ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ º NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ The music you hear on this and other of my disks was entered one line at a time and merged to create harmonies and polyphony with the aid of software known as Pianoman. Pianoman assigns pitches from the 12-tone Western chro- matic scale to the keys of the standard IBM-compatible PC keyboard for user input and recording in the form of PC readable and executable text. It also provides means by which notes, their pitches, durations and interruptions, may be manipulated globally and/or in user-defined blocks. As you can hear from the files elsewhere on this disk, the program has reached a stage of development such that substantially lengthy and complex tunes may be esta- blished and interwoven for playback on ordinary IBM-compatible personal computer systems without supplemental hardware. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ IN GENERAL ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ More on theory and an introduction to the software can be found on the disk "Pianoman Goes Baroque". Technical aspects on the use of Pianoman software already detailed in its User's Manual and are not discussed here. As with any executable file produced by Pianoman software, the five "Pianoman Does Beethoven" files can be converted to text-file format with the Pianoman utility designed for that purpose for further study or experiment. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ DEFINITIONS ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ Note is the term applied to a unit quantity of audible signal to be communicated via software to the PC speaker. "Note" itself has the para- meters of duration (expressed in msec), pitch (expressed as a letter value in the Western 12-tone scale), octave (a whole number from 1 through 8 with middle C expressed as C4), and "staccato" (an integer from 1 through 9) wherein duration of the note is silenced 10% for each staccato unit. String is, literally, a chain of notes, but is generally used to denote one line or one voice of a composition or segment of a composition (for example, the alto line). Strings are raw materials for later "merging"; strings to be merged together must equal each other in duration. String set is a set of two to four strings matched in duration so as to be merged (combined) to produce a harmonized and/or polyphonic secondary file. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 2 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE Merge is the process by which strings (for example, soprano, alto, tenor, bass; or -1, -2, -3, -4; or -A, -B, -C, -D) are processed by the software such that each string is divided into much smaller and equal subunits, then a new file comprised alternately of the subunits from the divided strings is created. A user selected merge divisor determines the size and number of subunits in a given duration (for example, a quarter note). Merge file is the file produced by the merge process. It is in itself a gigantic though complex string of notes (such as when four strings consisting of 200 quarter notes each are split into quarter notes of 8 subunits - two clusters comprised of a subunit from each of the four strings). A merge file can be retrieved, saved, combined with other files and otherwise manipulated like any text file in editing mode. Note cluster is the smallest unit of a merge file wherein one and only one subunit from each original string is represented. Text file can be a string or a merge file, but the term is used herein to denote a file formatted for retrieval, manipulation and playback by Pianoman software in text editing mode. Text files must always have the extension MUZ to be used by the program. Block is a user-defined segment of a text file. A block may consist of a single note or the entire file. Blocks in Pianoman are much the same as in word processing. They can be copied, moved or deleted, and they can be edited in terms of many and several musical parameters. File or, more properly, executable file, consists of a text file, usually in final or polished form, which has been converted to executable, standalone form and cannot be edited in Pianoman text editing mode. As denoted herein, "files" always have the extension EXE, and do not require the presence of auxiliary software to induce a PC speaker and CPU to generate music. A "file" may be copied, moved, deleted, hidden, or renamed just like any other DOS file. "Staccato" is the name of a Pianoman function apart from its customary musical meaning and is an extremely important tool in PC music. Because the merge process obliterates differences between notes of the same pitch occurring consecutively and for many other reasons, it is crucial to "tag" notes at the string stage. The "staccato" numbers then appear strewn throughout the merged file and easily identify note clusters requiring further manipulation. No traces of these "markers" appear in the final product, though they are vital to placing actual note shortening in the final work. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 3 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND LIMITATIONS OF PC MUSIC ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ The PC speaker outputs neither round (flute-like) nor square (brassy) waves, however, PC tones are in fact complex waves rich in overtone series which vary with the context in which they are played. At times, the PC may sound like a woodwind; at other times, a zither or hurdy gurdy. Due to variations in equipment specifications and configurations, every PC has a sound of its own. The PC is a new instrument -- part keyboard, part elec- tronic, part wind -- and unique in itself. Part of the richness of overtones produced by the PC (despite the fact that tone signals emanate from the speaker one at a time) comes from the layering of notes sharing overtone series (such as a major chord). If tone series are imparted and alternated from the speaker at rates faster than tone decay in the CPU, what actually leaves the CPU and reaches the ear is in fact true harmony. This alternating emphasis in overtone blends via arpeggiation at extremely rapid rates is what produces the vibrato or tremolo charac- teristic of PC music. Vibrato can be both friend and enemy of PC music. At its extremes and especially at lower registers, it can be perceived as tremolo. Vibrato can be exploited to provide contrast in texture but on a very limited basis. One must guard against creating a vibrato contrary to the overall rhythm within a composition or radically unlike the vibrato preceding or succeeding a given block of notes. As a general rule, it is better to "stack" note clusters from highest to lowest in pitch to both take advantage of vibrato or to counteract it. For example, it is better to order note clusters soprano-alto-tenor-bass (C5-G4- E4-C4) than soprano-tenor-alto-bass (C5-E4-G4-C4) to avoid confusing the natural vibrato that occur when the third note of a cluster is higher in pitch than the second. Vibrato is most likely problematic in contrapuntal passages combining only two or three lines and with relatively large note subunits (45-72 msec); the "topheaviness" of note clusters may compete with the rhythm as intended by the composer and become uncomfortably apparent to the listener. On the other hand, for a more dramatic ritardando, it may be desirable to deliber- ately lengthen the tempo of certain note clusters rather than add more note clusters at the same tempo so that the change in apparent vibrato enhances the effect of diminishing rhythm. In practice, tone coloring and vibrato may not be consistent from PC to PC, nor even within a single composition on the same PC. This is due to variants in speaker construction, add-on cards and CPU size. Given an identical music file, the personal computer is indeed "personal" to every user. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 4 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE Although the PC was designed to be able to produce ranges in pitch rivalling the most elaborate church organ, the PC as an instrument is notably deficient in ability to create contrasts in loudness or softness ("dynamics", "dynamic range"). This factor is the single most limiting in appropriate choice of composition for transcription. The most suitable works are those originating with instruments with similar limitations (e.g., clavichord, harpsichord). Also suitable, however, are works so well written that dynamic range is virtually built in; that is to say, compositions that create dynamic vitality despite the instrument and despite the performer. On the PC, dynamic changes occur within a file for the most part when the number of voices in a note cluster increases or decreases (and note subunit lengths decrease or increase accordingly). If the change is too bold or too brassy, the dynamic level may have to be tempered by subtle use of the staccato function or sleight of hand with tempo. Very high notes (two octaves above middle C) lose loudness, especially if combined with two or more other voices. These very often must be empha- sized by adding duration to individual notes in these registers, but not so much as to drag the line or create unwanted stress in the melody. A good rule of thumb is a 10% increase; the timing can always be adjusted later. The PC is also not very precise in "attacking" the first note, espe- cially if it is in a lower register, probably because of the split second delay for a sound wave to cross and then resonate within the CPU. The problem of "attacca" cannot be totally overcome, but it can be ameliorated by altering duration across the initial note cluster(s) or moderating an initial long, low tone with extra staccato shortening. The most difficult technical problem usually encountered is that of voice crossover, in other words, when two or more of the original "strings" occupy the same pitch. This not only causes abrupt increases in loudness, but sudden discontinuity in polyphony. Depending on circumstance, a part can be rewritten, the note(s) can be joined and then separated with staccato; if all else fails, the aberration must be left in the piece. Voice crossover is usually not a problem with music written specifically for keyboard instru- ments, but with music written for two or more contrasting instruments (e.g., violin/oboe/trumpet). ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERPRETATION ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ The PC should not be taken lightly or as an instrument of mere tran- scription. There are numerous opportunities for interpretation and indivi- dual character. The software developer has provided a wide range of tools not only to facilitate editing, but to allow for those elements which separate a piano player from an accomplished musician. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 5 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE Phrasing, even if well provided for in the melody, is an important element of performance on the PC. It is not very difficult, though it is tedious, to sculpture lines up to and over a crest towards a cadence. Doing such is very much within the judgment and foresight of the performer. This is most often done by emphasizing one or more subunits of a note cluster to bring out a melody or to suppress a line of secondary importance. Breaks in phrase are introduced with very minute rests, the presence and duration of which are also at the discretion of the performer (e.g., 6, 13 or 20 msec). At times, it may be preferable for a note cluster or clusters to linger prior to the next phrase; this is done by slowing tempo across the cluster(s) at the conclusion of the phrase. Interruptions and discontinuities which are introduced using the soft- ware's "staccato" function (which diminishes note duration 10% for each unit of staccato, an integer 1 through 9) may be transparent to the listener but are important to diction and definition in many ways. They may signal the start or the end of a phrase, tone down the brassiness in a one-voice line, create a rhythmic pulsing in any part, even impart a "plucking" sound to fragment a line. Proper usage of staccato oftentimes requires the greatest amount of discretion and is heavily influenced by context, tempo, subunit size, separation of parts as to pitch, mood, and ascending/descending motion of the prevailing melody. Tempo changes can be done globally, in large blocks, or even by the note. They can signal the onset of a cadence or stress a transition between themes. On a concluding chord, broadening time values of the note clusters can create a broadened tenuto in preference to simply adding clusters. Shortening tempo allows adding additional harmonic parts and can be used to create sforzando. Combining tempo shifts with added note clusters is vital to proper embellishments as well as other facets of a piece. Certain pieces require internal tempo shifts which may or may not be appreciated by the listener, but are vital to the execution of the work. For example, an acceleration may be noted when a series of four-part note clusters shifts to one part harmony, more so in the EXE file than in the corresponding MUZ. Judgment must also enter into tempo decisions as faster machines (286, 386) tend to add speed to executable files. As demonstrated by the files on this disk, the PC is quite capable of a range of tempos and is not compelled to play its files prestissimo (or at high pitch), but the PC's own nature may have to be dealt with. Key signature, as indicated by the composer, is often not within the effective range of a PC or otherwise does not translate well from the written instrument to the PC. It is a very easy matter to shift key or octave at will. [Key shifting is also valuable in creating a second "string" from one already recorded (for example, bringing the alto "string" down a minor third rather than record a tenor "string" from scratch).] With Beethoven and earlier composers, the composer's choice of key signature is usually the optimum in that their instruments approximate the PC in effective range. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 6 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ THE WORKS ON THIS DISK ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ððððð Minuet in G-Major ððððð ******* MINUET-G ******* "Minuet in G" is in typical classical AA A'A' BB B'B' AA' form (where B and B' represent the parts of the trio and A and A', the minuet). With Pianoman software, it was necessary to record only the four voices (strings) for each of the parts A, A', B and B' (i.e., 16 initial text files, not 40), merge the sets, and use block copying at the text editing stage for the repeats. A slight tenuto was added at the end of the second B' and final A' using the software's copy and then tempo function across one or two note clusters. There is a textural and dynamic contrast between the minuet portion and Trio because the minuet is in four part harmony whereas the Trio is in two parts. For this reason, the