Sketching Sonata Form Structure in Selected Classical String Quartets

Abstract : Many classical works from 18th and 19th centuries are sonata forms, exhibiting a piece-level tonal path through an exposition, a development and a recapitulation and involving two thematic zones as well as other elements. The computational music analysis of scores with such a large-scale structure is a challenge for the MIR community and should gather different analysis techniques. We propose first steps in that direction, combining analysis features on symbolic scores on patterns, harmony, and other elements into a structure estimated by a Viterbi algorithm on a Hidden Markov Model. We test this strategy on a set of first movements of Haydn and Mozart string quartets. The proposed computational analysis strategy finds some pertinent features and sketches the sonata form structure in some pieces that have a simple sonata form.