(Pierre Divenyi )


Subject: 
From:    Pierre Divenyi  <marva4!pdivenyi(at)UCDAVIS.EDU>
Date:    Wed, 15 Sep 1993 12:21:04 PDT

ucdavis!iss.nus.sg!smoliar ucdavis\!auditory(at)VM1.MCGILL.CA Date: Wed, 15 Sep 93 10:41:39 PDT From: marva4!pdivenyi (Pierre Divenyi) Message-Id: <9309151741.AA24177(at)marva4.UUCP> To: ucdavis!iss.nus.sg!smoliar ucdavis\!auditory(at)VM1.MCGILL.CA Subject: Re: Segmentation While I am one of those having definite reservations as far as the Lerdahl-Jackendorff system is concerned, we still have to admit that the great bulk of music (in its broadest definition) consists of discrete units (tones, attacks, etc.). The Mussorgsky example of Steve Smoliar only raises the question whether the smallest played units should be considered the REAL units (in a musico-perceptuo-cognitive sense). Thus, the problem to be solved is to establish units of t i m i n g -- for the sake of musical meaning and perceptual organization. Grouping rules cannot (and should not) ever be drawn up in disregard of such timing units. Yes, the Mussorgsky notes in the last measures of Gnome are audible only to the very best trained ears (I used to be capable of such tricks thirty some years ago...) and, therefore, we can assume that the timing units are quite a bit larger than the eight-note element. Larger chunks would also work for music with uncertain unit onsets, such as the Schoenberg piece cited, or the "composed harmonic structures" (harmonics of a complex played by different instruments) in pieces of composers like Gerard Grisey. The 64,000-dollar question is: what are those larger timing units and how to determine them experimentally. The hunch is yours! Pierre Divenyi


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