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V. Boura
Correspondence: V. Boura, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Technological Education Institute of Crete,
E. Daskalaki 1, 74100 Rethymnon, Crete. E-mail: vboura@stef.teicrete.gr
a fact that everybody else knows). It is humorist’s cognition and physics analogies can deepen interpreta-
decision (composers’ as well) to choose the appropriate tions of emotional response’’ (Vines et al., 2005, p. 147).
humoristic medium in order to create irony and it is his Audience’s emotional response to the humoristic
responsibility to restore balance after the response of the absurdity is usually laughter. Laughter is a generic
audience, whether that response was laughter, crying and expression of human emotions not necessarily those
sadness, sympathy and solidarity, or faith. The mode of that have to do with happiness. Laughter will be
humoristic communication is mainly determined by the considered in this paper’s psychoacoustic test as a kind
humorist. Nevertheless, the humoristic paradox works of humoristic rebounding and as one of the many
for the group of people that share the same culture, for reactions to humoristic irony (Escarpit, 1963). Higher
example a specific country, or a specific employment, or levels of humour such as Socratic irony and divine
in this case a specific Art form. It is obvious then why, for humour, as well as, intelligent humour, linguistic
example, music humour sometimes is not understandable destructions and political criticisms are totally discon-
by non-musicians. ‘‘ . . . only the refined man can decide nected from laughter. Different reactions to irony were
what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in the considered by Plato and many later philosophers as
sphere of laughter and suitable for a free man to say and more appropriate than laughter. For example, an
to hear’’ (Aristotle in Stewart, 1994, p. 35). extreme way out of irony is the faith to the absurd, a
As Quintilian said for the importance of the use of philosophical approach described by Plato and Kierke-
laughter, ‘‘the orator will use laughter to secure the gaard (Escarpit, 1963, p. 105), mainly put in practice by
goodwill of his audience, to secure their admiration of Socrates. Divine irony rebounds into reality based on
his wit and clever repartee, to embarrass the opponent, that kind of faith, as described by almost every existing
to lighten the severe or gloomy atmosphere and to gloss religious doctrine.
over a point made by the other side’’ (Viljamaa, 1994, Basic primitive laughter can come out as a result to
p. 88). physical excitation or out of the feeling of security that
Humorists (refined or not), theorists, philosophers, we feel after experiencing the fear, agony and tension.
or composers have created the appropriate for any Kant had approached philosophically and described that
occasion techniques to ‘‘force’’ laughter. Humorists kind of laughter. A step further was Hobbes’s philoso-
need to have almost the same character features in phical approach to laughter as ‘‘a sudden glory’’. A sense
order to create humour. The ‘‘antidogmaticism’’ of the of pride or superiority above the described situation
humorist, that is the ability to throw down cultural laws expressed in humoristic irony could create laughter.
(break the rules), natural or intended, real or fake, Surprise, also creates comical reactions. For example,
obvious or hidden, creates the ironic paradox. It is also someone laughs if he foresees the consequences of not
his ability to plainly imitate and reveal the weakness keeping the natural laws, e.g. gravity. The unexpected
and limitation of a cultural law or rule. Most of all it is could also create comical responses. The ‘‘laughter of
the danger of superiority above all people that awaits accomplices’’ constitutes a humoristic sympathy to
humorists, facing the mass. That is why it is wise for individual cultural characteristics, commonly acknowl-
every humorist to take good consideration of the edged as ‘‘flaws’’. In any case, only the stable, complex-
intellectual levels of the audience in order to make free man could laugh with a jest concerning him or the
them understand but not insult them. Composers are aesthetics and ethics he preserves. All people in
music humorists who need to be free of conventions of precarious conditions could never laugh.
a certain artistic movement in order to create music All the above categories of irony and humoristic
paradoxes. The music paradox works in a similar way rebounding will be examined in electroacoustic composi-
to the cultural, philological, philosophical or aesthetic tions in the psychoacoustic test.
paradox, as a break of a music rule that concerns
melody, harmony, structure or any other music element,
predetermined to be used only in a specific way in a
music style, genre or culture.
