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Journal of New Music Research

2008, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 247–258

Electroacoustic Symposium: Humour in Electroacoustic


Compositions. An Acoustical Test

V. Boura

Technological Education Institute of Crete, Greece

response to the selected techniques. The results were


Abstract statistically analysed and specific conclusions were
As Plato inSymposium, we will attempt a complex reached.
treatment of electroacoustic music discourse. Electro-
acoustic music pieces will be ‘‘attacked’’ in a ‘‘transgres-
sive’’ way by humour, blurring the contrast between
philosophical and music discourse. The aim is to locate
originality and transcendence within determinate generic
compositional boundaries – to stock humorous techni-
1. Introduction
ques and material and incite subversion of stereotypes ‘‘Humor coincides with higher levels of dialectic thinking
towards electroacoustic evolution and progress. Plato in and becomes philosophy’’
Laws (Stewart, 1994, p. 36) said that ‘‘. . . serious things (Escarpit, 1963, p. 109).
cannot be understood without their opposites’’. Tracing He explains: humour breaks the cocoon and drives us
and identifying humoristic techniques in the electro- towards life and progress
acoustic medium could offer the understanding of the
complicated compositional mechanisms that take part in In rhetoric practice ‘‘the knowledge of philosophy,
the creation of the electroacoustic music discourse and history, law and humour was necessary for the creation
the communication model that most of the time is of a successful expressive and communicative discourse’’
missing. In order to critically appraise electroacoustic (Kennedy, 2003, p. 229). Cicero (Hutchinson, 1998)
humour it is crucial to evaluate the composers’ humor- mentions several ways in which humour could be a
istic intentions, as well as, the audience’s intellectual necessary instrument for the orator. Quintilian (Institutio
status, in perceiving composers’ humoristic music Oratoria) and other philosophers in the classical era of
remarks. rhetoric (1st century AD) appoint a specific role to
We attempted to test the humoristic effects of humour in an oration. Before them, Aristotle (Düring,
conventional composition techniques in electroacoustic 2000) and Plato (Jeanniere, 1995) both incorporated
music. Huron’s (2004) classification on music techniques humour in the form of irony and comedy in their
was used for that purpose. A morphological analysis of Rhetoric and Poetic Art. Since 5th century BC many
many electroacoustic compositions by different compo- philosophers have been using the rhetoric humour in
sers was made. We located all Huron’s humorous music different forms, e.g. comedy, parody, irony, sarcasm,
techniques in different electroacoustic compositions. We satire, laughter, anecdote or chria. Fine Arts work for
finally demonstrated an acoustical test, in which 212 several centuries (e.g. Aristophanes’ comedies) was a
subject-listeners were asked to listen to 27 different medium for philosophical ideals and practices, such as
electroacoustic music excerpts and decide which music humour, to be expressed and induced. Aristophanes used
techniques were involved and the relative emotion to incorporate parody, irony, sarcasm and satire

