Computer-aided Musical Performance with the Distributed Rubato Environment

Software tools for computer-aided analysis and performance of musical material offer many new opportunities for musicologists, composers and performers. The article gives an overview of Classic RUBATO and its implementation of performance theory. It discusses limitations of Classic RUBATO and presents the architecture of Distributed RUBATO, a collaborative multimedia environment for music research. Particular focus is put on the PerformanceRubette, a unit for computer-aided musical performance. It has support for complex instrument parameter spaces and can perform musical gestures. The calculated performances can be used for modeling virtual artists performing in an audio-visual environment.