Computer Content Analysis of Melodic Structure: Classical Composers and Their Compositions

Abstract

The computerised content analysis of musical structure can reveal a great deal about the psychology of musical aesthetics and creativity. This is shown in a series of studies on 15,618 themes by 479 classical composers. Computer assessments of a composition's originality are associated with: (a) temporal changes across time, whether in the successive movements of a large composition, different stages of a composer's career, or alterations of the prevalent stylistic zeitgeist in Western music; (b) dramatic events and situations in the composer's life; and (c) the aesthetic importance, listener accessibility, and ultimate popularity of the compositions produced. Notwithstanding the apparent simplicity of the measure, the computer can still infer many important factors that affect the creation and evaluation of musical compositions.

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