Array Margaret Schedel and Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz, editors Jen Wang, designer Contents

The International Association Letter from the President...... 3 Mara Helmuth Officers President: Mara Helmuth ICMC 2007 Keynote Address...... 5 Vice President for Membership: Jennifer B. Merkowitz Vice President for Conferences: Tae Hong Park Vice President for Asia/Oceania: Seongah Shin Vice President for the Americas: Gary Scavone Responses to Gender and Computer Music...... 20 Vice President for Europe: Hugues Vinet Treasurer/Secretary: Chryssie Nanou An Interview with Tzvi Avni...... 26 Array Editors: Margaret Schedel & Jennifer B. Merkowitz Bob Gluck Music Coordinator: Stephen David Beck Research Coordinator: Georg Essl Web Publications Coordinator: Hans Timmermans ICMC 2005 Reviews...... 31 ICMC 2006 Reviews...... 36 Board of Directors 2007-2008 ICMC 2007 Reviews...... 56 At-Large Directors Michael Alcorn Festival Reviews...... 69 Richard Dudas Jacob Gotlib, BEAF Chryssie Nanou Jerónimo Rajchenberg, NWEAMO Tae Hong Park Americas Regional Directors The Future of the Concert Review...... 75 Stephen David Beck Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz Andrew May Asia/Oceania Regional Directors Naotoshi Osaka CD Reviews...... 77 Nathan Wolek: Erdem Helvacioglu’s Altered Realities SeongAh Shin Jonathan Seiden: RedASLA: Red de Arte Sonoro Latinoamericano Europe Regional Directors Krystal Grant: Tanja Orning and Natasha Barrett’s Dr. OX Hans Timmermans Nathan Wolek: Bob Gluck’s Electric Brew Hugues Vinet Julio d’Escriván: Robert Normandeau’s Puzzles Non-Elected Positions ICMA Administrative Assistant: Sandra Neal Book Reviews...... 92 Accounting: DeVera Long Kristian Twombly: Mary Simoni’s Analytical Methods of ICMA Webmaster: Toine Heuvelmans Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz: Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner’s Women Composers and Technology in the United States Brendan Aanes: Gareth Loy’s Musimathics Volumes I and II Margaret Schedel: Simon Emmerson’s Living

Lektrowsky’s Will...... 110 Mathews array Letter from the President Mara Helmuth 2007/2008 revision of the ICMA website. Toine If you have any questions, comments, or Heuvelmans, Margaret Schedel, Gary ideas about what ICMA should be doing, Letter from the President Scavone, Chryssie Nanou, and Hans please contact me, a board member, by Mara Helmuth Timmermans, as well as other directors, or the appropriate Vice President for May 30, 2008 have been involved with this project. your continent. I hope to see you all at Letter from the Editors ICMC 2008 Aug. 24-29. We are looking Dear ICMA members, Another project is the sponsorship of forward to a tremendous conference at the The Editors of Array are looking for member publication projects. In the fall, Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s interested persons to write articles and I want to thank you and the board before accepting this officer position, I University, Belfast. reviews for upcoming issues. The next issue of directors for the honor of serving was part of a group of women interested will be coming out in the spring of 2009 as President of the International in putting out a DVD of works by lesbian Sincerely, and a printed version with an ISDN will Computer Music Association, after composers. We were excited to work be available for purchase. If you would be holding positions as director for the with ICMA as our non-profit sponsor to Mara Helmuth willing to write something for Array, have Americas, newsletter editor and Vice obtain a grant for publication from Open ICMA President feedback about this issue or ideas for future President for Conferences. ICMA is Meadows. Full funding for the publication Associate Professor, Composition issues, please email us: array.journal@gmail. distinguished in the field because of of the DVD has since been obtained, Director, Center for Computer Music com. In your email, please give us your its international scope and its depth and the release by Kristine Burns and College-Conservatory of Music, name, mailing address, and any particular in presenting both current music Colby Leider at Everglade (http://www. University of Cincinnati areas of interest, so that we can send you any and research. The conferences have everglade.org/) is expected within a year. appropriate materials. If you have materials provided so many stimulating musical This type of sponsorship is beneficial you would like reviewed please send to: experiences as well as thought- both to the members involved and to the Dr. Margaret Schedel provoking paper sessions, panels and organization, which takes a percentage 3304 Staller Center Array discussions. I am happy to of the grant income for its sponsorship. SUNY Stony Brook contribute in this new role. Other members with such projects Stony Brook, NY 11794-5475 are invited to contact board members If you write a CD or book review, you will Perry Cook, our retiring President regarding non-profit organization be able to keep your review copy free of as of January, deserves our greatest sponsorship. charge. We look forward to hearing from appreciation. His contributions as you; the success of Array depends on input President from 2004-2007 resulted As always, future conference sites are of from its readers. in successful conferences each year interest to the organization. If you are in Miami, Barcelona, New Orleans considering hosting an ICMC, please Thank you, (despite Katrina!) and Copenhagen. We contact VP for Conferences Tae Hong Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz hope to see him every year. Park ([email protected]) and me (mara. Margaret Schedel [email protected]) for the new revised Current projects include the extensive guidelines.

