Indeed, I don't know of much in the way of computerized analytical tools at all. I raised this subject a few years ago on the this list and was pointed in the direction of a handful of programs that seemed to be designed for heavy-duty non-tonal theorists (set theory is easy to program in comparison to analyzing functional harmony). I havent' kept up with the subject at all, and would like to know if anyone is aware of any work like this?
I haven't kept up with it much either but I think what you'd need is a machine that can run SmallTalk and/or Lisp and cruise though some CMJ's from the mid-90s onwards to get some software names. Also there's Max. If there are not any pre-built patches available, one could certainly make up there own. Peter Castine might be a good contact for this area.
Is this, perhaps, a job for a Finale plugin? For instance, what if I could designate the cadence points in a piece and then have the plugin summarize the number of different cadence types? Sounds simple? Well, it's not, because the repertory in which this would be useful is early polyphony, where it is actually a question of some import. So, you'd really be looking at the final configuration and how it relates to the penultimate configuration and then classifying accordingly in terms of voicing and cadential pitch.
In any event, is the plugin toolkit advanced enough to do that kind of thing?
Yes. Go ahead. There's good advice on Jari's site about setting up x86 compilers (even free ones).
It would need to have some temporary data storage capability, both for the UI settings and for each piece (you wouldn't want to recalculate certain kinds of information each time), so I have my doubts.
Temporary or permanent plugin data storage isn't a problem at all.
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Apropos the above, I've heard on the CBC radio show "Quirks and Quarks" a computer generated composition based on analysis of quite a few Scott Joplin pieces. However the rendered tune didn't observe Joplin's penchant for a 6/4 dominant as the penultimate chord. Cadences are telling indeed!
Philip Aker http://www.aker.ca
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