Discriminating between Mozart's Symphonies and String Quartets Based on the Degree of Independency between the String Parts

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate that variables relating to the independency of the string parts are useful for discriminating between symphonies and string quartets in terms of their orchestrations. More specifically, this paper targets the fast initial movements of thirty-nine symphonies and twenty string quartets by Mozart. Conducted analysis extracted three factors within the twelve observed variables and suggests that one of those factors, namely, the Lower part Pitch-Name and Duration factor (LPND), can account for the differences between Mozart’s symphonies and string quartets composed after 1782.