The expression and production of piano timbre : gestural control and technique, perception and verbalisation in the context of piano performance and practice
This dissertation presents an interdisciplinary, systematic study of the expression of piano timbre by advanced-level pianists in the context of musical performance and practice. To begin, general issues and aims are introduced, as well as differing definitions and perspectives on piano timbre from scientific and musical points of view. After the conception of piano timbre is presented as documented by pianists in pedagogical treatises, the perception and verbalisation of piano timbre is investigated with experimental and quantitative scientific methods. The words that pianists use to describe and talk about different timbral nuances are studied quantitatively, according to their semantic relationships, and a semantic map of common piano timbre descriptors is drawn out. In two separate studies, the perception of piano timbre by highly skilled pianists is investigated. Results suggest that advanced pianists can identify and label performer-controlled timbral nuances in audio recordings with consistency and agreement from production to perception. Finally, the production and gestural control of piano timbre in musical performance is explored using the Bösendorfer CEUS piano performance recording system. The PianoTouch toolbox, specifically developed in MATLAB for extracting performance features from high-resolution keyboard and pedalling data, is presented and used to study the expressive production of piano timbre through touch and gesture in CEUS-recorded performances by four pianists in five timbral nuances. Gestural spaces and portraits of the timbral nuances are obtained with differing patterns in intensity, attack, balance between hands, articulation and pedalling. The data represents common strategies used for the expression of each timbral nuance in piano performance.
Piano Timbre Expression Performance Gesture Touch Perception Description verbale Verbal description Bösendorfer CEUS