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

DOI: 10.1080/09298210802484037 Ó 2008 Taylor & Francis


248 V. Boura

techniques in his works. By that time, humour was


2. Humour: the philosophical approach for
expressed only in words in music compositions. Music
organizing the psychoacoustic test
was considered one of the three (the other two being
speech and acting) elements of music drama. Humor- Humour will be considered in this paper as a message,
istic music elements were not yet developed. All the which is transferred through electroacoustic music,
philosophical tradition and practices were transferred aiming to produce laughter. It is based on a tension–
from ancient Greek years through early Roman relaxation mechanism that creates either laughter or
tradition and early Christianity, to the Byzantine era, other emotional responses, which will be described later
and from there to Renaissance Italy of the 15th century in the paper.
AC, where humour, as a word and meaning, started to According to Cazamian (Escarpit, 1963, pp. 63–65)
develop and access different aspects of life. Since the our understanding and reaction to life, forms four
16th century, the word ‘‘humour’’ has presupposed an different kinds of humour content. The comical, the
eccentric character, an odd behaviour (natural or emotional, the ethical and the philosophical humour.
intended) upon the acceptance of cultural lows. Several The decision on which direction will be followed is
philosophers and psychologists have analysed and determined by the kind of humour to be achieved and the
classified humour, among them Hobbes, Kant, selection of the appropriate devices.
Schopenhauer, Freud, Schutze etc., and many philoso- Either someone is humour according to Ben Jonson, or
phical approaches have been derived. The most has humour according to Addison, or even does humour
prevailing philosophical approach has considered according to Home; humour is a complex procedure
humour as closely bonded to laughter. Several theorists between intellect and emotion (Escarpit, 1963, p. 29). It
(philosophers and psychologists) agree that it would be usually creates a general allusion by re-presenting, from a
a mistake to consider laughter as a criterion for different point of view – creating a paradox, our fixed and
evaluating humour, and further more, that anyone evident ideas (stereotypes) and emotions, that most of the
could evaluate humour without having to laugh, or times have ethical and philosophical implications – formed
laughing for completely different reasons than respond- by written and oral culture. Humour in Arts has been
ing to something humoristic (Driessen in Bremmer and discussed by several theorists as referring mainly to
Roodenburg, 2005, p. 286). psychology, aesthetics and sociology. It has been defined
Over the years, several music elements were exten- as a complex blend of serious and not serious.
sively manipulated in producing humorous techniques The present paper’s approach to music humour is an
and were used, consciously or not, by the composers. application of Escarpit’s philosophy and analysis of what
Humorous music effects have been evident in music since is and constitutes humour in order to discuss matters of
the Baroque era. There are many music examples to compositional techniques and an audience’s emotional
mention, from Vivaldi, Daquin, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, response. As analysed by Escarpit (1963) ‘‘humoristic
Brahms, Beethoven, Schumann, Weber, Mahler, gesture’’ is a total of intellectual and emotional
Mendelssohn, Wagner, Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Chabriel, procedures, which involve two phases. The first is called
Berg, Dessau, Stravinsky, Anderson, Bártok, Kodály, ‘‘the critical phase’’ or ‘‘irony’’, which creates tension
Strauss, Shostakovich, Stockhausen, Berio, Malipiero, and agony and is mainly intellectual. The second is called
Nono, Cage and many other composers. The humorous ‘‘the creative phase’’ or ‘‘humoristic rebounding’’, which
music techniques were analysed and categorized by restores relaxation and balance and is mostly – but not
several music theorists and critics. Dalmonte (1995), always – emotional.
for example, classified humour into two categories: the The humoristic climax to the formation of the ironic
aesthetic and the poetic. The subdivisions of those two paradox – which is also a psychological condition
categories will be discussed in relation to electroacoustic (Freud, 1905) – concerns several different procedures
compositions, in this paper’s psychoacoustic test. An- undertaken by the humorist. The ironic paradox is
other example includes the informal concluding remarks created by the conscious suspension of the stereotypes –
of David Huron on his study of the work of P.D.Q. the ‘‘fixed and evident ideas and emotions – formed by
Bach. He referred to nine different categories of music written and oral culture’’ as mentioned above (Escarpit,
humoristic techniques. The psychoacoustic test, per- 1963, p. 74). The most usual ironic mediums described by
formed and presented in this paper, was based on these Escarpit (1963), which have been given a psychological
nine music techniques for producing humour in music, dimension by Freud (1905) and could be easily applied
yet these techniques refer to orchestral music and not and tested in any Art form (as we will do later in the
electroacoustic music. The aim of the psychoacoustic test article to electroacoustic music), are: (a) naivety (the lack
was to locate the same or/and similar music techniques in of knowledge), (b) exaggeration in expression, (c)
selected electroacoustic pieces of music and to examine plainness (rhetoric irony), (d) transfer of style (black
whether these electroacoustic music techniques could humour), (e) change of language (scandal, profanation),
produce humoristic responses to the audience. (f) dramatic irony (a person or a group of people ignores
Electroacoustic symposium 249

