From Manuscript to Printing Press to Computer Chip Studying Early Music in Digital Format Susan Forscher Weiss Johns Hopkins University Ichiro Fujinaga

From Manuscript From Manuscript to Printing Press to Printing Press

to Computer Chipto Computer Chip

Studying Early Music in Digital Studying Early Music in Digital FormatFormat

Susan Forscher WeissSusan Forscher WeissJohns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University

Ichiro FujinagaIchiro FujinagaMcGill UniversityMcGill University

RSA 2004 Weiss / Fujinaga

2/61

OutlineOutline

History: Research & PedagogyHistory: Research & Pedagogy

DatabasesDatabases

Computer ApplicationsComputer Applications

Conclusions / FutureConclusions / Future


3/61

Music Research & Music Research & PedagogyPedagogy

Old wayOld way Primary sources: mss, prints (travel, Primary sources: mss, prints (travel,

permissions)permissions) Books, periodicals, microfilms, Books, periodicals, microfilms,

photocopiesphotocopies Slides, handouts, overhead Slides, handouts, overhead

transparenciestransparencies Analog recordings, video, scoresAnalog recordings, video, scores


4/61

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


5/61


Intermediate solutionsIntermediate solutions Local database (on-line library Local database (on-line library

catalogues)catalogues) E-mail, mailing listsE-mail, mailing lists CD, DVD, CD-ROM CD, DVD, CD-ROM


6/61Peabody Renaissance CD-ROMPeabody Renaissance CD-ROM












12/61


New wayNew way Web-based courses Web-based courses Web databases Web databases Web resourcesWeb resources Web portalsWeb portals


13/61

Course PagesCourse Pages MusL 242: Music of the Middle Ages and MusL 242: Music of the Middle Ages and

Renaissance Renaissance (C. Cyrus, Vanderbilt)(C. Cyrus, Vanderbilt) MUSIC 310: Ancient and Medieval Music MUSIC 310: Ancient and Medieval Music

(T. Ward, UIUC)(T. Ward, UIUC) The Gregorian Chant Home PageThe Gregorian Chant Home Page

(P. Jeffery, Princeton)(P. Jeffery, Princeton) Music 2223: Renaissance Music (G. Music 2223: Renaissance Music (G.

Callon, Acadia)Callon, Acadia) Music 610.311: Music History I (S. F. Music 610.311: Music History I (S. F.

Weiss, Johns Hopkins)Weiss, Johns Hopkins)


14/61WebCT (S. Weiss)WebCT (S. Weiss)


15/61

Wegman: Demonstration of BorrowingWegman: Demonstration of Borrowing


16/61

Three Types of DatabasesThree Types of Databases

General referencesGeneral references

Specialized metadataSpecialized metadata

Music databasesMusic databases IndicesIndices

TextText

FacsimileFacsimile


17/61

General referencesGeneral references Grove Music OnlineGrove Music Online


18/61

Grove Music Online (2nd ed., opera, Grove Music Online (2nd ed., opera, jazz)jazz)

45,000 articles, 6000 contributors45,000 articles, 6000 contributors


19/61

General referencesGeneral references Grove Music OnlineGrove Music Online RILMRILM ((Répertoire International des Littérature

Musicales)


20/61

Music article abstracts after 1996Music article abstracts after 1996(329,000 items from 6200 (329,000 items from 6200

journals)journals)


21/61

General referencesGeneral references Grove Music OnlineGrove Music Online RILM RILM ((Répertoire International des Littérature

Musicales) RISMRISM ((Répertoire International des Sources

Musicales)


22/61

Index to music manuscripts after Index to music manuscripts after 16001600

456,000 items by 18,000 456,000 items by 18,000 composerscomposers


23/61

General referencesGeneral references Grove Music OnlineGrove Music Online RILM RILM ((Répertoire International des Littérature Musicales) RISM RISM ((Répertoire International des Sources Musicales) RELICSRELICS (Renaissance Liturgical Imprints: A Census)


24/61

RELICS (books on worship, 13,882 RELICS (books on worship, 13,882 entries)entries)


25/61RELICS on MIRLYNRELICS on MIRLYN


26/61

General referencesGeneral references Grove Music OnlineGrove Music Online RILM RILM ((Répertoire International des Littérature Musicales) RISM RISM ((Répertoire International des Sources Musicales) RELICSRELICS (Renaissance Liturgical Imprints: A Census)

RIPM RIPM ((Répertoire International de la Presse Musicales)

Music IndexMusic Index International Index to the Performing International Index to the Performing

ArtsArts Online journalsOnline journals

Early Music, Music Quarterly, etc.Early Music, Music Quarterly, etc. JSTOR (back issues: all major music journals!)JSTOR (back issues: all major music journals!)


