Listener Perception and Musical Structure: A Study of Segmentation in Sonata Form

This study aims to create a dialogue between music psychology and music-theoretical discourse on the perception of musical form. In a lab and online study, we investigated how listeners segment Western classical music in real time, focusing on (1) inter-rater agreement, (2) alignment with music-theoretical analyses of sonata form, (3) subjective qualities of segment boundaries (beginnings, endings, importance ratings), and (4) the effects of repeated listening. Participants listened to two stylistically contrasting orchestral movements—one classicist, early romantic and one romantic work—and marked perceived segment boundaries during two exposures. In line with previous research, results reveal consistent above-chance agreement among listeners, particularly at structurally prominent moments with clear surface cues. While most boundaries aligned with music-theoretical segmentations, others did not, especially when formal boundaries were not reinforced by salient acoustic features. Listeners frequently identified boundaries based on perceived beginnings, but higher agreement was associated with strong endings and higher importance ratings. Exploratory categorization of boundary types revealed a tendency to emphasize transitional moments, suggesting a processual, forward-directed mode of engagement. Repeated listening reduced the number of segmentation responses, but its effect on agreement varied by piece, suggesting that structural clarity and ambiguity modulate how listeners integrate musical form. Findings underscore the importance of both surface salience and formal function in shaping real-time segmentation. We argue for a listener-centered approach to musical form that integrates perceptual and analytical perspectives, and we propose that perceptually salient yet analytically unmarked moments merit greater attention in theories of musical form.