The validity of this research lies more on the personal insights on how to apply the techniques and their implications on the performer than on the external validity.
Indeed, with 17 to 23 participants per questionnaire, the data does not provide a valid scientific result.
However, given the nature of an artistic research such as this, that is of secondary relevance. Still, the responses provided an external evaluation that can give food for thought. On the other hand, I would find interesting to realize a proper survey of this kind with valid scientific results.
Anyway, it would probably imply a selection of less techniques to be comprised in the questionnaire. In fact, some participants reported that the recordings were so similar that the differences were nearly unnoticeable – which explains the small variations in the grades – and that seven recordings are too many to keep the focus throughout. Even for me it was quite challenging the distinguish them, since the differences were in subtle details and not in my whole conception of sound and of the passage. Moreover, one participant suggested that feeling engaged throughout would be much easier live than through video recordings. I agree with this, also in the sense that some aspects of musical experience differ in the two cases, and especially with a non-professional video recording we cannot expect an equally involving experience.
About the results of the questionnaires, the main thing to notice is that there is not a big difference between the highest graded techniques and questions and the lowest. This is accentuated by the low number of participants.
Besides, my perception generally did not coincide with theirs. This can be explained by the fact that, unlike me, the audience did not know the piece. This is reflected in several ways: possibly I could hear more nuances because I knew well the music; on the other hand, my perception was biased, because when one practices a work one has certain expectations on the results – and sometimes fails to notice the big picture –, besides the awareness of the mental processes I was going through while playing. At the same time, the knowledge of the plot implies certain expressive means to convey the right moods and emotions which, out of that context, might sound less compelling to the audience. And of course there is simply a question of taste.
In allegretto the global average and the musicians’ preference was the ‘magic if’. Although mine was ‘surroundings 2’, my second highest scoring was also ‘magic if’. Which might mean that it was indeed the most effective technique for this passage. Once allegretto portrays the three characters of the story and contains many different elements, the feeling of being ‘in the moment’ that this technique triggers could explain the result. Besides, this is congruent with my feeling that ‘imagination’ worked well in this passage, contrary to ‘emotion memory’.
In langsam the highest graded was curiously my lowest: 'given circumstances'. It might be explained by the fact that I was unsatisfied with my tempo fluctuation and overemphasized that when I evaluated it. Once again, the second choice overall and by musicians was the same as my second choice: this time ‘surroundings 2’, which was voted higher than ‘given circumstances’ in phrasing and timbre. Those two parameters and engagement and musicality were strong points for the ‘surroundings 2’.
In agitato the global average and musicians’ preference was ‘emotion memory’, which was again ironically my lowest score. My preference was ‘imagination’ and I believe one of the reasons for which the grade I was given there was lower was the fact that it sounds exaggerated and rushed. However, taking into account the plot there, it makes perfect sense to have that feeling, which explains my predilection for that recording.
It was curious to notice that sometimes the participants’ grades were not confluent with their answers about their favourite recording(s). For instance, in agitato, the ‘given circumstances’ were chosen five times as favourite, while the ‘emotion memory’ was chosen one time as favourite, two times as second choice and one time as third. In fact, the ‘surroundings 2’ was referred more times. I suppose the reason for that was either the tiredness of the long questionnaire which might provoke confusion in distinguishing between the recordings or simply the fact that people’s favourite version is not necessarily the one they rate higher.
To finish this analysis of the results:
- We can say that generally the techniques were effective, since the ‘pre-interventions’ video never had the highest grade.
- At least concerning other people’s perception, it seems that ‘imagination’ and ‘surroundings 1’ were not particularly effective.
- The ‘magic if’ worked especially good in allegretto, since it had the highest score in all questions, and the same applies to ‘emotion memory’ in agitato.
- ‘Surroundings 2’ has consistently a high grade. It mirrors some of the effects of ‘magic if’, because of the feeling of being ‘in the moment’, which allows you to follow entirely the composition's logic -, and the element of surprise. It evokes both emotions and imagination.
So, what is the average preference of techniques, overall?
It is the ‘given circumstances’, which persuades me about the efficacy of thinking in musical terms. Maybe this leads to Stanislavski’s belief that physical actions by themselves may arouse the right emotions and can be steadier: the significance of physical acts in highly tragic or dramatic moments is emphasized by the fact that the simpler they are, the easier it is to grasp them, the easier to allow them to lead you to your true objective, away from the temptation of mechanical acting. (1989, p. 164)
Is there a correlation between the techniques and engagement, musicality, clarity, phrasing, timbre/colours and timing?
It cannot be clearly stated, but we can note (and reiterate) these relations:
- ‘Given circumstances’ nearly had the highest grades in all parameters
- ‘Surroundings 2’ had highest average rates in engagement and phrasing and second highest in musicality and timbre.
- ‘Magic if’ had highest average grade in all parameters in allegretto and the same applies to ‘emotion memory’ in agitato.
Lastly, especially in the last two interventions I didn’t really plan to think of musical ‘physical actions’. In further research on this topic, it would be valuable to include them in the ‘inner film’ and not only psychological actions. In practical terms, when the idea of the musical ‘physical action’ starts becoming unclear, also my sound becomes vaguer, and I easily start playing the notes less relatedly and with a more fallible touch.