27/61Early Music (Christopher Page)Early Music (Christopher Page)


28/61

Specialized metadata: Specialized metadata: ComposersComposers

DufayDufay Hildegard of BingenHildegard of Bingen OckeghemOckeghem JosquinJosquin DowlandDowland LawesLawes MachautMachaut


29/61Machaut on the WebMachaut on the Web


30/61

Specialized metadata: Specialized metadata: PortalsPortals

Classical Music Resources (Duke Classical Music Resources (Duke University)University)


31/61



32/61

Specialized metadata: Specialized metadata: PortalsPortals


Cecilia (UK and Ireland)Cecilia (UK and Ireland) Ufficio Ricerca Fondi Musicali di Ufficio Ricerca Fondi Musicali di

MilanoMilano Early Music FAQ (medieval.org)Early Music FAQ (medieval.org)


33/61Early Music FAQ (medieval.org)Early Music FAQ (medieval.org)


34/61

Early Music Composers Early Music Composers (medieval.org)(medieval.org)


35/61

Specialized metadata: Sound Specialized metadata: Sound RecordingsRecordings

WorldCat (OCLC: 1.7M recordings, 1.2M WorldCat (OCLC: 1.7M recordings, 1.2M scores)scores)

SONIC (LC: 2.5M recordings)SONIC (LC: 2.5M recordings) National Sound Archives National Sound Archives (BL: 3M (BL: 3M

recordings)recordings) allclassical.com allclassical.com

100K albums100K albums 250K compositions250K compositions 20K Medieval/Renaissance compositions20K Medieval/Renaissance compositions

amazon.comamazon.com


36/61

Music databases Music databases (indices)(indices)

Themefinder (Stanford and Ohio Themefinder (Stanford and Ohio

State)State)


37/61


38/61

Music databases Music databases (indices)(indices)

Themefinder (Stanford and Ohio Themefinder (Stanford and Ohio

State)State)

CANTUS (U. of Western Ontario, CANTUS (U. of Western Ontario,

Canada)Canada)


39/61

CANTUS (200K entries from 50 CANTUS (200K entries from 50 sources)sources)


40/61

Music databases (text)Music databases (text) Center for the History of Music Center for the History of Music

Theory and LiteratureTheory and Literature (Indiana)(Indiana) Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum (TML)Thesaurus Musicarum Latinarum (TML) Texts on Music in English (TME)Texts on Music in English (TME) Traités français sur la musique (TFM)Traités français sur la musique (TFM) Saggi musicali italiani (SMI)Saggi musicali italiani (SMI)

Thesaurus musicarum italicarum Thesaurus musicarum italicarum (TMI)(TMI)


41/61

Music databases (Music databases (facsimilefacsimile))

Scribe (LaScribe (La Trobe Trobe University, Australia)University, Australia)


42/61Scribe databaseScribe database


43/61

Music databases (facsimiMusic databases (facsimile)le) Scribe (LaScribe (La Trobe Trobe

University, Australia)University, Australia)

Digital Image Archive of Medieval Digital Image Archive of Medieval

MusicMusic (Oxford) (Oxford)


44/61DIAMM (Oxford, Royal Holloway)DIAMM (Oxford, Royal Holloway)


45/61





EarlyEarly English Books Online English Books Online


46/61

Early English Books Online (W. Early English Books Online (W. Byrd)Byrd)


47/61






DowlandDowland MS MS


48/61Dowland MS ProjectDowland MS Project


49/61

Music databases (facsimiMusic databases (facsimile)le) Scribe (LaScribe (La Trobe Trobe University, Australia)University, Australia)




DowlandDowland MS MS

AcadiaAcadia Early Music Facsimile Archive Early Music Facsimile Archive


50/61

Examples of Computer Examples of Computer Applications in Early MusicApplications in Early Music

Analysis of notational signs in 12th C. Analysis of notational signs in 12th C. manuscriptsmanuscripts

Comparison of motets with questionable Comparison of motets with questionable attributionsattributions

Transcription of tablaturesTranscription of tablatures Automatic fingering of English keyboard Automatic fingering of English keyboard

musicmusic Divergence study by superimposing scanned Divergence study by superimposing scanned

images of printed musicimages of printed music Watermark study using digital image Watermark study using digital image

processingprocessing Virtual restoration of manuscriptsVirtual restoration of manuscripts


51/61

Palimpsest: Digital restorationCorpus Christi College, Oxford MS 144


52/61

Challenges and SolutionsChallenges and Solutions ChallengesChallenges

Three types of music informationThree types of music information Metadata Metadata Symbolic (text, scores, MIDI)Symbolic (text, scores, MIDI) AudioAudio

Non-standards formatsNon-standards formats Disorganized WebDisorganized Web

Possible solutionsPossible solutions HarvestingHarvesting Web ServicesWeb Services P2P audio distribution P2P audio distribution Optical music recognitionOptical music recognition


53/61

Optical Music Optical Music Recognition (OMR)Recognition (OMR)

Commercial softwareCommercial software SmartScoreSmartScore SharpEyeSharpEye Finale & SibeliusFinale & Sibelius

Shareware softwareShareware software OMeROMeR

Open-source softwareOpen-source software GameraGamera


54/61

ThresholdingThresholding(screenshot in Linux)(screenshot in Linux)

OMR: PreprocessingOMR: Preprocessing


55/61Staff removal: Lute tablatureStaff removal: Lute tablature


56/61

Staff removal: Lute tablature Staff removal: Lute tablature (detail)(detail)


57/61Classifier: Lute tablatureClassifier: Lute tablature


58/61Staff removal: NeumesStaff removal: Neumes


59/61Classifier: NeumesClassifier: Neumes


60/61

Conclusion / FutureConclusion / Future

Full-text, full-search scoresFull-text, full-search scores

Public-domain recordingsPublic-domain recordings

Music portals with searchMusic portals with search

We’ve come a long way…We’ve come a long way…

but…but…

we still have a long way to go.we still have a long way to go.

Documents

From Manuscript to Printing Press to Computer Chip Studying Early Music in Digital Format Susan Forscher Weiss Johns Hopkins University Ichiro Fujinaga