3 4 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 music technologies, both acoustic and expressed. Little was known about some analogue, computers require us to manage important aspects of perception and the ICMC 2007 Keynote Address INTRODUCTION detail to accomplish even the most basic acoustics of musical instruments. Max Fifty Years of Computer Music: steps. It is in the detail that we find control invited two important composers to work Ideas of the Past Speak to a Future In 1957, just fifty years ago, of the sonic, theoretical and creative forms. at BTL, both of whom made important Immersed in Rich Detail introduced a wholly new means of making And it is through paying attention to detail contributions in this area in addition to by John Chowning music. An engineer/scientist at Bell that we reveal our scientific/engineering creating compositions. They were James CCRMA Telephone Laboratories (BTL), Max (with insights or our artistic expression—our Tenney and Jean-Claude Risset. Department of Music the support of John Pierce, who was director own voice. Stanford University of research) created out of numbers and Preceding Max’s famous article by a few code the first music to be produced by a The first examples of computer-generated months was an article by Tenney that digital computer. It is usually the case that a music produced by Max Mathews and John described in exquisite detail the program fascination with some aspect of a discipline Pierce at BTL were rich in ideas, including that Max had created [8]. Tenney had ABSTRACT outside of one’s own will quickly conclude , novel tuning, been invited by John Pierce and Max to with an experiment without elaboration. matching tuning systems to complementary work at BTL beginning in 1961. He had Two early uses of the computer to But in Max’s case, it was the beginning spectra, imaginative and compelling studied with the visionary Lejaren Hiller synthesize and process sound—additive of a profoundly deep and consequential graphics and visualizations and, soon at the University of Illinois, so he came and FM synthesis—led to new thoughts adventure. It was an adventure that he afterward, controllers [3]. It is fortunate prepared in matters of programming and about sound spectra, tuning and modestly invited us all to join through his that these two scientists/engineers—who stochastic processes in composition. During pitch. Detached from their traditional elegantly conceived programs, engendering cultivated a nexus between science and his three years at BTL, he made several association with the timbre of acoustic tendrils that found their way into far-flung art, and who invited composers and artists important contributions. He created instruments, spectra become structured disciplines that continue to grow without like Varèse and Cage to their laboratories compositions using this new medium, and and associated with pitch in ways that end fifty years later. to share the possibilities that they saw— he wrote in great detail about how he had are unique to the medium of computer were willing to place these nascent musical constructed his compositions and what he music. From the very beginning, Max’s use of the studies in the public view, confident in the had learned from Max. Because he was a computer for making music was expansive. intellectual content of their ideas. Some composer, Tenney’s description of Max’s With 50 years of rapid technological Synthesis, signal processing, analysis, of their ideas remain as compelling now as MUSIC IV was from a musical viewpoint, evolution and increasing knowledge has algorithmic composition, psychoacoustics— they were then and should be “re-viewed” and it remains an exemplar of clarity and 2 come an explosion of detail, which can all were within his scope, and all were given the enriched domains of application completeness. become tractable through imaginative expressed and described in great detail in at this 50-year mark. use of the inherent attributes of the his famous article [4] and the succession of But, important to the points being presented 1 medium itself and through visualizations programs MUSIC I-V. BREAKTHROUGHS in this paper, Tenney came upon a music- that can make implicit detail explicit. driven question in his compositions using It is in the nature of the computer medium The richness of the ideas in these early MUSIC IV for which there was no answer. that detail be elevated at times to the examples was not matched by the quality So, with Max’s guidance, he did a study forefront of our thinking. Unlike preceding of the sounds with which they were regarding the perception of attack times [8].

