The MCTL Symphony Dataset consists of symbolic musical data and structural annotations of classical and romantic symphonies. We aim to provide a note-level analysis of the orchestral context, identifying the intricate relationships between various instrument layers and musical forms. We compile over 13,000 annotations in four symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak, extensively organizing harmony, musical structure, and orchestral layers. Our dataset can be utilized for orchestral texture classification, advancing music modeling and generation, and offering new insights into compositional studies and analysis.
- Digital scores: musicXML, PDF files in
<piece_name> - Annotations: .csv files in
<piece_name>/Annotations - Each piece contains annotations in five categories:
- Note Events
- Downbeats
- Note Played
- Musical Form
- Orchestral Layers
We utilize four symphonies with entire movements by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak, spanning from the classical to the romantic period. Below are the symphonies, their segments, ranges, and abbreviations:
| Symphony | Segment # | Range | <piece_name> |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mozart Symphony No. 41 in C major | 4 | full | mo1, mo2, mo3, mo4 |
| Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor | 4 | full | be1, be2, be3, be4 |
| Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor | 4 | full | tc1, tc2, tc3, tc4 |
| Dvorak Symphony No. 9 in E minor | 4 | full | dv1, dv2, dv3, dv4 |
Detailed note-level data for each instrument:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| onset | The onset (measured in beats) of each note. |
| offset | The offset (measured in beats) of each note. |
| midi number | MIDI note number. |
| duration | Duration in crotchet beats. |
| staff | Integers from zero for the top staff. |
| measure | -1 for incomplete measure. |
| beat in measure | Position in crotchet beats, resetting to 0 at each measure. |
| instrument | Name of the instrument in the orchestra. |
The first beat of the measure
The columns represent the amount of notes played by each instrument in one movement.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| n note played | The number of notes played by each instrument in one movement. |
| instrument | Name of the instrument in the orchestra. |
Includes harmony, form analysis, cadences, and form annotations.
Refer to Harmony Details for detailed descriptions and examples.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| onset | In crotchet beats |
| offset | In crotchet beats |
| key | Tonality R/r for Major/minor +/- for sharp/flat |
| degree | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 +/- before number for sharp/flat / for secondary chord |
| quality | M = major m = minor M7 = major 7th m7 = minor 7th D7 = dominant 7th d/d7 = diminished h7 = half diminished 7th a = augmented chord a6 = augmented 6th |
| inversion | 0, 1, 2, 3 |
| roman number | Roman numeral notation |
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| onset | The onset (measured in beats) of each cadence. |
| resolve time | The duration from the first chord's onset to the last chord's onset in the cadence segment. |
| offset | The offset (measured in beats) of each cadence. |
| cadence type | AC (Authentic Cadence), HC (Half Cadence), PC (Plagal Cadence), DC (Deceptive Cadence). |
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| phrase onset | The onset (measured in beats) of each phrase. |
| phrase offset | The offset (measured in beats) of each phrase. |
| theme | A complete musical idea formed by multiple phrases, often including one or more cadences. |
| section | A major part of a piece, consisting of multiple themes. |
Layer information for all instruments in symphonies.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| onset | The onset (measured in beats) of each layer. |
| offset | The offset (measured in beats) of each layer. |
| role | The function of the layer in the orchestral texture. |
| instrument | Name of the instrument in the orchestra. |
| Role | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Melody | mel |
| Rhythmic accompaniment | rhythm |
| Harmonic accompaniment | harm |
| Mixed | rhythm + harm, rhythm + mel, mel + harm, mel + rhythm + harm |