ESP: Roadmaps as Constructed Interpretations and Guides to Expressive Performance
Résumé
The Expression Synthesis Project (ESP) literalizes the driving metaphor to allow users to create expressive performances through a driving interface. In musical performance, controlled variations in tempo, dynamics, and articulation, lead to musical gestures that clarify structural ambiguities and create musical affect. Guided by the road in ESP, the user changes the tempo by depressing the gas or brake pedals; dynamics are coupled with acceleration, and articulation is controlled independently. Straight road segments suggest opportunities to accelerate, while varying degrees of road bends prompt slowdowns of different levels. The road serves as a representation of, and guide to, a particular interpretation of a piece. This paper focuses on the concepts underlying the design of the road in ESP, providing case studies on mapping diverse interpretations to roadmaps. We describe the design of two roadmaps each for Brahms' Hungarian Dances Nos. 2 and 3. We show that the road has a distinct influence on the way a driver traverses a path, presenting empirical results of driving/performance outcomes using the roads designed, and analyzing the tempo time series. General trends of slowdowns near curvature extremities and accelerations are observed. Statistics show that a particular roadmap has the effect of constraining the performances to a certain style, with specifically placed gestures, while allowing the driver latitude in expressive control. Performances from the same paths are shown to be more similar to each other than those from different paths, having average correlation coefficients of 0.39 vs. 0.16 for Dance No.2, and 0.61 vs. 0.38 for Dance No.3. Overall, the interpretation maps resulted in expressively pleasing performances made available for further examination.
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