Effect of Performance Tempo on the Level of Bass Notes
V. A. Zverev · Acoustical Physics · 2021
The effect of a significant (up to 20 dB) decrease in the audibility level of low-frequency piano sounds (accompaniment in the bass register) against a background of high-frequency sounds (melody) when music is played at a fast tempo was discovered and investigated. This indicates that the performance tempo of a piece significantly affects a listener’s perception of the sound sequence of a piece of music. The effect is explained based on an analysis of the physical characteristics of sound formation in a grand piano depending on the performance tempo and perception of sounds by the human ear. The effect is clearly demonstrated by the example of performance of the first movement (allegro di molto e con brio) of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 in C minor (Pathetique).