Objective and subjective evaluation of performance precision in piano chords
Jan Tro · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1999
Analysis of timing precision and dynamic patterns in piano performances using sound recordings may not become a trivial task due to the influence of the recording technique, the room acoustics, and the need for a well-defined attack position for single tone events. During the last ten years the use of standardized registration and transmission of musical performance events makes it a lot easier to do performance analyses even if the present commercially available tools (MIDIized acoustical pianos) still are questioned concerning reliability and reproducibility. This paper discusses the use of a MIDIized piano for multiple recordings of piano performances by several professional artists. The results are based on statistical analyses of both precision and dynamics variation among the performers and deviation for each performer. Subjective listening tests have been used for evaluating musical variables on a subjective quality scale. [B. Repp, ‘‘Individual Differences in Shaping a Musical Phrase,’’ 5th ICMPC, Seoul (1998); J. Tro, ‘‘Micro Dynamics Deviation as a Measure of Musical Quality in Piano Performances?,’’ 5th ICMPC, Seoul (1998).]