitude to Dr. Johan Sundberg, Ph.D., for sharing his expertise in inverse filtering, which is an integral help for this research study. Tack ska du ha. I would like to make a special thank you to my faculty committee members, Dr. Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers, D.M.A., and Dr. Emily Pence Brown, Ph.D. They agreed to join my committee without any hesitation, and offered abundant emotional support during this process. I could not thank them enough for jumping into this bandwagon – and thankfully, what a ride. Singing led me to embark on my academic journey in the United States. There are too many people I need to thank. First and foremost, I would like to thank both of my voice professors at the College of Musical Arts, Professor Sujin Lee, M.M., and Professor Myra Merritt-Grant, M.M. Not only have they helped me to become the singer I am now, but also were the perfect examples of professionalism and artistry. Second, I would like to thank the Voice Department for giving me another opportunity to pursue singing. In addition, I want to thank Dr. Eftychia Papanikolaou, Ph.D., Dr. Elizabeth Menard, Ph.D., Dr. Mark Munson, D.M.A., and Professor Kevin Bylsma, M.M., for all the knowledge and resources they selflessly shared. vii Being more than eight thousand miles away from home, I owe my gratitude to my parents, Stephen and Angela. Thank you for introducing me to this world, and helping me to become the strong woman I am today. Day after day, they have been supporting my ambitions and endeavors, and willing to learn about my work. Also, thank you for still calling me Piggie Bun, no matter how old I am. Most importantly, I am grateful to know that I am not alone as a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Studies. In fact, they are the angels whom I do not deserve to have. Without them, I truly would not have known how to survive these past two years as an international student. First and foremost, I would like to thank all the staff at BGSU International Programs and Partnerships, especially Dr. Marcia Salazar-Valentine, Ph.D., Maite Hall, Sara Smith, Betsy Herman, and Grant Mierzejewski. Thank you for all your emotional support and opportunities, in order for me to make Bowling Green my second home. Secondly, I would like to thank all my colleagues and friends: Ruby Wing Tung Chiu, Ph.D., Rachael Cammarn, M.M., Seth Johnson, Caroline “Carrie” Kouma, M.M., Carolyn Fagerholm, M.M., Mickey Miller, M.M., Julia Gries, Laura Burger, Jhané Purdue, Brianna England, Bailey Maxfield, Carolyn Anderson, Jamison Piatka, Debora Lazarean, Adrienne Ansel, Ayumi Sasaki, and Isabel Souza. You all have been my support system, no matter how long we have known each other – thank you for being the safety net I can always fall back on. Also, I would like to thank my friends at the First United Methodist Church and the Older Adult program at BGSU Student Recreation Center. Thank you for being my surrogate families away from home. Last and most importantly, I would like to thank TJ Neuhaus – my best friend, boyfriend, voice lab buddy, fellow cold brew coffee lover, and confidant. Thank you for all the coffee, ramen, and dad jokes when I needed them the most – and also, “WiFi but po.” viii PREFACE The thesis project serves as an extension of a research training project completed in 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Ronald C. Scherer, Ph.D., as a graduation requirement for the Master of Music in Vocal Performance: Specialization in Voice Science and Pedagogy. The basic goal, to be described in detail below, is to extend the analyses more completely and address additional research questions. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………….…. 1 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………………………… 3 RESEARCH PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS……………………………………………….. 6 METHODS…………………………………………………………………………….……… 7 RESULTS …………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Intensity ………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Vowel Onset …………………………………………………………………………. 12 Harmonic Analysis …………………………………..………………………………. 13 Formant Analysis in Long-Term Average Spectrum (LTAS) ………………………. 18 Vibrato Extents ………………………………………………………………………. 20 Fundamental Frequency (fo) Vibrato Extent ………………………………………………………………………… 22 Airflow Vibrato Extent ……………………………………………………… 22 Comparison between fo Vibrato and Airflow Vibrato Extents ………………. 23 Electroglottography (EGG) ………………………………………………………….. 25 EGGW25 …………………………………………………………………….. 25 EGG Signal Amplitude …………………………………………………….... 27 Inverse Filter ………………………………………………………………………… 30 Closed and Opening Quotients ……………………………………………… 31 Skewing Quotient …………………………………………………………… 33 x French Consonant Production ………………………………………………………... 35 Voice Onset Time and Consonant Duration ………………………………… 35 Airflow ……………………………………………………………………….. 37 DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………………………… 40 Acoustic Measures …………………………………………………………………… 40 Glottographic Measures ……………………………………………………………… 41 Aerodynamic Measures ……………………………………………………………… 41 Limitations …………………………………………………………………………… 42 Application of Findings ……………………………………………………………… 42 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………….. 44 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………... 45 xi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Selected Excerpt from Hector Berlioz’s Art Song “La mort d’Ophélie” .................. 7 2 Lyrics, Corresponding Translation, and Transcription of Selected Excerpt from Hector Berlioz’s “La mort d’Ophélie”................................................................................... 8 3 Microphone Signal Contours of Selected Vowels ..................................................... 13 4 Harmonic Comparison between Legato and Emphatic Approaches ........................