Metric Feet as Units Shaping the Course of a Piano Piece
In this paper, I make an attempt to present the analytical possibilities offered by using metric feet as units that shape the course of a (piano) piece. This approach results from cognitive studies that clearly show that the perception of auditory events is based on grouping them into larger units on the basic strong–weak axis. In this approach, the foot is a scheme of one strong sound and one or two weak sounds (in different combinations) that repeats regularly in the course of the work. In this article, I present the most common ways of distinguishing strong sounds: using duration, dynamics, and pitch (features derived analogously from language, distinguishing strong syllables from the speech stream) and characterising the most common feet.