5 6 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 The italicization is to draw attention to the “signature” of the trumpet tone is looking at the equation, that there might • the spectrum is conserved through two points: first, the fact that from the the correlation of input force (pressure) be some interesting experiments to try. the pitch space with a constant outset psychoacoustics had been seen by and spectral bandwidth. The evolution Rather, it was altogether a discovery of ratio of FM frequencies Max as one of the crucial disciplines in of the harmonic amplitudes during the “ear.” the advancement of computer music3, and the attack portion of the tone is rapid, As it turned out, these parameters of FM second, that musicians have a particular complicated, but with a direction: as the One must remember that while the synthesis have a remarkable perceptual sensitivity to the details of auditory overall intensity of the tone increases, the theoretical potential for the production of relevance. perception. greater is the relative contribution of the rich dynamic sounds with the computer higher harmonics. Risset had made an was great, the knowledge required for As mentioned above, Risset’s study of Risset Uncovers the Microstructure important discovery relating the auditory realizing this potential was meager. trumpet tones had a major influence system’s perception of “naturalness” to Risset’s catalogue was in progress on my own development of FM There is no doubt that the most important selected physical stimuli. This discovery and was little known outside of BTL. synthesis. I first heard about this study breakthrough in the early days of computer figured prominently in the advancement Furthermore, the cost in computer time on the aforementioned visit to BTL in music occurred when Jean-Claude of FM synthesis. was enormous, limiting the complexity of 1967, during which I showed my first Risset and Max Mathews began detailed synthesis algorithms. Deep into the details experiments in FM synthesis. Risset computer studies in the analysis, synthesis FM Synthesis—40 Years of digital reverberation at the time, I was explained his analysis and re-synthesis of and perception of acoustic instrument keenly aware of this issue. My “ear” was trumpet tones and played some examples. tones, which culminated in Risset’s An It was forty years ago that this author continually scanning for any sound having It was not until 1970, however, that I Introductory Catalogue of Computer Synthesized “stumbled” upon FM synthesis [1]. The internal dynamism, coupled oscillators, fully appreciated the importance of his Sounds [3]. With this work, the medium of actual date is not known. Not having a random vibrato, etc. That I found it within discoveries about trumpet tones. computer music reached a level beyond scientific or engineering background, I such a computationally efficient algorithm Max’s correct but abstract assertion that did not have the habit of keeping dated was certainly partly chance, but then I was While working on the FM synthesis of computers (coupled with loudspeakers) lab notes, but I did keep notes. There also certainly prepared for that chance. percussive sounds, I noted that in nearly can produce any perceivable sound. The is a record of my having visited BTL all tones of this class, the amplitude capability of simulating natural-sounding on December 18, 1967, when I showed The first experiments were each only of a envelope and the envelope controlling tones presupposes an understanding of the data that I used in my first trials to few seconds’ duration, because of the tens the modulation index were very similar if the perceptual relevance of the physical Max, Risset and Pierre Ruiz and played of minutes’ computation time on a time- not identical. I also noted that there was stimuli, only some of which have been them the examples. It was a month or shared system. But they do show that from as strong a correlation of the perception “selected” as meaningful by the auditory two before, almost certainly late at night, the outset, all of the essential features that of “strike force” to the modulation index system. while experimenting with extreme vibrato would eventually be developed and used as there was to intensity. I considered frequencies and depths that I realized in musical contexts were noted: other classes of tones where this might Risset began his research with a study “there is more here than at first meets the • both harmonic and inharmonic be the case, and I remembered Risset’s of trumpet tones [7]. The brass family ear.” spectra could be produced explanation of the “signature” of trumpet had eluded attempts at simulation based • a change in frequency deviation (∆f) tones, some three years previous. With only upon extant acoustic descriptions. In a Its discovery was not a purposeful search— produced a change in bandwidth a few attempts I was able to create credible detailed analysis, Risset discovered that that is, stemming from a realization, from of the spectrum brass-like tones by simply coupling a single

