Anselm Mcdonnell)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Anselm Mcdonnell) DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY A Portfolio of Original Compositions (Anselm McDonnell) McDonnell, Anselm Award date: 2020 Awarding institution: Queen's University Belfast Link to publication Terms of use All those accessing thesis content in Queen’s University Belfast Research Portal are subject to the following terms and conditions of use • Copyright is subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988, or as modified by any successor legislation • Copyright and moral rights for thesis content are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners • A copy of a thesis may be downloaded for personal non-commercial research/study without the need for permission or charge • Distribution or reproduction of thesis content in any format is not permitted without the permission of the copyright holder • When citing this work, full bibliographic details should be supplied, including the author, title, awarding institution and date of thesis Take down policy A thesis can be removed from the Research Portal if there has been a breach of copyright, or a similarly robust reason. If you believe this document breaches copyright, or there is sufficient cause to take down, please contact us, citing details. Email: [email protected] Supplementary materials Where possible, we endeavour to provide supplementary materials to theses. This may include video, audio and other types of files. We endeavour to capture all content and upload as part of the Pure record for each thesis. Note, it may not be possible in all instances to convert analogue formats to usable digital formats for some supplementary materials. We exercise best efforts on our behalf and, in such instances, encourage the individual to consult the physical thesis for further information. Download date: 10. Oct. 2021 Portfolio of Compositions with Commentary Anselm Elis McDonnell B.Mus, M.A. Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen's University Belfast School of Arts, English and Languages 04-20 Page | ii Declaration The candidate confirms that he is the author of this commentary and the compositions included in this portfolio. This commentary has not been presented or submitted previously to any other institution for any other degree, diploma or qualification. Approximate word count: 28,000 © 2020 Queen's University Belfast and Anselm McDonnell The right of Anselm McDonnell to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Page | iii Table of Contents Portfolio Contents…………………………………………………………………………iv Recordings…………………………………………………………………………………..v Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………..vi Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………....vii List of Examples………………………………………………………………………...viii Context……………………………………………………………………...………….…1 Portfolio Overview…………………………………………………………………..3 0.1 Choral Works………………………………………………………………….3 0.2 Vocal Works…………………………………………………………………..13 0.3 Solo Works……………………………………………………………………16 0.4 Chamber Works……………………………………………………………..29 0.5 Orchestral Work……………………………………………………………..41 Harmonic Language………………………………………………………………45 1.1 Vertical Concerns…………………………………………………………...46 1.2 Horizontal Concerns……………………………………………………...…59 1.3 Gaelic Psalm-Singing……………………………………………………….66 Aleatoric Music……………………………………………………………….…......74 2.1 Definitions and the Aleatoric Continuum……………………………….76 2.2 Aleatoric Counterpoint in my work………………………………………82 2.3 Aleatoric Counterpoint & Practicality…………………………………...87 2.4 Beyond Aleatoric Counterpoint…………………………………………...93 Writing for the Voice…………………………………………………………….101 3.1 Textures using Multiple Voices………………………………………….103 3.2 The Decomposed Voice……………………………………………………109 3.3 The Disembodied & Expanded Voice…………………………………...116 3.4 The Voice in Instrumental Ensembles…………………………………120 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………….126 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….….127 Page | iv Portfolio Contents Scores in Chronological Order: SSAATTBB Choir (2016) – 3:36 יִנְנִה Hinneni Eyewitnesses of His Majesty Classical Guitar (2017) – 28:30 Two Baptisms in Solway Firth Piccolo, B. Clarinet & Strings (2017) – 11:10 The Testimony of John Paton Viola (2017) – 26:24 A Slave in the Land of Liberty SSAATTBB Choir & Narrator (2017) – 6:10 Ezer Two Mezzo-Sopranos (2018) – 6:56 Enturfment String Quartet (2018) – 6:45 On a Stone Pillow, Jacob Dreamt of Salvation Piano (2018) – 7:51 Asphyxiate SSAATTBB Choir (2018) – 5:57 Threads & Ribbons Solo Baritone (2018 rev. 2019) – 6:43 Engines of Babel Large Chamber Ensemble (2019) – 8:54 Stutter Open work for trio & electronics (2019) – indefinite duration Esau’s Hunger Double Guitar Orchestra & Electronics (2019) – 9:07 Tearing as it is Woven SATB Choir (2019) – 6:18 Shards on a Beach Double Bass & Electronics (2019) – 8:36 Total Duration of Portfolio: 150 minutes Page | v Recordings USB Flash Drive 1. Hinneni – 3:36 minutes (St. Salvator’s Chapel Choir) 2. A Slave in the Land of Liberty – 6:10 minutes (C4 Collective) 3. Asphyxiate – 5:57 minutes (St. Salvator’s Chapel Choir) 4. Tearing as it is Woven – 6:18 minutes (Chamber Choir Ireland) 5. Ezer – 6:30 minutes (Peridot Duo: Rose Hegele & Ciera Cope) 6. Threads & Ribbons – 6:43 minutes (Vojtěch Šembera) 7. Eyewitnesses of His Majesty movements I & III (Anselm McDonnell) Movement VI (Mitsuo Nagata) – 4:12, 4:17 & 5:57 minutes 8. Shards on a Beach – 8:36 minutes (William Cole) 9. Enturfment – 6:45 minutes (ConTempo Quartet) 10. On a Stone Pillow, Jacob Dreamt of Salvation – 7:51 minutes (Isabelle O’Connell) 11. Stutter Early & Later Versions provided for comparison – 9:00 minutes (PANIC Music Ensemble) 12. Two Baptisms in Solway Firth – 11:10 minutes (The Assembly Project) 13. Engines of Babel – 8:54 minutes (CRASH Ensemble) 14. Esau’s Hunger – 9:07 minutes (Ottawa Guitar Society Orchestra & the composer on electronics) 15. The Testimony of John Paton – 24:11 minutes (Laura Sinnerton) Given the strong visual element in three of these works, it is recommended that The Testimony of John Paton, Esau’s Hunger and Shards on a Beach are watched on YouTube. They can be found through the search engine or at the following playlist link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYXD7wTO- OUMR_jtVgDn5uBmqszKoOOaq Page | vi Acknowledgements With thanks: to my first supervisor Professor Piers Hellawell for his commitment, musical insight, and unfailing patience – his constant support and promotion of my work is greatly valued; my second supervisor Dr. Simon Mawhinney for his availability, and all the staff at the AEL School of Queen’s University Belfast; to the performers, conductors, audio engineers, programmers, broadcasters, publishers, and other mentors of my work during the time of this PhD; while too many to name, it has been a pleasure to work alongside them and I am thankful for the skill, enthusiasm, and insight they have brought to the realisation of this music; to my family: immediate, extended, and in-laws, who have been constantly supportive and inspiring, particularly my parents, whose own artistic practice and endeavours cultivated an environment of creativity in our home; to Sarah, my wife and companion, for her love, encouragement, and help in every aspect of this creative journey, and her enthusiasm and interest in a vast spectrum of music; “to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” – Jude 1:25 Page | vii Abstract This composition portfolio consists of fifteen musical scores and recordings, supplemented by this written commentary. The included works represent my broad interest in different musical mediums: solo instruments, chamber music, vocal ensembles, and electroacoustic groups. The intention of this commentary is to provide an overview of the pieces within the portfolio and, using examples from these, discuss three strands of my compositional language that have developed through the duration of the PhD. The commentary begins with a detailed overview of the works in the portfolio, categorised by ensemble and presented in chronological order from earliest to most recent. This overview is provided to establish each piece as an independent artistic endeavour, contextualising the later examples that are drawn from them. In the three chapters which discuss my compositional language, the portfolio is used as a pool of examples to highlight strands in my work that are diffuse across my oeuvre, but not necessarily the primary focus in the individual works themselves.1 Occasionally, brief references in the commentary may be made to music which has been excluded from the portfolio for the purpose of brevity, to show how a given trajectory has been further explored in other works. The three overarching research themes discussed in this commentary are: Harmonic Language, Aleatoric Techniques, and Writing for the Voice. These represent the primary areas of my musical interests and prominent features that unite the portfolio works. Each of these aspects will be contextualised by the research of composers who have informed my own writing, including discussion of how my music relates to historical trends. 1 Works used extensively as examples in these chapters are discussed more briefly in the overview. Page | viii List of Examples Example 0.1.1: Hinneni (2016) b.30-32……………………………………..………….4 Example 0.1.2: ibid. b.3 & 52…………………………………………………………….5 Example 0.1.3: ibid. b.13………………………………………………………………….5 Example 0.1.4: ibid. b.33-35……………………………………………………………...6
Recommended publications
  • Comp. 09 Program Layout.Cwk
