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STUDY OF PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTION OF MICROINTERVALS IN GYORGY LIGETI'S HORA LUNGA
Abstract
This study investigates performance and perception of microintervals in first movement (Hora lunga) from Gyorgy Ligetis' Sonata for Solo Viola. The 2.5 bar excerpt was performed live by the professional viola player – the author of this paper, with intention to test the performance and perception of two intonational versions – one containing equally tempered semitones B3-C4 (100 cents), and the other containing microintervals, which should be performed by lowering pitch B3 by 49 cents, or about a quartertone (149 cents). Finally, the entire Hora lunga was performed. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) non-musicians will not be able to tell the differences between the two excerpts; 2) those who will be able to tell differences would perceive microintervals as “out of tune”. 26 participants, among those only 2 were professional musicians, participated in study. They gave their answers in specially prepared questionnaires, and 17 also described the effect of microtonal intonation in Hora lunga in after-concert interviews. Frequency analysis of performed music showed that there was always a tendency to play B3 higher as a target in both versions, but equally tempered and microinterval sizes were achieved by adjustment of the next pitch – C4. The range of sizes of the two types of intervals showed a strict difference between them (69-97.4 cents for equally tempered and 113-198 cents for microintervals). The major part of subjects (85\%) asserted that differences between the two versions of excerpts were audible. Thus, hypothesis that non-musicians will not be able to perceive microtonal differences was not confirmed in this study. On the other hand, the hypothesis that microtonal difference could sound as out of tune for listeners, was partly confirmed as true.
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