7 8 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 function to the amplitude and modulation stands as a striking advance in computer natural world, complex timbres where Because all of the partials die away in a index envelopes with appropriate scaling. music, although it is little recognized and the partials themselves are a part of the similar manner, they fuse and are heard as I realized that this correlation of force or little exploited. It is the first instance pitch space. He composed a short pitch timbre rather than harmony. The timbre effort (strike force, breath and bow pressure where pitch is used to express timbre in sequence that is heard first sequentially in is similar to that of a gong, but a gong velocity, etc.) to the bandwidth and/or the same functional manner that pitch time (melody), then simultaneously in time whose spectrum is imprinted with pitch high-frequency emphasis of partials can expresses melody and harmony—melody- (harmony), and then again simultaneously information, giving the sound an extra- be generalized to all natural sound and that harmony-timbre all within the pitch with exactly the same pitches but now as natural structural link to the preceding. the parameters of FM synthesis provided space. Pitch is composed sequentially as partials associated with a single sound Risset’s was an altogether new conception, a straightforward implementation of this line and simultaneously as harmony, for source, as shown in Figure 1. [2] uniquely possible with computers, and important correlation.4 which there are rich functional theories, beautifully framed in several of his but composing timbre as a collection of compositions, first in Mutations (1969). Then began a rapid development of FM partials drawn from the pitch space cannot synthesis5, and the eventual licensing of be achieved with acoustic instruments and the technology by Stanford University to falls squarely in the domain of computer MELODY HAR MONY TIMBR E Yamaha. The rest is history. music. LOG FR EQ

STRUCTURED SPECTRA AND The sound potential of any instrument is PITCH SPACE vast, but limited—the partials that make up an instrument’s tone can only be partly There are two ways in which additive modified by performance techniques and synthesis and FM synthesis have been used devices such as mutes. A clarinet and a that merit emphasis, because they touch violin can play the same pitch at the same upon issues that are important beyond any loudness for the same duration, but they TIME particular means of synthesis. John Pierce cannot be made to have the same spectrum ff and Max foresaw one way in the early through time—the frequency and intensity Figure 1. Pitches become the partials of the gong-like tone, linking timbre to the years: the creation of a non-traditional of an instrument’s partials are locked pitch space in a manner uniquely possible with computers. From Jean-Claude scale that has a structural link to timbre, within boundaries defined by its and the Risset’s Mutations (1969). where the frequency ratios from the scale performer’s physical properties. are used in the construction of the tone’s spectra.6 Risset, however, used synthesis Risset realized in his timbre studies that in a manner not foreseen—a manner by summing numbers of sinusoids (pure imaginative and evocative. tones) where each sinusoid can have its own independent control over intensity and Constructing Spectra in the Pitch Space frequency through time, he had unlocked timbre from any physical constraints. He The final example in Risset’s catalogue could create tones that cannot exist in the

