In the late period of my fanaticism, when I was listening to Komendarek’s music all the time, the idea came to me to mathematically determine the complexity of musical pieces. Why? Out of a certain snobbery (pride) and irritation. Snobbery, because, “I’m listening to one of the best composers in history… and I have no way of proving his greatness” (I still lack this competence.) So, a measure of complexity would be a useful tool. Irritating, because you can meet fans of weak pieces who in hundreds of comments manifest their feelings for the performers and “pat each other on the shoulders” – and in this way I could fire up a calculator and say: “it’s not what you think…” and proverbially stick out my tongue.
Is it possible to mathematically measure the complexity of musical pieces? I don’t think so, but I will nevertheless consider the various factors that affect the complexity of music. We know what the elements of a musical piece are (melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, agogy, dynamics, articulation, color). It is possible to determine the complexity of a melody and its length, probably advanced statistical methods are possible that would calculate the density and variability of the rest of the listed elements. But (1) it would not be a universal measure (if it is possible), (2) there would be algorithms generating pseudo-music that would theoretically create very complex pieces that lack emotion and are impossible to listen to, (3) there are other, including extra-musical, values of music that testify to the “greatness” of a piece.
I published on this blog four posts in a series “I don’t understand music”, and yet I decide to continue to pontificate on the subject, and I will list examples of values in music that are not “elements of a musical work” in the sense of being its components, i.e. its building blocks:
- innovation,
- individuality/uniqueness,
- emotions/variability of emotions,
- mixing/combining styles,
- sincerity,
- accentuation (related to emotions and sincerity),
- mood and its “strength”,
- extra-musical message,
- etc.