    T h i r t y - S e c o n d S e a s o n 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 0 Celebrating Lukas Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Free admission Alea III celebrates the life and work of Lukas Foss, a great master, with an evening devoted exclusively to his music. ALEA III Echoi For Toru Elegy for Anne Frank For Aaron Plus Theodore Antoniou, Eighteen Epigrams Music Director a new work written by Lukas Foss’s students: Apostolos Paraskevas, Panos Liaropoulos, Michalis Economou, Jakov Jakoulov, Contemporary Music Ensemble Mark Berger, Frank Wallace, Ronald G. Vigue, Julian Wachner, Jeremy Van Buskirk, in residence at Mauricio Pauly, Matt Van Brink, Ivana Lisak, Ramon Castillo, Pedro Malpica, Boston University Paul Vash, Po-Chun Wang, Margaret McAllister, Sunggone Hwang. Theodore Antoniou, conductor Saxes and Horns Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 7:30 p.m. Free admission 27th International Composition Works of unusual instrumentation, featuring 18 saxophones Competition and 9 French horns. Pierre Boulez Dialogue de l’ombre double Theodore Antoniou Music for Nine Gunther Schuller Perpetuum Mobile Sofia Gubaidulina Duo TSAI Performance Center Georgia Spiropoulos Rotations October 4, 2009, 7:00 pm Eric Hewitt la grenouille Eric Ruske, horn, Tsuyoshi Honjo, Eric Hewitt and Jared Sims, saxophones Special guest: Radnofsky Saxophone Ensemble Eric Hewitt, conductor Sponsored by Boston University and the George Demeter Realty. BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OF ADVISORS OUR NEXT ALEA EVENTS President George Demeter Mario Davidovsky Hans Werner Henze Generations Chairman Milko Kelemen André de Quadros Oliver Knussen Monday, November 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • This Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation Has Been Downloaded from Explore Bristol Research
    This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Vagopoulou, Evaggelia Title: Cultural tradition and contemporary thought in Iannis Xenakis's vocal works General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Cultural Tradition and Contemporary Thought in lannis Xenakis's Vocal Works Volume I: Thesis Text Evaggelia Vagopoulou A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordancewith the degree requirements of the of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts, Music Department.
    [Show full text]
  • UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Performing Percussion in an Electronic World: An Exploration of Electroacoustic Music with a Focus on Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I and Saariaho's Six Japanese Gardens Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9b10838z Author Keelaghan, Nikolaus Adrian Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Performing Percussion in an Electronic World: An Exploration of Electroacoustic Music with a Focus on Stockhausen‘s Mikrophonie I and Saariaho‘s Six Japanese Gardens A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts by Nikolaus Adrian Keelaghan 2016 © Copyright by Nikolaus Adrian Keelaghan 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Performing Percussion in an Electronic World: An Exploration of Electroacoustic Music with a Focus on Stockhausen‘s Mikrophonie I and Saariaho‘s Six Japanese Gardens by Nikolaus Adrian Keelaghan Doctor of Musical Arts University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor Robert Winter, Chair The origins of electroacoustic music are rooted in a long-standing tradition of non-human music making, dating back centuries to the inventions of automaton creators. The technological boom during and following the Second World War provided composers with a new wave of electronic devices that put a wealth of new, truly twentieth-century sounds at their disposal. Percussionists, by virtue of their longstanding relationship to new sounds and their ability to decipher complex parts for a bewildering variety of instruments, have been a favored recipient of what has become known as electroacoustic music.
    [Show full text]
  • Scambi Fushi Tarazu: a Musical Representation of a Drosophila Gene Expression Pattern
    Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 4 January 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202001.0026.v1 Scambi fushi tarazu: A Musical Representation of a Drosophila Gene Expression Pattern Derek Gatherer Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK [email protected] Abstract: The term Bio-Art has entered common usage to describe the interaction between the arts and the biological sciences. Although Bio-Art implies that Bio-Music would be one of its obvious sub- disciplines, the latter term has been much less frequently used. Nevertheless, there has been no shortage of projects that have brought together music and the biological sciences. Most of these projects have allowed the biological data to dictate to a large extent the sound produced, for instance the translation of genome or protein sequences into musical phrases, and therefore may be regarded as process compositions. Here I describe a Bio-Music process composition that derives its biological input from a visual representation of the expression pattern of the gene fushi tarazu in the Drosophila embryo. An equivalent pattern is constructed from the Scambi portfolio of short electronic music fragments created by Henri Pousseur in the 1950s. This general form of the resulting electronic composition follows that of the fushi tarazu pattern, while satisfying the rules of the Scambi compositional framework devised by Pousseur. The range and flexibility of Scambi make it ideally suited to other Bio-Music projects wherever there is a requirement, or desire, to build larger sonic structures from small units. Keywords: Scambi; fushi tarazu; Drosophila; BioArt; BioMusic; Music; process composition 1 © 2020 by the author(s).
