A Critical Examination of David Epstein’s “Phase Synchrony” Theory of Rubato
نویسنده
چکیده
Epstein’s “phase synchrony” theory of rubato, presented in Chapter 11 of his recent book, Shaping Time (1995), postulates two independent timing systems: a rigid “ground beat” and a flexible pulse that characterizes rubato. According to the theory, rubato is controlled by resolving the dissynchrony between the two timing systems at strategic points, namely phrase boundaries, at which phase synchrony is (re-) established. Epstein reports empirical data suggesting that outstanding pianists’ performances exhibit phase synchrony to a large degree. The present article presents a critique of Epstein’s theory and methodology, as well as an attempt to replicate his measurements of two performances. The theory is shown to rest on untenable or highly implausible assumptions, the methodology is found to be flawed, and the “phase fits” are revealed to conform to chance expectations, besides being difficult to replicate due to measurement error. Repp: Epstein critique 3
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