Summary:
In this paper we examine the nature of piano performance, in other words the group of decisions that a musician, and more appropriately a pianist, makes and follows for the manifestation of a music performance of a certain piece of art, as well as the reverse process of analysis and parameterization of said performance, in order to uncover the basic line of thought of each artist, and to discover the deeper logic that runs through a specific interpretation. For this purpose this paper explores firstly the elements that comprise a complete musical thought, and the process of decision making relative to certain aspects of musical sound control. In the next section the basic techniques used across the world by scientists for equivalent projects are reported, as well as technological advancements that render the entire process possible. Finally, the case study section, is about the advancement of the scientific sector through an opticalization and analysis of data extracted from recorded piano music, through personally developed tools. The analysis and parameterization of three pianists' approach to two distinct yet alike pieces of music, and the search of common elements that exist in both interpretations, in other words the artistic signature of each pianist, will be made abundantly clear, and the continuation of said study in proportion to better standards and depth of knowledge as well as the philosophical repercussions of such studies are also discussed.
Keywords:
piano, performance, analysis, parameterization, tecnology
