Music Representation Ontology

As defined by Marsden in "Music Analysis by Computer: Ontology and Epistemology", an analysis is a process that adds information to a musical piece in the sense that someone reading an analysis will gain knowledge that they did not have before. It never adds anything to a musical piece that was not implicitly in it.

For example, an analysis that classifies a piece in "Sonata Form" does not simply provide a label for a piece but rather provides specific analytical evidences that justify the classification.

• has analyst ^op
• involves music content ^op
• is based on ^op
• has confidence ^dp

• is analysed in ^op
• is involved in analysis ^op

• involves music content ^op some
  
• is based on ^op some
  
• core:isExplanationBasedOnonly
  
• has annotation ^op only
  
• has analyst ^op only
  
• involves music content ^op only
  
• is based on ^op only
  
• has confidence ^dp only
  

An analyst is an agent that is referenced by an analysis. It can be for instance a musicologist that interprets a given theory or the author of the theory.

• core:involvesAgent exactly 1
  
• core:involvesRole exactly 1
  

An analytical reference is a musical theory, i.e. a set of assumptions and commitments that an analyst make when producing an analysis. The result of an analysis is ultimately one of the possible interpretation of a musical piece: different theories can result in the same result as well as same theories can be used to obtain different results.

An example is Riemann's theory or Schenker's theory.

An annotation is a temporal precise and unique observation that an agent makes when performing an analysis on a musical piece. It can either describe an entire musical content or a specific fragment of a musical content. The subject of an annotation is the projection of a specific music content.

• describes ^op
• has annotation type ^op
• has annotator ^op
• has observation ^op
• is annotated of ^op

• has annotation ^op
• is annotation content of ^op
• is annotation type of ^op
• is annotator of ^op

• describes ^op some
  
• has annotation type ^op some
  
• has observation ^op some
  
• core:isDerivedFromonly
  
• has annotation type ^op only
  
• has annotator ^op only
  
• has observation ^op exactly 1
  

The type of an annotation, such as "textual" or "JAMS observation".

An annotator is an agent that makes an annotation. An annotator might be of a specific type, e.g. crowd or expert.

• core:involvesAgentsome
  
• core:involvesAgentonly
  
• has annotator type ^op exactly 1
  

Type of an annotator, such as crowd collected, algorithmically derived, provided by an expert etc.

A fragment is the atomic piece that compose the final analysis. For example, when describing harmonic progression a fragment is the instant where a chord is played. When describing forms, a fragment is a section of a piece that spans several instants.

• describes ^op
• has fragment ^op

• Na76a974847cc4536b95bdfd9d2e19bfbsome
  
• core:hasPartonly
  
• has temporal location ^op exactly 1
  

Music content represents a musical piece that can be analysed by means of an analytical process.

• has fragment ^op
• is analysed in ^op

• has annotation ^op only
  
• has fragment ^op only
  
• is analysed in ^op only
  

A music projection is the subject of an annotation content.

E.g. a chord.

• has subject ^op
• is composed of ^op

An observation, i.e. content of an annotation, is the projection of the musical content it is describing.

• has subject ^op
• is annotation content of ^op

• has subject ^op some
  
• has subject ^op min 1
  

The relation between an annotation and the fragment it is describing.

A direct relationship between a music content and an annotation. Some specific content (e.g. elements of a score) might be annotated without the need of an analysis.

The relationship that defines the type of an annotation.

The relationship that identifies an agent that contributed to an annotation.

The type of an annotator (e.g. domain expert)

The relation that connects an atomic fragment to the corresponding music content.

The relation between an annotation and its bserved content.

The relation that identifies a subject of interest in an annotation content.

The temporal location of a fragment.

Relation between an analysis and an analyst associated with it.

The relantionship that identifies the specific music content modeled by an analysis.

The relantionship that identifies an analysis of a specific music content.

The relation between a content and its annotation.

A direct relationship between an annotation and its music content or analysis.

The relationship that defines an annotation of specific type.

The relationship that identifies an annotation of an agent.

Relation between a type an an an annotator.

Relationship between an analysis and its analytical reference.

Part-of relationship between two music notation entities. E.g. a chord is composed of pitchclasses.

Relation between an analyst and an analysis it is involved in.

The confidence of an analysis.

The relationship that defines the type of an annotation.

The type of an annotator (e.g. domain expert)

The relation between an annotation and its bserved content.

The temporal location of a fragment.

The relation between a content and its annotation.