divisor (applied during the merge process) for the Trio created much larger initial subunits (before adjusting for tempo). This enabled the Trio to be at a much faster final tempo with far greater clarity of melody and harmony than the minuet. ððððð Six Variations on a Duet from the Opera Molinara ððððð ******************** MOLINARA ********************** These six variations on an opera aria by the composer Paisiello are the most representative of "classical" Beethoven among the files on this disk. They were done in seven different merge files, the number of strings in each and the divisor of the notes varying with each section. Added after the merge process were several embellishments (certain of which "begin" and take time from the immediately preceding note, not on the downbeat), phrasing such as minute breaks in a line, "broadening" up to and over the crest of a phrase by altering the duration given the melodic com- ponent of a note cluster, and the slight weight given to the completion of a phrase by increasing time value of the note cluster slightly. Specific features to note are the delicate phrasing of the opening theme (not done with tempo, but staccato at very precise intervals), different kinds of ritards taken at several different points (straight line, geometric decay, shelving), shaping of phrase lines (altering balance in note clusters), 6/8 rhythms even between clusters of the same pitch (staccato corrugation across specific clusters), diction in descending and ascending melody (by combinations of tempo broadening, staccato interruption and insertion of the briefest of rests). PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 7 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE At many instances, the physics of the PC was at odds with the intent of the composer. This is especially prevalent where two-, three-, or four-part harmony gives way to a one-part continuo in the bass; the machine's natural inclination is a sudden shift to mezzo forte after several measures of mezzo piano, when a diminuendo is actually desired. Overcoming this tendency very artful manipulations, sometimes by the cluster, sometimes by the note. ððððð Seven Variations on the National Song ððððð ******************* 7-VAR ******************* [When Beethoven adopted this theme and wrote the Seven Variations upon it, he was thinking of Great Britain's "God Save the King", and not the American "My Country 'Tis of Thee". Our own U.S.A. at that time was still very much in the back woods.] 7-VAR is illustrative of the range of textures and rhythms that can emanate from a personal computer even in a single file. From the march like passages of the theme and sixth variation, to the contrapuntal second varia- tion, to the triplet and seemingly accelerating coda, 7-VAR is a showpiece not only of Beethoven's prowess for keyboard composition, but of the PC's strengths and range as a keyboard instrument. 7-VAR is an example of an "assembled" piece - a composite of ten or more separate merge files, each originating from its own cluster of strings, each with its own merge divisor - then the parts fit together, evened for tempo and linked with an appropriate rest in between. At one time 7-VAR existed as eight separate files, however, delays between them as they "booted" could not be controlled from PC to PC or from drive to drive and were far too large for satisfying downbeats or smooth transitions in any event. Advanced editing of 7-VAR was aided significantly by the development of "markers" in Pianoman software. With the marker function, one can specify, for example, Marker #1, to be placed at the beginning of, say, Variation 1. Later on, no matter how many notes were added or deleted elsewhere, one could "goto" Marker #1, wherever it appeared in the text file. The software allows up to 10 markers, uniquely identified by integers 1 through 9, and permits locating the cursor by marker number, by previous or next marker (even if not consecutively placed), by relative distance (as measured in absolute number of notes) and/or by exact grid location. ððððð Sonata PathŠtique: Adagio cantabile ððððð ***************** SPADAGIO ***************** This movement, denoted "Adagio cantabile" by the composer, is performed at a moderate andante here. As a keyboard composition, SPADAGIO is at the cutting edge of what the PC is and is not able to do competently without PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 8 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE auxiliary hardware. The physics of the instrument created indefatigable tremolo in the primary theme at any slower tempo, and there was a great deal of difficulty unifying the main theme portion (which was cut in 8) and the secondary theme (which was cut in 12) without inordinate textural conflict. Most of all, the PC's lack of dynamic control seriously undermines the range of expression and interpretation available from the acoustic piano. The opening theme was merged such that 8 smaller notes occupied the duration of an eighth