9 10 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 Constructing Spectra and the Pitch Space understandings of pitch, yet it expresses that progress from octave to half-octave to The Fall 2007 issue of the Computer pitch. In his Eight-Tone Canon (1966) [3], quarter octave with each iteration of the Music Journal (31:3) contains a suite of John Pierce and Max saw early on that Pierce divided the octave into eight equal canon. Except for the octave, the spectra articles about Stria that fully explain using the computer for both control and steps. The even-numbered steps (equal are inharmonic, but they are composed of the circumstances of its composition, synthesis could unlock tuning systems to the multiples of three in a twelve-step frequencies that are common to the pitch the several versions and analyses.7 The from physical constraints, just as Risset division) and odd-numbered steps each form space! Winter issue of CMJ (31:4) includes a had unlocked timbre. Max composed a a diminished seventh chord. But what is DVD with all of the original materials piece, The Second Law, that is entirely made interesting about this short piece is that Pierce Stria (1977) that were used by the authors in their up of noise and entirely free of common used tones composed of sums of sinusoids articles, the original quad sound files, a While this example is not rich in the sonic reconstruction in quad sound files and a

log f in harmo nic partia ls of two tones that sense, it is a compelling and powerful idea visualization of Stria from the Princeton are powers of that I found especially evocative because of Sound Lab.) my interest in spectra composed of ordered n n x 1000 inharmonic partials that could be simply Voices v. 3 (2007)8 3 4.23 6 4236 produced by FM synthesis. One class of such spectra that I found particularly interesting is Voices for soprano and interactive 2 2.61 8 2618 based upon carrier-to-modulator frequency computer uses the same division of

1 1.61 8 1618 ratios (fc/fm) derived from the Golden Ratio the pitch space and structured spectra or φ ≈1.618. Remembering Pierce’s canon, as Stria. Again, all of the sounds are 0 1.00 0 1000Hz I conceived a composition in the mid 1970s produced by FM synthesis and all of the -1 0.61 8 61 8 that is based upon spectra structured in a spectra are generated from ratios based -2 0.38 2 38 2 way that is complementary to the division on φ, as noted above (except for a few of the pitch space. The traditional octave instances of voice-like tones that use -3 0.23 6 23 6 is replaced by a pseudo-octave based upon integer ratios). The formal structure of -4 0.14 6 14 6 powers of the Golden Ratio (φ n) rather than Voices is altogether different, however, -5 0.09 0 90 powers of 2, and the spectra are produced and requires a larger set of differentiated

by values of fc/fm that are also powers of φ sounds than did Stria. -6 0.05 5 55 m/9 m=0, 1, 2 ... as can be seen in Figure 2. -7 0.03 4 34 The important and initial question was how After several years thinking about its t well a soprano, both as a performer and as theoretical underpinnings, I realized Stria Pseudo-Octavespseud o-octaves divis Division ion of ofthe the ps psuedo-octaves eudo-octave into into 12 9 stepss teps a “sound,” would fit into this “artificial” in the months from July to October 1977. pitch/spectral space where, first, the scale It was first presented on October 13 at the is unfamiliar to the performer and not Figure 2. The pitch space in both Stria and Voices is based upon pseudo-octaves that are powers of the Golden Centre Pompidou as part of IRCAM’s related to any of the common modes or Ratio , which are further divided into 9 steps. The spectra of tones generated by FM c:m ratios that are also φ concert series “La Voix des voies,” produced tunings, and second, the partials of sung powers of φ contain partials that are powers of φ, here shown at the interval of a pseudo-octave. by Luciano Berio. vowel tones are harmonic and do not

