A Quantitative Study of Chromaticism: Changes Observed in Historical Eras and Individual Composers
Loading...
Date
2007-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Empirical Musicology Review
Abstract
Music historians have observed informally that Western music became
increasingly chromatic between roughly 1600 and 1900. This view is tested formally,
and the results are shown to be consistent with the standard view. Music historians
have similarly assumed that the music of major composers such as Mozart and
Beethoven became increasingly chromatic over their respective lifetimes.
Measurements of chromaticism in both theme-based and opus-based samples are
shown to be inconsistent with these intuitions. At face value, the results of this study
affirm that Western art music has become more chromatic over time, but that five
major composers' use of chromatic tones changed little (quantitatively) over the course
of their careers. Repercussions for stylistic interpretations of these composers are
discussed.
Description
Keywords
chromaticism, statistics, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms
Citation
Empirical Musicology Review, v2 n2 (April 2007), 47-54