3. Defining humoristic techniques in
The critical phase of humoristic irony is followed by
electroacoustic music: creating irony
a ‘‘humoristic rebounding’’, a phase that the audience Electroacoustic music composers, in order to organize
relaxes, the tension goes and balance is restored. Freud their music discourse and to achieve music expression
(1905) defines laughter as the release of tension. and communication, have borrowed philosophical ideas
‘‘Tension is treated as a proxy for emotion, based on and techniques – the most prevailing one being the
experimental evidence’’ (Vines et al., 2005, p. 147). rhetoric – since Renaissance era. Even the most avant-
Music cognition research has recently focused on the garde music forms, such as electroacoustic music, are
study of emotions (Juslin & Sloboda, 2001; Scherer & proving to be contemporary versions of philosophical
Zentner, 2001). Several ‘‘concepts from differential adaptations in music structure and expression (Boura,
calculus are well suited for use in the domain of music 2007). Humour is one of these philosophical adaptations
250 V. Boura
and has been developed to be an emotion-induced used for increasing humoristic response? Are they
technique used not only in verbal, but also in music already in use for that purpose in electroacoustic
discourse. Music uses humoristic techniques as a device compositions?
to mimic emotions. Huron’s humoristic music techniques are further
Humor as a psychological, aesthetic and sociological classified according to the kind of humoristic irony
mechanism could offer electroacoustic music a commu- they create in the music discourse. Huron proceeds to
nication model in which the human response to abstract, identify nine categories of music devices that elicit
context-free forms could be related in an intellectual and laughter: (1,2) incongruity of instrumental sounds and
emotional way to the external world. Truax (2000) points of music genres, (3,4) music improbable tonality and
out the crucial meaning of communication that derives metric shifts, (5,6) implausible delays and excessive
from connecting and balancing the internal complexity of repetition, (7) incompetence cues (irregular music
the aural experience to the external complexity of the accent, implausible dynamics, irregular-random rhyth-
world in the compositional procedure. This is actually a mic patterns, awkward use of music instruments and
general method for success not only in electroacoustic vocal timbres) and (8,9) incongruous quotations and
music but in all Art forms when we are discussing misquotations.
aesthetics. In addition, Smalley (1992) refers to electro- These compositional techniques, and many others,
acoustic sound and its connections with the human such as, witticism in notation, music intertextuality,
consciousness. The progression of western music generic deconstruction or syntactic adventure, crossing
into electroacoustic music – an abstract and context-free styles, juxtaposition of discordant factors, and many
form – created a gap between audience’s emotional more (Dalmonte, 1995, syncretic type of music humour)
and intellectual references to its written and oral culture could be used in different philosophical contexts
and the sound material. Humour techniques bridge depending on the type of ‘‘humoristic rebounding’’
that gap in the most rhetorical, sociological and pleasant composers would want to achieve. The intentions of
way. the composers are a crucial factor in achieving a
A humorist composer could hope to reveal a humoristic irony and the kind of release either to
different, even subversive effect, out of the usual, laughter, sadness, sympathy or faith. Certain rules in
evident one, already explored, established and com- creating humoristic irony have been described by
monly used by other composers, in sound manipulation several theorists (Viljamaa, 1994, p. 88) that refer to
techniques and sound itself. A humoristic compositional what is ethically accepted or not in the procedure of
method could be paralleled to the soundscape composi- creating an irony.
tional method as described by Truax (2000). Both Escarpit (1963) describes several techniques (see
methods concentrate on the connection of sound Section 2) of creating irony. According to those
abstractness to the external world. Only, the humoristic techniques, a composer’s lack of music theory knowledge
method goes a step further, from the factors that could have a humoristic effect on the audience, most of
created the sonic phenomenon and the awareness of it, the times creating laughter. In addition, a composer’s
to pass on ideas, communicate, make people think, intention to exaggerate in expressing a music style or a
express and reveal the internal world of consciousness sound motion and dynamics could most probably result
and all written and oral rules of culture (and music in a humoristic effect, either laughter or anxiety.
