Polyphony, Uncertainty, and Exploration in Sonata Form: Commentary on De Souza, Dvorsky, and Oyon

Abstract

The following is a commentary on De Souza, Dvorsky, and Oyon's (2024) target article on polyphonic texture and sonata form. Their study suggests that development sections display more polyphony than exposition sections, as indicated by lower onset synchrony. However, the expected increase in polyphony during transitions was not observed. Using the exploration-exploitation framework from cognitive science, I propose potential explanations for these findings. I also recommend that future research on polyphonic texture incorporates expert evaluations alongside computational metrics to achieve a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of musical texture