The mechanization of performance studies

This article argues that the fundamental phenomena in music-making that are treated digitally in modern times have to a large degree already been identified and studied for more than a century. The advent of recording instruments, be it for direct graphs or via an intermediary sound recording, enabled mass collection of data that could be compared and analysed, and many fundamental conclusions were drawn. This was a major step forward when compared to previous observations with little more than the ear to guide researchers. An overview is given of the development of the early and, in relative terms, primitive equipment, and the approaches of the first and well-funded research groups are described. While there was certainly research of this nature in most of the Western world, these developments largely took place in the USA, which in the early years of the 20th century wished to demonstrate the academic prowess of its universities.