culture) – the evident and the obvious to all of us (even Furthermore, any transfer of music style and change of
the taboos), and finally and most important, to music language could end up with a music scandal, a
challenge peoples’ perception of culture (and music profanation, which would either evoke listeners’ laughter
culture) and create emotions out of sonic events. In or sadness emotions.
electroacoustic music humour, the external world – the According to Quintilian’s employment of witticisms
reality – is given a different dimension, which is silently in oratory (Viljamaa, 1994, p. 90) we could distinguish
acknowledged by everyone. The audience realizes the three different categories out of which humorist
paradox – the high intellectual point – and is over- electroacoustic composers may seek to raise a laugh
whelmed by agony and tension. Listeners tend to expect in their music.
certain predictions of musical evolution which are either
validated or conclude to tension and stress. The latter (a) Laughter at the expense of others: we reprove,
emotional procedure could form the definition of the refute, make light, belittle, alleviate, retort, or
humoristic irony in music. Furthermore, gestures, deride the arguments of other composers or music
mimesis and pantomime are considered to be the styles (superiority theory).
essential elements for successful humour. Gesturing (b) The use of common electroacoustic techniques in a
and mimicking are two frequently sited compositional humorous manner (Relief theory, and Sympathy
techniques in electroacoustic music. Could they be also theory).
Electroacoustic symposium 251
(c) The use of techniques and music rules, which reflect 9. Viñao, A. (1989/90) ‘‘Tumblers’’.
on neither electroacoustic music nor conventional 10. Mniestris, A. (2001). ‘‘
music (Incongruity theory). ’’ (Oi paralages Ton Parallagon).
11. Smalley, D. (1987). ‘‘Wind Chimes’’.
Emotion and music cognition researchers refer to the 12. Lansky, P. (1978–79). ‘‘Six Fantasies on a Poem by
relation of music perception, in changes in loudness, Thomas Campion’’.
fluctuations in tempo, changes in pitch and adjustments 13. Wishart, T. (1986). ‘‘VOX-5’’.
to timbre, to the evoked emotions.
The compositional techniques that Huron had During the listening procedure, all of the humoristic
analysed and tested on conventional music (e.g. P.D.Q. music devices (according to Huron) were located as
Bach’s) will be also tested in electroacoustic music electroacoustic techniques in all electroacoustic composi-
compositions. It is our intention to examine whether tions. Eighty six music excerpts were separated out of all
these conventional humoristic techniques are present in the electroacoustic compositions and were classified.
electroacoustic music, as well as whether the audience Twenty seven of those were tested on audience’s response
recognizes and emotionally responds to them. The kind to electroacoustic humoristic techniques (Appendix,
of emotional response is also tested and analysed in the Table 1). Each music excerpt may include one or more
statistical results of the psychoacoustic test. electroacoustic techniques that correspond to the humor-
istic devices by Huron simultaneously. Therefore in this
psychoacoustic test it is rather difficult to map each
3.1 Electroacoustic composition analysis: locating
selected electroacoustic technique to a specific emotional
conventional humoristic techniques in electroacoustic
response by the audience.
music
The list of all music excerpts, that include humoristic
Electroacoustic music is by nature a very complicated Art music devices, as described by Huron (2004), separated
medium, which lacks organized and classified musical from all electroacoustic compositions analysed, is as
language, further more, rhetoric means of communica- follows:
tion. For that reason, humour, can only be considered, at
this point, as an emotional response of the audience to J.C. Risset – ‘‘Computer suite from little boy’’ (part 1,
specific electroacoustic compositional techniques. These part 2, part 3).
