WO2009071297A2

WO2009071297A2 - Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts

Info

Publication number: WO2009071297A2
Application number: PCT/EP2008/010288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Fantini; Arman Azemoon
Original assignee: Edilco S.R.L.
Priority date: 2007-12-05
Filing date: 2008-12-01
Publication date: 2009-06-11
Also published as: ITMI20072279A1; WO2009071297A3

Abstract

Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts based on a multimedia support, such as for example the DVD, playing of which allows for listening the orchestral or pianistic accompaniment of a musical composition, and for visualizing the video of the part regarding the interpreter using the system, shown in musical notation, and the video of a orchestra director filmed while conducting the composition performance, the audio and the videos being played simultaneously and in a reciprocal synchronous manner.

Description

PRACTICING AND DIDACTIC SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDY OF MUSICAL

PARTS

Text of the description

*** The present invention relates to a practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts.

The present invention is, particularly, suitable for studying those musical compositions wherein the single parts of the same composition must be performed by one or more soloists and an orchestra under the conductor's direction. Examples of such musical compositions can be found in the whole opera and concert repertoire.

For each soloist the possibility to achieve, in relatively short time, a sufficient interpretative maturity is inevitably tied to the presence of the whole ensemble provided by the composer, but the observance of such a condition is not always, certainly, possible. The soloists, therefore, find themselves almost always in the need of studying and practicing alone their own part or, at best, with the support of an accompanist pianist.

Thus, audio media, such as compact discs, have been put on the market containing recording of piano or orchestral accompaniments.

Such audio media are available for studying soloist parts of several lyrical operas, as well as for studying soloist part of several concerts for instrument and orchestra. Generally, the recordings contained in these audio media contains all the accompaniment musical parts (comprising, if any, the choral parts) and the possible parts of soloists other than the one the recording is intended for. In other words, and considering as an example the case of a lyrical opera, if the recording is intended for studying the part of the protagonist tenor, it normally contains everything the composer has provided except just the part of the protagonist tenor. Such recording sometimes are performed as a pianistic arrangement.

However, the audio products above disclosed do not allow interpreter studying or practicing for achieving a perfect synchronization with accompaniments contained therein if not for shortest time intervals, being missing all the information regarding entries and rate variations, such as accelerando, raUentando, holds, performing rubato and, above all, performing corona, the latter being a situation wherein a free extension of notes and pauses is required by composer. The rigidity of a so-designed product leads to a constant "running after" in respect of the accompaniment for the soloist, whose attention is almost completely absorbed by this need to the detriment of all the other fundamental aspects of the part study, from both musical and interpretative standpoint. Obviously, such condition represents un noticeable limit for the practicing and studying with the only audio medium, which therefore cannot be considered as good and efficient didactic instrument. The confirmation of said instrument being little useful for the musical interpreter can be found by considering that during a live performance, besides the remaining ensemble provided by the composer, there is the figure of the orchestra director, whose main task is just to determine and show the whole orchestra, the possible chorus and the soloist, the performance timings and their variations, also pointing out the much important entry moments.

Main object of the present invention is to provide a practicing and didactic support system for an individual study of musical parts which allows for overcoming the aforementioned problems, providing the single musician, singer or instrumentalist with a multimedia medium containing all the information necessary for a right and profitable learning.

US 6,635,815 at Kosakaya et a/, discloses an electronic apparatus provided with a storage unit for classification as well as transmission of musical parts to displays serving as music stand. It therefore has a completely different aim in respect of the one herein pursued.

US 2007/0051227 at Gotfried discloses a complex information system able to show to a plurality of orchestral interpreters, on a suitable number of displays, parts in musical notation along with a orchestra director's filming. Even this system, however, does not provide a didactic instrument for individual study of musical parts since it presupposes the presence of both orchestral ensemble and the director; it is an instrument adapted to improve the live performances of the orchestral performers since it makes easier their tasks, by showing them at the same time musical notations and orchestra director's image, within a single simultaneous visualization, preventing them from having to turn eyes between the music stand and the orchestra director and to turn pages of their part.

The system according to the present invention provides, instead, on a single multimedia medium, such as for example a DVD, the right orchestral or piano accompaniment, together with the part user has to perform, shown in musical notation, and with orchestra director's shooting.

A detailed description of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention will now be provided, the features of which are specified in the claims and shown in the annexed drawings which represents two typical situations.