    [Show full text]
  • Grain Prism: Hieroglyphic Interface for Granular Sampling
    Grain Prism: Hieroglyphic Interface for Granular Sampling Gabriela Bila Advincula, Don Derek Haddad, Kent Larson Don Derek Haddad Kent Larson MIT Media Lab Institute of Modern Noise Helvetica Institute of Design 75 Amherst Street P.O. Box 666 P.O. Box 666 Cambridge, MA 02142 Dublin, Ohio 43017-6221 Dublin, Ohio 43017-6221 [gba,ddh,kll]@mit.edu [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper introduces the Grain Prism, a hybrid musical instrument that combines granular synthesis and live audio recordings. Presented in a capacitive touch interface, users are invited to create experimental sound textures with their own recordings. The interface's touch plates are introduced within a series of obscure glyphs, instigating the player to decipher the hidden sonic messages. This way, the mys- terious interface opens space to aleatoricism in the act of conjuring sound, and therefore the discovery of \happy ac- cidents" in making electronic music. Figure 1: An early prototype of the grain prism Author Keywords instrument. Granular sampler, Explorative interaction, Capacitive touch interfaces mid shaped object does not resemble traditional table-top CCS Concepts electronic music instruments or controllers. By abstract- ing away mechanical buttons, the user is pushed to think •Hardware ! PCB design and layout; Tactile and hand- within a mysterious interface governed by capacitive touch based interfaces; •General and reference ! Design; plates wrapped into glyphs. Presented in a playful interface, the Grain Prism, drives the user to manipulate their own 1. INTRODUCTION recorded voice or sounds of the environment with the addi- March 1968, Toronto, Marcel Duchamp and John Cage sat tion of digital effects ultimately guiding their imagination by a chess table to make music [4].
    [Show full text]
  • Camille Gunter the Music of John Cage: Exploring Liminal Space Through Algorithmic Composition 9 December 2019
    Camille Gunter The Music of John Cage: Exploring Liminal Space through Algorithmic Composition 9 December 2019 Algorithms, used in a variety of ways ranging from algebra to musical composition, are useful in reducing something down to its formal and structural elements. Algorithms allow composers to hold aesthetics and organization in tension. While it’s true that forms and structures are essential in music across cultures and genres, the term algorithmic composition seems to imply a diversion from traditional compositional technique. Traditionally, across musical eras, structures are used to express certain aesthetic decisions and narratives. Algorithms in mid-20th-century music, such as in the music of John Cage, are employed in order to reject a sequential narrative and instead focus on structural elements to expose a different side of music. Cage sought to explore the results when the ‘story’ is removed and only the structure remains, in order to understand compositional processes and challenge the expectations of audiences. Cage harnessed the power of the algorithm to relinquish the control that any composer works hard to tightly grasp. John Cage explored the algorithmic techniques scattered across the Medieval, Baroque, and Classical eras and applied them to his own 20th-century compositions to create structures and leave the sonic landscape up to chance. Using grids; ones he created, ones found in divination books and ones computer-generated, Cage was able to explore musical territory that other composers dared not traverse. Examining Cage’s music, we can begin to understand algorithms through a contemporary lens in relationship to structures of music and their evolution over time.