note; the second them was merged such that twelve smaller notes occupied the duration of an eighth note. This was necessary to establish triplet pulsing in the lower parts. The pulsing of the lower lines is accomplished by alternate "corrugation" with staccato markings in the final work (liberally marked and indicated in the pre-merged strings); it does not naturally occur in the composition. Elsewhere in the composition, rhythm and pulse occur naturally by movement of inner parts. Of all the works on this and perhaps that I have transcribed for PC, SPADAGIO is most heavily reliant on the staccato function and in ways too numerous to describe here. As an exercise, one might globally cancel all staccato throughout a SPADAGIO textfile to find the piece has lost all substance -- no melody, no rhythm, uncontrolled vibrato, little difference between main and secondary theme, and more. Not to mention, degree of staccato is just as important as location in a series of notes, and can make or break the performance. In many sections of SPADAGIO, fifth and sixth harmonic parts were added after merging, primarily to generate fullness in harmony, but at major cadences, to create the illusion of thickness or and/or to create sforzando. At some cadences, the number of note clusters was increased while the time value per subunit was decreased for added emphasis and to mask vibrato changes caused by the addition of fifth or sixth harmonic parts. The tempo of this movement very much relates to whether it immediately follows the Allegro molto e con brio of the 1st movement and introduces the Allegro of the 3rd. To my mind, played apart from its companion movements, the "adagio" cantabile does require a faster tempo, whether on piano or PC; in this version, the limits of the PC were a major factor in determining tempo, but admittedly, not the only one. ððððð The Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto ððððð ***************** MOONLEIT ****************** MOONLEIT represents Beethoven the "romanticist". It was composed well into his adult life after hearing loss began to be obvious and intractable. MOONLEIT utilizes pitches beyond the ability of the "sound chamber" or CPU to generate effectively -- notes more than two octaves below middle C on the piano. In this case, however, they are only used to "double" the next PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 9 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE adjacent line and reinforce the low overtones produced by that line. (The fourth string was easily generated by dropping the third string an octave and saving under a new filename.) Beethoven may have relied on this "doubling" on his instruments as well: the equipment of his day (pianoforte) had not yet acquired the iron-enforced soundboards necessary to transmit pitches in those registers capably. The sixteenth notes against quarter triplets would have destroyed the melody had they been accounted for prior to the merge stage. (The subunit sizes for the entire file would have been impossibly tiny.) The illusion of 16th notes against quarter triplets was added later by prolonging note clusters and wedging in 64th and 128th note rests as needed. Also added after the merge were the fifth harmonic parts (which Beethoven himself specified) to accentuate triplet motion which, variously, created rhythm syncopation, emphasized modulation, drew attention briefly from the main melody and/or signalled the beginning of a new triplet pattern. Details such as these in the original composition and added in the merge file help to offset the PC's inability for dynamic expression. Beyond compositional aspects, MOONLEIT is effectively transferred to the PC because its long, sweeping lines and phrases are conducive to a smoothly flowing continuum of note clusters. There is little or no "buzzing" or tone conflicts such as created by faster moving or more intricate compositions; the vibrato so unnatural in other settings is a striking asset, making MOONLEIT among the most beautiful works in the PC's repertoire. ðððððð * Nancy Moran ðððððð ðððððð 607 Park Avenue ðððððð ðððððð Baltimore, Maryland 21201 ðððððð ðððððð U.S.A. ðððððð * Author of: Christmas Concerts, vols. 1 and 2 1-2-3 BACH! Pianoman Goes Baroque Comments or questions welcome. PIANOMAN DOES BEETHOVEN - 10 - NOTES ON ADVANCED TECHNIQUE ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ REFERENCES/FURTHER READING ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ Fleming, William: Arts & Ideas: New and Brief Edition; Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1974 Harvard Dictionary of Music (2nd edition), ed. by Willi Apel, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969 K rolyi, Ott¢: Introducing Music; Penguin Books, 1965 Stuckenschmidt, H.H.: Twentieth Century Music; World University Library, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1969 Watts, Edith: A History of Musical Instruments (pamphlet); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (School Picture Set series), undated