compositional techniques have not been classified as
humoristic by analysts, nevertheless they may be used Part 1
either intensively by composers in their attempt to create (1) 01:03-01:15: Music improbable tonality and metric
an irregularity in their musical form, or can be part of the shifts, incongruous quotations.
overall compositional procedure of their musical piece. (2) 01:29-01:36: Incongruity of instrumental sounds
The selected electroacoustic music techniques, to be tested and of music genres, implausible dynamics.
on humoristic effects to the audience, were chosen to be (3) 01:36-01:52: Incongruity of instrumental sounds
respectively to the conventional music humoristic techni- and of music genres, metric shifts, irregular-
ques as described by Huron. random rhythmic patterns.
Thirteen electroacoustic compositions were selected to (4) 02:10-02:45: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic
be tested on their use and interpretation of music shifts, incongruous quotations.
humorous techniques and their emotional effects on (5) 2.50-3.15: Incongruous sounds, irregular-random
the audience. The selection of the pieces was based on the rhythmic patterns, incongruous quotations.
humoristic or not intentions of the composers. The (6) 03:18-03:40: Incongruous sounds, incongruous
electroacoustic compositions analysed and tested are: quotations.
(7) 03:40-04:20: Incongruous sounds, irregular-ran-
1. Risset, J.C. (1968). ‘‘Computer suite from little dom rhythmic patterns, incongruous quotations,
boy’’. implausible dynamics.
2. Aikman, J. (1988). ‘‘Tragodia/comodia’’. Part 2
3. Kaufman, D. (1988). ‘‘Le ciel et la Terre’’. (8) 00:00-00:01: Sound improbable tonality-pitch.
4. Pongratz, Z. (1988). ‘‘Histoire d’un Accrd de Do (9) 01:00-02.30: Incongruous sounds, sound improb-
Dieze Majeur’’. able tonality-pitch, excessive repetition.
5. Maderna, B. (1962). ‘‘Le Rire’’. Part 3
6. Koonce, P. (1996). ‘‘Pins’’. (10) 00:00-00:03: Incongruous sounds, incongruous
7. Dodge, C. (1980). ‘‘Any Resemblance is Purely quotations.
Coincidental’’. (11) 00:03-00:15: Incongruous sounds, irregular-
8. Brümmer, L. (1993). ‘‘The Gates of H’’. random rhythmic patterns, metric-rhythmic shifts.
252 V. Boura
(19) 00:16-00:39: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of (35) 00:46-00:57: Metric-rhythmic shifts, implausible
music instruments and vocal timbres, incongruous delays, incongruous quotations.
quotations. (36) 01:30-01:50: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
(20) 00:37-01:00: Incongruous sounds, sound music instruments and vocal timbres, incongruous
improbable tonality-pitch, irregular music accent, quotations.
irregular-random rhythm. (37) 01:51-02:07: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic
(21) 02:30-03:30: Incongruous sounds, awkward shifts, implausible dynamics, awkward use of
use of music instruments and vocal timbres, music instruments and vocal timbres.
irregular music accent, irregular-random (38) 04:45-04:57: Irregular-random rhythmic patterns.
rhythmic.
(22) 04:15-04:45: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of B. Maderna – ‘‘Le Rire’’.
music instruments and vocal timbres, incongruous
quotations, misquotations. (39) 00:00-01:00: Misquotations.
(23) 04:45-05:35: Awkward use of music instruments (40) 01:14-01:22: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic
and vocal timbres, incongruous quotations, sound shifts.
improbable tonality-pitch. (41) 01:27-01:36: Sound improbable tonality-pitch.
(24) 05:35-06:30: Incongruous sounds, sound (42) 01:58-02:05: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
improbable tonality-pitch, metric-rhythmic music instruments and vocal timbres.
shifts, awkward use of music instruments (43) 02:07-02:14: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
and vocal timbres, irregular-random rhythmic music instruments and vocal timbres.
patterns. (44) 04:01-04:08: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
(25) 06:35-06:45: Mixed music genres, metric-rhythmic incongruous quotations.
shifts, awkward use of music instruments (45) 09:32-09:54: Incongruous sounds, sound impro-
and vocal timbres, irregular-random rhythmic bable tonality-pitch, incongruous quotations.
patterns.