    [Show full text]
  • 7. the PROBLEMATIZATION of the TRIAD STYLE-GENRE- LANGUAGE in the DIDACTIC APPROACH of the DISCIPLINE the HISTORY of MUSIC Loredana Viorica Iațeșen18
    DOI: 10.2478/RAE-2019-0007 Review of Artistic Education no. 17 2019 56-68 7. THE PROBLEMATIZATION OF THE TRIAD STYLE-GENRE- LANGUAGE IN THE DIDACTIC APPROACH OF THE DISCIPLINE THE HISTORY OF MUSIC Loredana Viorica Iațeșen18 Abstract: Conventional mentality, according to which, in the teaching activities carried out during the courses of History of Music, the approach of the triad style-genre-language is performed under restrictions and in most cases in a superficial manner, the professor dealing with the usual general correlations (information regarding the epoch, biography and activity of the creator, affiliation of the musician to a certain culture of origin, the classification of the opus under discussion chronologically in the context of the composer’s work) falls into a traditional perspective on the discipline brought to our attention, a perspective that determines, following the processes of periodical or final assessment, average results and a limited feedback from students. For these reasons, it is necessary to use the modern methods of approaching the discipline, new teaching strategies in the comments and correlations on scientific content, so that the problematization of the style-genre-language triad in didactic approach of the discipline The History of Music, to generate optimal results in specific teaching and assessment activities. Key words: romantic composer, orchestral lied, text-sound relationship, critical reception 1. Stage of research. Musicological perspective In our opinion, the teaching approach of the triad Style-Genre-Language during the courses of history of music involves a systematization of the most relevant titles in the musicological documentation, in order to establish some key-elements in the following study.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethinking Minimalism: at the Intersection of Music Theory and Art Criticism
    Rethinking Minimalism: At the Intersection of Music Theory and Art Criticism Peter Shelley A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2013 Reading Committee Jonathan Bernard, Chair Áine Heneghan Judy Tsou Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Music Theory ©Copyright 2013 Peter Shelley University of Washington Abstract Rethinking Minimalism: At the Intersection of Music Theory and Art Criticism Peter James Shelley Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Jonathan Bernard Music Theory By now most scholars are fairly sure of what minimalism is. Even if they may be reluctant to offer a precise theory, and even if they may distrust canon formation, members of the informed public have a clear idea of who the central canonical minimalist composers were or are. Sitting front and center are always four white male Americans: La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. This dissertation negotiates with this received wisdom, challenging the stylistic coherence among these composers implied by the term minimalism and scrutinizing the presumed neutrality of their music. This dissertation is based in the acceptance of the aesthetic similarities between minimalist sculpture and music. Michael Fried’s essay “Art and Objecthood,” which occupies a central role in the history of minimalist sculptural criticism, serves as the point of departure for three excursions into minimalist music. The first excursion deals with the question of time in minimalism, arguing that, contrary to received wisdom, minimalist music is not always well understood as static or, in Jonathan Kramer’s terminology, vertical. The second excursion addresses anthropomorphism in minimalist music, borrowing from Fried’s concept of (bodily) presence.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Sound Painting Applications on Performance
    Vol. 11(15), pp. 1391-1401, 10 August, 2016 DOI: 10.5897/ERR2016.2782 Article Number: E79760159801 ISSN 1990-3839 Educational Research and Reviews Copyright © 2016 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR Full Length Research Paper Effects of Sound painting applications on performance Sonat Coşkuner Music Education Department, Faculty of Education, Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey. Received 14 April, 2016; Accepted 16 June 2016 Today, some of the important dilemmas of music education are that performers are too dependent on the notes in a written musical score and they are not being so able to improvise. Stage phobia, lack of motivation and problematic of perception regarding today’s modern music are additional problems facing musicians. This research aims at revealing the effects of performer’s works of Soundpainting, which is a universal, multi-disciplinary live composing sign language. In order to realize this aim, 16 h of workshop is conducted with Walter Thompson, the creator of Soundpainting language, and following that, a questionnaire is conducted with 21 participators. As a result, it is concluded that performers are inclined to perform via Soundpainting, their awareness towards their instruments/bodies/voices increased, within the group and as a Soundpainter, the performance increased their motivation. They are not disturbed by the music which came out as a result of the Soundpainting composition. Their awareness towards aleatoric music increased. Soundpainting performance helped them direct their attention and Soundpainting performance positively affected performer’s psychomotor behaviors and improvisation skills. Key words: Music education, Soundpainting, performance. INTRODUCTION The problems currently encountered in music education remembers or plays the melody on his mind.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of the Chance Elements in Witold Lutosławski's