Figs. 1 to 3 represent three subsequent frames of a conventional performing step in which user has two visual aids, that is the director film and the one of his part in musical notation, on which a cursor slides pointing out the time of the performance.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent two subsequent frame regarding a musical step, specifically a cadenza, in which the director is necessarily idle but the user, in this particular case a singer, performs his part and is able to verify the performing time by the cursor position, so as to be perfectly synchronized with the accompaniment when the cadenza ends and the director starts again conducting, (third frame, subsequent in respect of the first two frames, shown in fig. 6).

By analyzing the preceding figures, it is possible to notice how during the playing of the multimedia medium there are visualized on the display simultaneously both the part in musical notation, regarding the user (such visualization may be limited, but only in the more difficult study step, to the steps in which the director is idle, such as for example in figs. 4 and 5), and orchestra director's image.

The visualization of the part in musical notation represents a visual aid that, in the case of the singing accompaniment, is constituted by a pentagram, provided with a cursor, containing the notes and the lyrics to be sung, in which each syllable and each note, in a manner absolutely synchronized with melody the singer has to intone, are pointed out at the right time. In the case of soloist musical instrument accompaniment (violin, flute, piano, etc.) there is only the visualization of the notes to be sounded.

The function of the musical part film is substantially to provide the user with information about the time status of the performance, and therefore to guide him throughout all the musical situations in which the director makes room for the soloist's interpretation, the same director actually being idle (recitatives, cadenzas). In these cases the soloist is driven by the film of the musical part according to musically correct canons, even considering the interpretative traditions. The orchestra director's film represents a visual aid able to communicate the performing time along with corresponding variations as well as the entries determined by the director. To previous information there is added other regarding the director such as the dynamics (piano, forte, crescendo, diminuendo, etc.).

During playing multimedia medium according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a manner synchronized with the visual aids above disclosed, the interpreter can listen, through the audio content, the orchestral or pianistic performance of the accompaniment and the possible other soloist parts provided by the composer and that is everything normally just contained in only audio media available, as just mentioned, on the market. Therefore, in case, for example, of a multimedia medium intended for a tenor's use, normally, there would be present all the parts provided with the only exception of the part regarding the same tenor.

Moreover, there is to be envisioned the function that such tool can carry out during the part learning step, achieved by comprising into the multimedia medium, according to the present invention, even simplified situations so as to provide a studying system organized on the basis of difficulty levels: it is possible, indeed, to modify the musical content of the accompaniment by highlighting the only rhythmic side and removing those notes, which at the beginning of the study, can be misleading. Another possibility is given by the slowing down of the performing time provided by the composer. It is, then, also possible to add into the audio content of the multimedia medium, according to the present invention, even the notes regarding user, by pointing them out, for example, with an emission having a volume higher than the all other notes.

It is clear that a system according to the present invention fully overcomes the typical drawbacks of only audio products currently available on the market and it is particularly advantageous even for those, just experienced in a given part, want to practice by simulating a situation by a musical standpoint almost tantamount to a live performance.

Claims

1. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts by a single interpreter constituted by a multimedia medium c ha ra c te riz e d by the fa c t th a t said medium has the following contents regarding a given musical composition:

(i) video content of the part in musical notation regarding said single interpreter;

(ϋ) audio content of the musical accompaniment as above intended, that is normally comprising all musical parts provided by composer excluding the part regarding said single interpreter, however putting off excluding parts of other soloists and/or choral parts;

(iii) video content of a orchestra director conducting the performance of said musical composition; the video content of the part in musical notation, the audio content of the accompaniment and the video content of the orchestra director being played simultaneously and in a reciprocal synchronous manner.

2. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia medium is constituted by a video DVD.

3. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1 , wherein said multimedia medium is constituted by a DVD-ROM.

4. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1 , wherein said multimedia medium is constituted by a video CD-ROM.

5. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia medium is constituted by a videocassette.

6. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia medium is constituted by a computer archive.

7. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 1, cha tactetized by the fact that said audio content also comprises the part regarding said musical interpreter as system user.

8. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claim 7, chat acterized by the fact t h a t the audio content of the part regarding user is playable with a higher volume in respect of the audio content of the remaining parts in said musical composition.

9. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claims 1, 7 and 8, characterize d by the fact that playing of said multimedia medium happens on the basis of a suitably slowed down time in respect of the time provided by the composer.

10. Practicing and didactic supporting system for individual study of musical parts according to claims 1, 7 and 8, characterized by the fact that the audio content is simplified in respect of the original composition.