(26) 06:45-06:55: Mixed music genres, metric-rhythmic Paul Koonce – ‘‘Pins’’.
shifts, awkward use of music instruments
and vocal timbres, irregular-random rhythmic (46) 00:09-00:24: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic
patterns. shifts.
(27) 06:55-07:10: Mixed music genres, metric-rhythmic (47) 00:24-00:32: Implausible dynamics, incongruous
shifts, awkward use of music instruments quotations.
and vocal timbres, irregular-random rhythmic (48) 00:32-00:39: Incongruous sounds, implausible
patterns. dynamics, irregular-random rhythmic patterns.
(28) 07:10-07:50: Mixed music genres, metric-rhythmic (49) 00:47-00:56: Awkward use of music
shifts, awkward use of music instruments and instruments and vocal timbres, Incongruous
vocal timbres, incongruous quotations. quotations.
(29) 07:45-08:40: Incongruous sounds, sound (50) 00:56-01:07: Mixed music genres, awkward use of
improbable tonality-pitch, incongruous quota- music instruments and vocal timbres.
tions, awkward use of music instruments and (51) 02:29-02:41: Mixed music genres, metric-rhythmic
vocal timbres, irregular-random rhythmic shifts, awkward use of music instruments and
patterns. vocal timbres.
Electroacoustic symposium 253
(52) 07:44-07:57: Implausible dynamics, incongruous (72) 00:25-00:32: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
quotations. awkward use of music instruments and vocal
(53) 11:24-12:10: Awkward use of music instruments timbres.
and vocal timbres, incongruous quotations. (73) 01:30-01:34: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
awkward use of music instruments and vocal
C. Dodge – ‘‘Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidental’’. timbres.
Part3
(54) 01:53-02:18: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, (74) 00:12-00:19: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
metric-rhythmic shifts, excessive repetition, metric-rhythmic shifts.
incongruous quotations. (75) 00:40-00:49: Metric-rhythmic shifts.
(55) 02:18-02:28: Metric-rhythmic shifts. (76) 01:40-01:48: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
(56) 03:31-03:56: Mixed music genres. metric-rhythmic shifts.
(57) 04:24-05:02: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, (77) 02:01-02:07: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
excessive repetition, incongruous quotations. metric-rhythmic shifts.
(58) 05:43-05:54: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, (78) 05:39-05:46: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
metric-rhythmic shifts, incongruous quotations. metric-rhythmic shifts.
– Which categories of music devices have you detected in Prediction of Laughter: accuracy 73.1%.
the music excerpts?
Subject-listeners that circled ‘‘incongruous sounds’’,
(1) Incongruous sounds (unusual sound sources). ‘‘drifting tonality’’, ‘‘irregular-random rhythmic pat-
(2) Mixed music genres. terns’’, ‘‘awkward use of music instruments and vocal
(3) Drifting tonality. timbres’’ and did not circle ‘‘mixed genres’’, ‘‘implausible
(4) Metric-rhythmic disruption. delays’’, ‘‘implausible dynamics’’ and ‘‘misquotation’’
(5) Implausible delays. were having a tendency to choose laughter as an emotion
(6) Excessive repetition. response to the music characteristics of the electroacous-
(7) Irregular music accent. tic music excerpts.
(8) Implausible dynamics. The above variables were proved statistically impor-
(9) Irregular-random rhythmic patterns. tant towards the prediction of laughter.
(10) Awkward use of music instruments and vocal timbres. The rest of the music characteristics were proved to be
(11) Incongruous quotations. not important for the prediction of laughter.
(12) Misquotations.
Prediction of Sadness: accuracy 95.1%.