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. 1 AN EXAMINATION OF THE CHANCE ELEMENTS IN WITOLD LUTOSŁAWSKI’S MUSIC, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ITS FUNCTION AS A MODEL FOR COMPOSITIONAL PRACTICE. A THESIS AND PORTFORLIO PRESENTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MMUS IN COMPOSITION AT THE NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF MUSIC, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND. PIETA HEXTALL 2012 2 Abstract: This thesis studies the use of aleatory techniques in Witold Lutosławski’s music and the issues that arise when using aleatoricism, a branch of textural composition that has room for exploration. I focused my study on three of Lutosławski’s major works, analysing his approach to aleatoricism, form, and macro- and micro-rhythm. I wrote three works for the portfolio component. My approach to aleatoricism differed in each work. Through studying Lutosławski and my own composition, I came across practical issues in creating the score, issues with performers, and compositional problems. However, once these issues were worked though, aleatoricism is a exciting compositional device that is not yet tired. 3 Table of Contents Portfolio of Compositions........................................................................................... 4 Our Own Demise ................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces For
    VR Open Scores: Scores as Inspiration for VR Scenarios Raul Masu Paulo Bala M. Asif Ahmad ITI/LARSyS ITI/LARSyS ITI/LARSyS DI, FCT, Universidade Nova DI, FCT, Universidade Nova Universidade da Madeira de Lisboa Caparica, Portugal de Lisboa Caparica, Portugal [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Nuno N. Correia University of Greenwich ITI/LARSyS [email protected] Valentina Nisi Nuno Nunes Teresa Romão ITI/LARSyS ITI/LARSyS NOVA-LINCS IST, University of Lisbon IST, University of Lisbon DI, FCT, Universidade Nova [email protected] [email protected] de Lisboa Caparica, Portugal [email protected] ABSTRACT with a high degree of freedom in the interpretation, are In this paper, we introduce the concept of VR Open Scores: a particularly relevant example of the evolution of scores aleatoric score-based virtual scenarios where an aleatoric that occurred in the last century. The aleatoric repertoire score is embedded in a virtual environment. This idea introduced a significant level of indeterminacy in the com- builds upon the notion of graphic scores and composed in- positions, whose aesthetic and sonic features resulted to be strument, and apply them in a new context. Our proposal open, and not clearly defined or determined in the nota- also explores possible parallels between open meaning in tion itself [15]. Building on these characteristics, the Italian interaction design, and aleatoric score, conceptualized as philosopher Umberto Eco proposed the term Open Work, Open Work by the Italian philosopher Umberto Eco. Our highlighting that these compositions have an “ambiguous” approach has two aims.
    [Show full text]
  • Surrealizm a Aleatoryzm. Przypadek Trois Poemes D 'Henri Michaux
    Interpretacje Michalina KMIECIK Surrealizm a aleatoryzm. Przypadek Trois poemes d’Henri Michaux Witolda Lutosławskiego Jednym z pierwszych zagadnień pojawiających się w refleksji nad surrealizmem jest kwestia snu. Jawi się on jako temat w sztuce, jako wyznacznik poetyki, jako element rozważań filozoficznych. W Manifeście surrealizmu Andre Breton pisze wręcz: Z chwilą, kiedy sen się stanie przedmiotem metodycznego badania i przy pomocy środ­ ków na razie jeszcze nie ustalonych potrafimy go ująć jako całość [...], można się spo­ dziewać, że tajemnice, które nimi nie są, ustąpią miejsca wielkiej Tajemnicy.1 Dodaje on następnie, iż wierzy w nadejście świata „nadrealnego”, w którym jawa i sen stopią się w „rzeczywistość absolutną”. Zanim jednak nadejdzie ta chwila, zadaniem artysty jest zgłębiać sen, odnajdywać ukryte w nim struktury, zasady, wkraczać w jego meandryczne przestrzenie i ulegać jego obrazom. Celem tych za­ biegów ma stać się restytucja snu na jawie - w wierszu, na obrazie, w muzyce. Próby odtworzenia onirycznej wizji w dziele literackim zaowocowały powsta­ niem bardzo charakterystycznego idiomu pisarskiego, którego głównym wyznacz­ nikiem stała się poetyka jukstapozycji oraz przypadkowość (wywodząca się z praktyki ecriture automatique). Teksty te często zdawały się niespójne, pełne pa­ radoksalnych obrazów. Jeśli nawet pojawiały się w nich elementy fabularne, to narracja nie podlegała prawom logicznego wynikania i koncentrowała się wokół 1 A. Breton Manifest surrealizmu, w: Surrealizm. Teoria i praktyka literacka. Antologia, 164 przekl. i red. A. Ważyk, Czytelnik, Warszawa 1976, s. 66. Kmiecik Surrealizm a aleatoryzm nieprawdopodobnych i zupełnie przygodnych zdarzeń. Poetyka surrealistyczna operowała więc elementami, które później odnaleźć można także w obrębie in­ nych sztuk. Kategoria przypadku zrobiła szczególnie dużą karierę w muzyce.
    [Show full text]