Empirical Musicology Review: Volume 5, Number 2 (2010)

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https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/81090

Empirical Musicology Review Vol. 5, No. 2, 2010

Issue DOI: https://doi.org/10.18061/1811/81090

Editor's Note
Keller, Peter E. p. 26
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An Association between Breaking Voice and Grief-related Lyrics in Country Music
Paul, Brandon; Huron, David pp. 27-35
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Empirical Musicology Review: Serialist Claims versus Sonic Reality
Thomson, William pp. 36-50
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Dynamic Levels in Classical and Romantic Keyboard Music: Effect of Musical Mode
Ladinig, Olivia; Huron, David pp. 51-56
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Announcements
Keller, Peter pp. 57-60
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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Announcements
(Empirical Musicology Review, 2010-04) Keller, Peter
Dynamic Levels in Classical and Romantic Keyboard Music: Effect of Musical Mode
(Empirical Musicology Review, 2010-04) Ladinig, Olivia; Huron, David
An analysis of dynamic markings in 140 works representing three musical periods (Classical, early Romantic, late Romantic) is reported. We tested the hypothesis that minor-mode music from the Romantic period is more likely to exhibit louder dynamic levels than minor-mode music from the Classical period. This hypothesis was motivated by the theory that in the Romantic period, in addition to conveying sadness, the minor mode was more likely to be used to convey affects that are associated with higher dynamic levels, such as seriousness, passion or aggression. Our analysis showed no absolute differences regarding the notated dynamic levels of the minor-mode pieces. However, regardless of the musical mode, pieces from the earlier period exhibited higher dynamic levels than pieces from the later periods. This effect is attributable to a decrease in dynamics for major-mode pieces in later musical periods, while minor-mode pieces do not show a change in dynamics over time. Using the mean dynamic level for each period as a reference, these observations are consistent with the theory that Romantic music is more likely than Classical music to employ the minor mode to represent or convey affects that are associated with higher dynamic levels.
Empirical Musicology Review: Serialist Claims versus Sonic Reality
(Empirical Musicology Review, 2010-04) Thomson, William
This study examines the descriptive mores of Serialism, as found in writings of leading American academics of the past half-century. A serious gap is revealed, especially between claims made for structural conditions rooted in dodecaphonic procedures and the actual kinetics of music as heard. Curious (and debilitating) ambiguities and dead ends are noted in terms used to define critical perceptual conditions in such music; some claims of significance for features of 12- tone rows in certain works are revealed as wholly irrelevant to music as sonic event. Most prominent of the writings discussed are those of Milton Babbitt, Allen Forte and David Lewin.
An Association between Breaking Voice and Grief-related Lyrics in Country Music
(Empirical Musicology Review, 2010-04) Paul, Brandon; Huron, David
Thirty-one instances of breaking voice were identified in recordings of Country songs. Song lyrics were rated by independent judges for grief-related content in both breaking-voice songs and matched control songs. Judges compared pairs of lyrics for target and control songs at four context sizes: entire sets of lyrics, single stanzas, isolated lines, and individual words where the breaking voice occurs. An association was found between instances of breaking voice and grief-related content for individual words but not for the larger lyrical contexts. The results are consistent with the idea that breaking voice provides an affective cue conveying, evoking or highlighting grief.
Editor's Note
(Empirical Musicology Review, 2010-04) Keller, Peter E.

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