– What was your emotional response to the detected
music device in the music excerpts? Subject-listeners that circled ‘‘irregular music accent’’,
‘‘implausible dynamics’’, ‘‘misquotation’’ and did not circle
(1) Sadness-Sympathy. ‘‘irregular-random rhythmic patterns’’ were having a
(2) Anxiety. tendency to choose sadness as an emotion response to the
(3) Laughter. music characteristics of the electroacoustic music excerpts.
(4) Surprise/Unexpected. The above variables were proved statistically impor-
(5) Abhorrence/Dislike. tant towards the prediction of sadness.
Electroacoustic symposium 255
The rest of the music characteristics were proved to be restored in the piece. But ‘‘how does one leave the
not important for the prediction of sadness. spiritual high point of the experience and rejoin the
everyday world?’’ (Truax, 2000, p. 125). How we pass on
Prediction of Surprise/Unexpected: accuracy 77.8%. from irony to humoristic rebounding?
‘‘When the listener/analyst realizes that a piece which
Subject-listeners that circled ‘‘implausible delays’’, ‘‘mis- started according to certain rules then betrays expecta-
quotation’’ and did not circle ‘‘excessive repetition’’, tions and moves off into other, lower linguistic areas, he
‘‘irregular music accent’’ and ‘‘awkward use of music becomes aware of the composer’s intention of deceiving
instruments and vocal timbres’’ were having a tendency to him, and consequently prepares himself for the comic
choose surprise/unexpected as an emotion response to the effect of the operation’’ (Dalmonte, 1995, p. 172). That is
music characteristics of the electroacoustic music excerpts. one of the most important methods of causing laughter
The above variables were proved statistically impor- to the audience, but there are more.
tant towards the prediction of surprise/unexpected. Considering most of the previous theories on laughter
The final model of statistical analysis showed a we will present different categories of emotional responses
negative relation between ‘‘incongruous sounds’’ and of the audience as an outcome of the acoustical test. We
the emotional response of surprise/unexpected, and a will borrow from aesthetic and philosophical theories on
positive relation between ‘‘incongruous quotations’’ and humour from Stewart, Morreall, Escarpit, Dalmonte and
surprise/unexpected, which were proved to be not Huron in order to form a humoristic response frame, a
statistically important. humoristic feedback from the audience, in which electro-
The rest of the music characteristics were proved to be acoustic composers could refer to in the procedure of
not important for the prediction of surprise/unexpected. creating electroacoustic ironic techniques.
It is evident that we cannot talk about laughter in
Prediction of Anxiety: accuracy 82.7%. general. As Stewart (1994) mentions, laughter is ex-
pressed on many occasions and for different causes. Most
Subject-listeners that circled ‘‘drifting tonality’’, ‘‘ex- importantly laughter is a subjective reaction that depends
cessive repetition’’, ‘‘implausible dynamics’’ and did not on mood and circumstances and is expressed respectively
circle ‘‘awkward use of music instruments and vocal in different ways. The humorist usually laughs at
timbres’’, ‘‘irregular-random rhythmic patterns’’ were someone or something creating irony in an intellectual
having a tendency to choose anxiety as an emotion or emotional procedure (Escarpit, 1963, pp. 59–60),
response to the music characteristics of the electroacous- described earlier in the paper, while the listener responds
tic music excerpts. to irony by laughing with and about other persons and
The above variables were proved statistically impor- events in a spontaneous act of emotion. Higher levels of
tant towards the prediction of anxiety. humoristic response other than laughter could be found
The rest of the music characteristics were proved to be in the writings of many theorists since ancient Greece.
not important for the prediction of anxiety. For example Aristotle in Rhetoric explains how the
character of a person is expressed through his laughter.
Prediction of Abhorrence/Dislike: accuracy 85.2%. The excess laughter is buffoonery, and the deficiency is
boorishness, but there is a true wittiness that is
Subject-listeners that circled ‘‘implausible delays’’, characteristic of an honourable and free person.
