The Importance of Expression in Performance

Question 1

What is important for musical performance?

Answer 1

Expression

Question 2

How can one be more expressive when playing an instrument?

Answer 2

Louder

More liberties with the score

Play around with the tempo (might play slightly off-beat)

Question 3

What did Clarke et al. (2010) say are 3 ways for the performer to create their own unique and recognisable identity?

Answer 3

Dynamics (loud/soft)

Tempo variations

Deviations from score

Question 4

What are Juslin’s (2003) 5 facets of musical expression?

Answer 4

1) Generative rules
2) Emotional expression
3) Random variability
4) Motion principles
5) Stylistic unexpectedness

Question 5

What does generative rules refer to?

Answer 5

Structural effects (e.g., go slower at the end of the phrase)

Phrasing (classical)

Question 6

What does emotional expression refer to?

Answer 6

Changes in timbre and intensity

Question 7

What does random variability refer to?

Answer 7

Not following the score

Question 8

What does motion principles refer to?

Answer 8

Whether intentional or not

Question 9

What does stylistic unexpectedness refer to?

Answer 9

Stopping and starting (popular music - more license to improvise)

Question 10

How do the 5 facets of musical expression relate to types of music?

Answer 10

The different types of musical expression will relate to different styles or genres

Question 11

How much can you deviate from a score?

Answer 11

Not so much that it completely changes the piece

People might disagree with deviations from Beethoven’s scores etc. - crowd might walk out if you take liberties

Question 12

What did Davidson (2001) notice when studying Annie Lennox?

Answer 12

Her vocabulary of expressive gestures as a way of communicating/bonding with the audience and put on a show / stimulate participation.

Created repertoire of singer’s gestures from Davidson’s own performance.

Davidson used herself as the model because she was an elite performer. She had insight into why singers gesture in that way. Not just interpretation.

Used research on body language to inform her repertoire.

Question 13

Who came up with a repertoire of non-verbal communication (NVC)? (body language?

Answer 13

Eckman & Friesman (1969)

Question 14

What is an adaptive gesture?

Answer 14

Communicates the mental state of the singer

Question 15

What is a regulatory gesture?

Answer 15

Gestures that co-ordinate with and interact with the accompanist

Gestures that were directed at other musicians

Question 16

What is an illustrative/emblematic gesture?

Answer 16

Gestures to do with the lyrics themselves.

More specific than the mental state types of gestures.

Represent narrative elements of the music/lyrics.

Question 17

What 3 gestures did Ekman & Friesman (1969) identify in their research?

Answer 17

Adaptive

Regulatory

Illustrative/emblematic

Question 18

What is the name given to the gestures Annie Lennox used to stimulate and involve audience participation? (Davidson found)

Answer 18

Display gestures (e.g., get everyone to clap along or sing together)

Question 19

What was Annie Lennox trying to achieve in her performances? (Davidson found)

Answer 19

Seduction of co-performers and audience

Courting her audience

Question 20

What are generic gestures?

Answer 20

Playing the role of a ‘pop star’

Playing a member of a ‘rock group’

Certain pop or rock gestures might be expected (e.g., how the microphone is held)

Question 21

What performances did Davidson look at?

Answer 21

2 Annie Lennox performances

‘Who’s that girl?’

Question 22

What did Davidson find from 2 separate live performances of Annie Lennox?

Answer 22

Same gestures around the same time

Consistent gestures, whether intentional or not

Question 23

What is an example in which interpersonal entrainment can be seen?

Answer 23

Indian guitar and drum duos (Clayton et al., 2019)

Sitar and tabla

Players will look at each other to try and synchronise their performances

Guitarist comes in before and then would nod to the drummer to do something on the drums

Guitar is the melody lead soloist

Question 24

What did Clayton et al. (2019) find in terms of co-ordination movements?

Answer 24

Co-ordination movements were greater at cadential downbeats

Question 25

How much Indians communicate with each other?

Answer 25

Movement co-ordination including head nods and body sways

Question 26

What study looked at string quartets in Western classical music?

Answer 26

Biasutti et al. (2016)

Studied 2 quartets in rehearsal and in concert performance

Question 27

What gestures did Biasutti et al. (2016) identify with string quartet music regulators?

Answer 27

Attack gestures

Eye contact

Question 28

What are attack gestures?

Answer 28

Movements to signal entrances

Question 29

When are attack gestures more frequent?

Answer 29

More frequent in concert than rehearsal

More frequent during Bartok than Hadyn

Question 30

What did Biasutti et al. (2016) find regarding eye contact in string quartets?

Answer 30

Patterns of eye contact varied between performers

1st violin - looked more at the others in concert

2nd violin - looks mostly at viola

Cellist - looks mostly at 1st violin

Question 31

When was there most eye contact in Biasutti et al.’s (2016) study of string quartets?

Answer 31

Most eye contact during rhythmic passages