Effect of instruction in appropriate rubato usage on performances of Mozart and Bach: Replication and extension

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how instruction in the use of rhythmic nuances influences subsequent timings of a musical performance. Volunteer participants were asked to listen to and alter a performance of an excerpt from Mozart’s Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2 and Bach’s Suite Number 3 for Violoncello solo, Bourrèe Number 1. They used recently-developed software that allowed them to control the rhythmic timing of each of the performances without changing any other musical attribute. Forty music majors served as participants for both excerpts in a counter-balanced design. When, after practice, participants generated a performance with which they were pleased, it was saved as a pretest. Students in the treatment group for each piece were taught the rhythmic tendencies that have been identified in the finest performances of these excerpts and practiced them until they felt they were prepared to make a second recording, which was saved as the posttest. Control participants were instructed simply to practice more and to make another, better recording. All note onset data were calculated and analyzed to determine if the experimental groups had successfully integrated the given rhythmic tendencies into their performances. Results indicated that students in the experimental groups did indeed more closely reflect the model professional performances in their posttest performances of both experiments.