‘‘excessive repetition’’, ‘‘implausible dynamics’’, ‘‘awkward In order to trace the origins of the audience’s
use of music instruments and vocal timbres’’, ‘‘irregular- emotional response to the sonic events in the acoustic
random rhythmic patterns’’, ‘‘irregular music accent’’ and test we could classify them into three broad categories as
‘‘misquotation’’ were having a tendency to choose described by John Morreall (John Morreall in Stewart,
abhorrence/dislike as an emotion response to the music 1994, p. 37).
characteristics of the electroacoustic music excerpts. First, Morreall classifies the Superiority theory, in
The above variables were proved statistically impor- which laughter is scorn or hostility, represented by Plato,
tant towards the prediction of abhorrence/dislike. Aristotle, Hobbes, Lorenz and various other theorists.
The rest of the music characteristics were proved to ‘‘ . . . The idea that laughter was always looking down on
be not important for the prediction of abhorrence/dislike. something that was imperfect’’ (Stewart, 1994, p. 33).
‘‘People usually laugh at ugliness and deformity accord-
ing to Quintilian’’ (Viljamaa, 1994, p. 85).
3.3 The humoristic rebounding in electroacoustic music:
According to the acoustical test results, ‘‘implausible
the cause of music laughter
delays’’, ‘‘excessive repetition’’, ‘‘implausible dynamics’’,
The critical phase of humoristic irony is followed, as I ‘‘awkward use of music instruments and vocal timbres’’,
mentioned above, by a humoristic rebounding, a phase ‘‘irregular-random rhythmic patterns’’, ‘‘irregular music
that the audience relaxes, the tension goes and balance is accent’’ and ‘‘misquotation’’ humoristic music techniques
256 V. Boura
were evoking an abhorrence/dislike emotional response. Third, Morreall classifies the Relief theory, in which
According to the superiority theory, an audience that laughter is a release from tension or restraint, represented
dislikes the above techniques could either laugh or express by Shaftesbury, Freud, Herbert Spencer, John Dewey,
dislikeness by a gesture or an utterance. Laughter as an and others. Humoristic rebounding could be understood
option was also selected by the audience as an emotional as a kind of relaxation or intermission. A break between
response, together with dislikeness, in the following serious discourses. The humorists decide when and where
humoristic music techniques: ‘‘irregular-random rhythmic in the discourse and the way how.
patterns’’ and ‘‘awkward use of music instruments and vocal According to the acoustical test results, ‘‘drifting tona-
timbres’’. These two humoristic techniques are proved to be lity’’, ‘‘excessive repetition’’ and ‘‘implausible dynamics’’
involved with laughter and dislikeness emotions and not humoristic music techniques were evoking an anxiety
with sadness, surprise or anxiety. Therefore, we could emotional response. In ‘‘drifting tonality’’ technique, the
classify these two techniques as humoristic irony techniques audience’s emotional response involves also laughter and
that evoke laughter out of dislikeness and belong to the not sadness, surprise, or dislikeness. We could conclude, in
broad superiority theory category. this case, that this humoristic technique, as it creates an
The ‘‘excessive repetition’’ humoristic technique is also anxiety which resolves into laughter, can be classified in
involved with anxiety, apart from dislikeness, in the results the third category of Relief theory. Kant and Escarpit
of the acoustical test. These anxieties result in dislikeness (1963, p. 96) have described this situation as laughter
as an emotional response to the ‘‘excessive repetition’’ and that evokes out of security, or after fear. The ‘‘excessive
have nothing to do with surprise, laughter or sadness. It is repetition’’ technique was classified in the superiority
treated as a music deformity or imperfection and is rejected theory category. The ‘‘implausible dynamics’’ technique
by an audience as a not valuable compositional technique. will be classified in a different category as it involves
The ‘‘implausible delays’’ humoristic technique, according sadness and not laughter as an emotional response.