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

(12) 00:16-00:37: Metric-rhythmic shifts, implausible D. Kaufman – ‘‘Le ciel et la Terre’’.


delays, implausible dynamics.
(13) 00:39-00:49: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic (30) 00:00-00:33: Awkward use of music instruments
shifts, incongruous quotations. and vocal timbres.
(14) 00:50-01:00: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, (31) 03:09-03:37: Mixed music genres, awkward use of
misquotations. music instruments and vocal timbres, irregular-
(15) 01:00-01.30: Incongruous sounds, irregular music random rhythmic patterns.
accent. (32) 08:55-09:12: Incongruous sounds.
(16) 01:30-02:20: Incongruous sounds, sound impro- (33) 10:28-10:40: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
bable tonality-pitch. music instruments and vocal timbres.
(17) 02:30-03:50: Incongruous sounds, sound impro- (34) 11:10-11:37: Implausible delays, excessive
bable tonality-pitch, implausible dynamics. repetition, implausible dynamics.
(18) 04:03-05:00: Irregular-random rhythmic patterns.
Z. Pongratz – ‘‘Histoire d’un Accord de Do Dieze
J. Aikman – ‘‘Tragodia/comodia’’. Majeur’’.

(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.

L. Bruemer – ‘‘The gates of H’’. T. Wishart – ‘‘VOX-5’’.

(59) 02:01-02:15: Implausible dynamics, misquota- (79) 01:14-01:21: Incongruous quotations.


tions. (80) 01:27-01:37: Incongruous quotations.
(60) 04:12-04:24: Awkward use of music instruments (81) 01:41-01:56: Incongruous sounds, incongruous
and vocal timbres, misquotations. quotations.
(61) 10:50-10:59: Implausible dynamics. (82) 01:58-02:08: Sound improbable tonality-pitch,
(62) 14:42-15:00: Incongruous quotations. awkward use of music instruments and vocal
timbres.
A. Viñao – ‘‘Tumblers’’. (83) 02:14-02:38: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, in-
congruous quotations.
(63) 01:24-01:42: Incongruous sounds, mixed music (84) 03:03-03:20: Metric-rhythmic shifts, incongruous
genres, awkward use of music instruments and quotations.
vocal timbres, incongruous quotations. (85) 03:49-04:02: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
(64) 02:39-02:59: Metric-rhythmic shifts, irregular-ran- music instruments and vocal timbres, incongruous
dom rhythmic patterns. quotations.
(86) 04:04-04:16: Incongruous sounds, awkward use of
A. Mniestris – ‘‘Oi paralages Ton Parallagon’’. music instruments and vocal timbres, incongruous
quotations.
(65) 01:01-01:36: Misquotations.
(66) 01:46-02:13: Irregular-random rhythmic paterns,
3.2 Acoustical test: perceiving, understanding and
awkward use of music instruments and vocal
emotionally responding to electroacoustic techniques with
timbres, misquotations.
humoristic implications
(67) 08:34-09:01: Incongruous sounds, mixed music
genres, misquotations. Twenty seven music excerpts were selected out of the eighty
six, which were separated from the thirteen electroacoustic
D. Smalley – ‘‘Wind Chimes’’. music compositions, in order to perform the acoustical test.
All of the 27 excerpts included the most discernible music
(68) 05:15-05:20: Metric-rhythmic shifts devices, as described by Huron (2004), which could elicit
(69) 10:11-10:18: Metric-rhythmic shifts laughter. 212 listeners took part in the acoustical test,
(70) 10:41-10:51: Incongruous sounds, metric-rhythmic between the ages of 18 to 51 years old. In addition 15
shifts, incongruous quotations. listeners, different to the 212 that took part in the main
acoustical test, participated in the control acoustical
P. Lansky – ‘‘Six Fantasies on a Poem by Thomas test which was held first. The population of the subject-lis-
Campion’’ (6 parts). teners was general as there were trained and untrained
listeners to music analysis and tests. Prior to the test the
Part1 experimenter provided the subjects with oral and written
(71) 00:03-00:13: Sound improbable tonality-pitch, instructions of the task they had to perform in order to
awkward use of music instruments and vocal complete the acoustical test. A questionnaire was handed
timbres. out to the subjects in order to fill it in.
254 V. Boura

The test took place in an IEC listening room (6) Annoying.


