The dataset contains 23 multimodal recordings of string quartet performance. Acquired data includes the audio of each performance in separate tracks: up to two ambient tracks and individual tracks acquired through contact microphones. In addition each recording includes instrumental motion capture and a set of derived instrumental bowing descriptors for each musician. The recordings were made as part of the experiments on ensemble expressive performance reported in the following article:

Marco Marchini, Rafael Ramirez, Panos Papiotis, and Esteban Maestre. "The sense of ensemble: a machine learning approach to expressive performance modelling in string quartets". Journal of New Music Research, 43 (3):303–317, 2014.

The dataset contains five extracts from Beethoven’s Concerto N.4, Op. 18:

  • (I) Allegro-Prestissimo movement,
  • (P.1) Allegro ma non tanto movement (bars 54-78)
  • (P.2) Allegro ma non tanto movement (bars 138-151)
  • (P.3) Menuetto (bars 8-50)
  • (P.4) Allegro-Prestissimo (bars 28-45)

The piece (I) was recorded 3 times with increasing degrees of expressiveness:

  • Mechanical
  • Normal interpreted
  • Exaggerated

The pieces (P.1-P.4) were recorded 5 times each:

  • Ensemble performance
  • Solo performance of Violin 1
  • Solo performance of Violin 2
  • Solo performance of Viola
  • Solo performance of Cello

The musicians have given their explicit approval for this dataset to be made public.