Listener perception of changes in historically informed performance of solo baroque music due to room acoustics

Abstract

A listening test was performed to determine whether there were any perceived differences in the playing styles of musicians as a function of the room in which the music was performed. This listening test was part of a larger study aimed at investigating the impact of room acoustics on historically informed performance (HIP) of baroque music which included an objective analysis framework designed to capture dimensions of performance important to a historical baroque playing style. The test included both flute and viol examples and included the participation of 20 musically trained listeners with a background in HIP. The results of the test showed some significant differences in certain performance parameters for both instruments. In particular, the flute examples demonstrated differences that aligned with reports from the flutists about the strategies they used to adapt to the different acoustics, and there was agreement between listener ratings and previously extracted objective parameters. These findings suggest that room acoustics play a role in shaping musical performance, and that the resulting changes can be perceived by listeners.