(International Electrotechnical Commission recommen- Other:
dation 1998). The audio equipment required a power
amplifier, two loudspeakers and a CD player. The – Indicate music genre in which the music excerpt
subject-listeners were sat in the middle of the room in belongs.
order to have stereophonic hearing of the music excerpts.
They were not aware of either the purpose of the (1) Conventional music.
acoustical test nor the kind of music that they were about (2) Electroacoustic music.
to listen to. We were not interested in the composers’ Other:
humoristic intentions but rather only in the reception of
the sonic events by the audience. We were registering The subject-listeners had to circle one or more choices
purely their emotional response to each and every in each question. They had to complete the same
separate sonic event at a time, irrelevant of the kind or questionnaire for all 27 music excerpts. The duration of
form of music. We were registering their ability to the acoustical test was 45 min. Each music excerpt was
recognize correctly the type of the music technique they played twice and then subjects were given one minute to
were listening to at a given time. The musical terminol- complete the questions, before moving on to hearing the
ogy of the questionnaire was explained to the audience next music excerpt. Music excerpts were played ran-
prior to the acoustical test. domly (see Appendix, Table 1).
The randomly selected subjects were tested on the
following qualities:
3.2.1 Statistical results
(1) Their music training. The Binary Logistic Regression, Backward Stepwise
(2) Their normal hearing acuity. (WALD) statistical method of analysis was used. The
(3) Their sensitivity to audio quality characteristics. twelve categories of music devices (music techniques)
(4) Their ability to repeatedly rate stimuli consistently. were checked according to the potential prediction of
(5) Their availability for performing listening tests. emotion response of the subject-listeners to the music
techniques of the acoustic test (see Appendix, Table 2).
The questionnaire was formed based on Huron’s We had 212 subject-listeners multiplied by 27 electro-
(2004) ‘‘laughable’’ music devices and Escarpit’s (1963) acoustic music excerpts which made 5724 selected cases
categorization of emotional response to humoristic included in the statistical analysis. We did not test each music
irony. A sample of the questionnaire is given below: excerpt or subject-listener individually and separately.

– 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
Electroacoustic symposium 257