to the acoustical test results, is also involved with the Higher levels of humoristic rebounding, as emotional
surprise emotional response. It is a technique that does not responses of the audience to electroacoustic humoristic
evoke laughter, sadness or anxiety, but creates surprise that techniques include two categories: the Sympathy theory
leads to a dislike emotional response. This is a technique and the Divine theory.
that is also treated as a music deformity or imperfection In the sympathy theory, there is no laughter but
and is rejected by the audience as a not valuable composi- sadness or even a cry for the inferior or the accomplices
tional technique. We can not classify this technique to the involved as an emotion response to humoristic techni-
second category of humoristic rebounding, the incongruity ques. Escarpit (1963, p. 99) describes analytically the
theory, and that is because there is no laughter evoked as laughter that is mostly a smile of sympathy. He describes
an emotional response to this technique. In addition, the how people that belong to the same group, culture or
‘‘irregular music accent’’ and ‘‘misquotation’’ humoristic artistic movement tend to accept rules and conditions
techniques, according to the acoustical test results, are also either right or wrong. Escarpit also includes in this
involved with the sadness emotional response, and not with category of humoristic rebounding the laughter for the
laughter or anxiety. These are techniques that could not be pure and disabled which is expressed in the form of
classified in the superiority theory category as they involve sadness. In this fourth category of music laughter the
sadness, as an emotional response. ‘‘irregular music accent’’, ‘‘implausible dynamics’’ and
Second, Morreal classifies the Incongruity theory, in ‘‘misquotation’’ humoristic music techniques are classi-
which laughter is caused by surprise, by a failed fied. All of these techniques, according to the acoustical
expectation, represented by Pascal, Kant Schopenhauer, test results, are involved with sadness expressed as an
and Cicero’s rhetorical work. ‘‘Laughing about some- emotional response to anxiety, dislikeness or surprise.
thing strange and unfamiliar’’ (Jäkel, 1994, p. 14). In the divine theory, the fifth category, laughter is
According to the acoustical test results, ‘‘implausible considered as an expression of faith, represented by
delays’’ and ‘‘misquotation’’ humoristic music techniques Socrates, and all religious doctrines (Escarpit, 1963). No
were evoking a surprise/unexpected emotional response. results related to divinity theory of laughter were reached
However, none of these techniques were also involved, according to the acoustical test. Something that could be
according to the acoustical test results, with laughter. As expected, as we are analysing music forms. However, it
a result, we could not classify these techniques to the was quite evident from the real time reactions of the
second category of incongruity theory, as they involve experienced and professional electroacoustic music lis-
sadness as an emotional response to surprise/unexpected. teners in the audience, there was a tendency not to laugh
In this category we could classify the ‘‘incongruous with music techniques that were worth laughing for. That
sounds’’ technique. This technique according to the situation could be described as the laugh of accomplices,
acoustical test results is involved only with laughter and if there was any laugh at all. But in this case, we would
with no other emotional response. By its nature it refers dare an extreme description of the situation and classify
to something strange and unfamiliar that the audience the emotional responses of those experienced listeners to
listens to and responds with laughter. the ‘‘divine’’ ones. Their belief in the worth and value of
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Appendix
Table 1. Music excerpts of the electroacoustic compositions that were tested on emotional responses to humoristic music techniques in
the acoustical test, in listening order.
Table 2. Audience’s selections on emotional response to humoristic music techniques in the acoustical test. The blanks refer to
statistically not important results.
Surprise/ Abhorrence/
Laughter Sadness Unexpected Anxiety Dislikeness
Incongruous sounds *
Mixed music genres –
Drifting tonality * *
Metric-rhythmic disruption
Implausible delays – * *
Excessive repetition – * *
Irregular music accent – * – *
Implausible dynamics – * *
Irregular-random rhythmic patterns * – – – *
Awkward use of music instruments and vocal timbre * – – *
Incongruous quotations
Misquotations – * * *