Abstract
Music often consists of multiple instruments and parts. Some serve a more foreground role (such as carrying a melody) whereas others offer background support (namely, as accompaniment). Musical solos are probably the clearest example of the foreground usage. What factors then make a specific instrument attractive for performing a solo? For example, an instrument might be preferred for a solo function if there are many virtuoso musicians. Or listeners might request a solo of a rare instrument. In this chapter, we examine the popularity of an instrument to play a solo role using four factors: pitch, loudness, timbre, and performer pool size. We focus on the concerto repertoire in Western classical music, since the titles bear a clear designation of the solo instrument(s). Our hypothesis is that an instrument will be attractive for a solo if it can produce high pitches and loud sounds, has a salient timbre, and has many skilled performers available to play it. Correlation and multiple regression results were mostly in agreement with the hypothesis; an instrument is more likely to serve in a solo role when it has a higher median pitch, a highly salient timbre, and there are a larger number of trained musicians.
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Chon, S.H. (2017). Western Orchestral Instruments in the Foreground: What Features Make an Instrument More Attractive for a Solo Role in Concertos?. In: Bovermann, T., de Campo, A., Egermann, H., Hardjowirogo, SI., Weinzierl, S. (eds) Musical Instruments in the 21st Century. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2951-6_24
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