the electroacoustic medium would prevail causing them Bremmer, J., & Roodenburg, H. (1997). A cultural history of
to listen to any ugliness and deformity, failed music humour, from antiquity to the present day. Cambridge:
expectation, release of tension, strange and unfamiliar. Polity Press in association with Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Their devotion to the electroacoustic medium is so strong Dalmonte, R. (1995). Towards a semiology of humor
that they would accept blindly any given compositional in music. International Review of the Aesthetics and
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interpretation of his thoughts). Greece: Educational
4. Conclusions Foundation of National Bank of Greece.
Escarpit, R. (1963). To (The Humour). Arsaki-
Humour in electroacoustic techniques has mainly to do
Athens: I.N. Zaxaropoulos.
with manipulating pitch, time, rhythm and timbre. Any
Freud, S. (1905). Der Witz und seine Beziehung zum
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Unbewussten. (Greek translation ).
these parameters could eventually give a humoristic Athens: Publications.
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either intended by the composer or derived by the music humor devices in PDQ Bach. In S. Lipscomb, R. Ashley,
itself or even by personal or cultural referential R.O. Gjerdingen and P. Webster (Eds.), Proceedings of
procedures, in the audience, does not determine the the 8th International Conference on Music Perception and
quality of the music, rather indicates a different way of Cognition, Evanston, Illinois, pp. 700–704.
interpreting and expressing cultural stereotypes creating Hutchinson, G.O. (1998). Cicero’s correspondence. A literary
music paradoxes towards music evolution and progress. study. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.
The plain and the witty style of electroacoustic Jäkel, S. (1994). Introduction: the irony of reality. In S.
techniques may be combined in the same piece of music. Jäkel and A. Timonen (Eds.), Laughter down the
Yet, ‘‘they can also be two different arts, each having its centuries, volume 1 (pp. 9–14). Turku: Turun Yliopisto.
own rules and definitions’’ (Viljamaa, 1994, p. 93). Jeanniere, A. (1995). Plato. Athens: Papadimas Press.
Nevertheless, it is important for the composer to know Juslin, P.N. & Sloboda, J.A. (2001). Music and emotion:
and realize the limits of humour in his compositions, as theory and research. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
he ‘‘must not diminish his standing with the audience nor Kennedy, G.A. (2003). Istora thj Klassikj
would the dignity of others’’ (Viljamaa, 1994, p. 88). The Rhtorikj (History of Classical Rhetoric). Athens:
fact that all music elements and techniques afford Papadimas Publications.
opportunities for humour should be taken under serious Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Harvard: Harvard University
and careful consideration by the composer in his Press.
Ramsay, J. Silverman, B.W. (2005). Functional data
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analysis. USA: Springer ScienceþBuisness Media, Inc.
Further research on humour could involve continuous
Scherer, K.R. & Zentner, M.R. (2001). Emotional effects of
tracking techniques such as Functional Analysis Data
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(FDA; Ramsay & Silverman, 2005) which could offer
(Eds.), Music and emotion: theory and research. Oxford:
real time judgments of emotional, structural and Oxford University Press.
aesthetic content in an electroacoustic piece. Smalley, D. (1992). The listening imagination: listening in
Humour is considered to be an important knowledge, the electroacoustic era. In J. Paynter et al. (Eds.),
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ogists. Whether its presence in a work of art, such as elec- 514–554). London: Routledge.
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Acknowledgements Truax, B. (2000). The aesthetics of computer music: a
I would like to express my thanks to P. Xatzinikolaou questionable concept reconsidered. Organised Sound,
and E. Paparidou for their help in organizing and 5(3), 119–126.
performing the acoustical test. I would also like to thank Vines, B.W., Nuzzo, R.L., Levitin, D.J. (2005). Analysing
F. Zavitsanos for his help on the statistical analysis of the temporal dynamics in music. Music Perception, 23, 137–
results. 152.
Viljamaa, T. (1994). Quintilian’s theory of wit. In S. Jäkel
and A. Timonen (Eds.), Laughter down the centuries,
References volume 1 (pp. 85–93). Turku: Turun Yliopisto.
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258 V. Boura

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.

1 Computer suite from little boy Part1 01:36-01:52


2 Computer suite from little boy Part1 02:10-02:45
3 Computer suite from little boy Part1 03:40-04:20
4 Computer suite from little boy Part2 00:00-00:01
5 Computer suite from little boy Part3 00:00-00:03
6 Computer suite from little boy Part3 00:16-00:37
7 Histoire d’un Accord de Do Dieze Majeur 01:30-01:50
8 Le ciel et la Terre 10:28-10:40
9 Le ciel et la Terre 03:09-03:37
10 Le ciel et la Terre 11:10-11:37
11 Le Rire 01:27-01:36
12 Le Rire 09:32-09:54
13 Oi paralages Ton Parallagon 01:46-02:13
14 Oi paralages Ton Parallagon 08:34-09:01
15 Pins 11:24-12:10
16 Pins 00:56-01:07
17 Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidental 01:53-02:18
18 Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidental 05:43-05:54
19 The gates of H. 02:01-02:15
20 The gates of H 14:42-15:00
21 Tragodia/comodia 04:15-04:45
22 Tragodia/comodia 05:35-06:30
23 Tragodia/comodia 07:10-07:50
24 Tumblers 01:24-01:42
25 Vox-5 02:14-02:38
26 Vox-5 03:49-04:02
27 Six Fantasies on a Poem by Thomas Campion 00:40-00:49

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 – * * *

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