11 12 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 share the same spectral distribution. Can It is my good fortune to have had a The other part of the initial question was the incidence of strong partials interacting one mix a sonic artifact totally dependent soprano9 at hand with whom I could work this: how well would the soprano, having within critical bands. upon the computer for its existence with during the initial stages of the composition. partials in the harmonic series, fit within a natural—perhaps the most natural— My hypothesis was that singing in this a context composed of dense (albeit Finally, there is a third, somewhat musical sound, the singing voice? unusual scale is possible if the structured structured) inharmonic partials? The speculative reason why there is little inharmonic spectra of the accompanying somewhat surprising answer is that the psychoacoustic dissonance. Critical The music performance problem would tones are infused with complementary pitch performer and the listener are unaware band theory is based upon perceptual seem to be a major hurdle for the soprano. information, since most good performers of any spectral mismatch. Moreover, experiments using stimuli having few While a single scale step in the 9-step/ tune to context. I included in the program one senses an overall pitch coherence variables and highly stable partials, quite pseudo-octave division only differs from (written in Max/MSP) the option for the that is more like a soprano singing with unlike the sounds of the natural listening the traditional semi-tone by 7 cents, the singer to give herself a cue tone for the an ensemble of acoustic instruments with experience. We know that the auditory maximum difference in the progression current target pitch or the following target harmonic spectra than with idiophones system responds to partials in a different is nearly a quartertone and there are 13 pitch. In fact, the option is rarely used, having dense inharmonic spectra (such as way when mediating temporal factors such steps in the interval closest to a true octave, since the singer seems to easily tune to the gongs and bells). There are several possible as amplitude envelopes or synchronous as shown in Table 1. partials of the structured spectra—to the reasons that there is no overall perception micro-modulation (e.g. random or quasi- context, as hypothesized. of “out-of-tuneness” or psychoacoustic periodic vibrato) are present. dissonance. This internal dynamism brings into play Voices Common While the spectra of low tones in Voices are an additional perceptual theory based n Pitch Cents n Scale Scale often dense, they are selectively dense, with upon grouping and common fate from the partials of a single tone spaced at intervals Gestalt laws of perceptual organization. 0 1.000 a 1.000 0 from large to small (in log frequency), as It is a higher-level mechanism (probably 1 1.055 a#(-) -7 1.059 1 2 1.113 b(-) -14 1.122 2 is the case with the harmonic series. In not in the cochlea) that causes partials to 3 1.174 c(-) -22 1.189 3 addition, the spectra are composed such fuse or cohere where individual partials 4 1.238 c#(-) -29 1.260 4 5 1.306 d(-) -37 1.335 5 that the energy is concentrated around are difficult or impossible to distinguish, 6 1.378 d#(-) -44 1.414 6 the low order partials (small modulation and they become identifiable as a source, 7 1.454 d#(+) 48 1.414 6 8 1.534 e(+) 41 1.498 7 index). Therefore, whether or not low known or unknown, and segregable within 9 1.618 f(+) 34 1.587 8 order partials fall within a critical band is a collection of sources. 10 1.707 f#(+) 26 1.682 9 11 1.801 g(+) 19 1.782 10 dependent upon the interval of two tones 12 1.900 g#(+) 11 1.888 11 13 2.004 a(+) 4 2.000 12 within the pitch space, as is the case with It seems that these temporal features, partials in the harmonic series. which are intrinsic to our “out of lab” Table 1. A comparison of the scale used in Voices, φn/9, with the common tempered perceptual experience, may reduce the scale, 2n/12, showing the closest scale degree and the difference in cents. The 6th Another reason is that the concentration importance of the interaction of individual step of the common scale repeats to maintain the proximate Voices step and show of harmonic energy in typical soprano partials relative to critical bands, because that it is the 13th step of the Voices scale that is closest to a true octave. tones is limited to the low order harmonics, the interaction becomes transitory and no especially the fundamental, which reduces longer stable.

13 14 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 Dynamic partials not only animate the is infinitely malleable, or even sampled Smith’s Global JOS Index and its ever- What an idea! This growing community, of sounds (harmonic or inharmonic) of sounds, especially with the availability of evolving context on the CCRMA server. which we are a part, can strive to enhance which they are a part, but they contribute new stable high-Q filters [6]. A medium Rich in detail and having great scope, it and tighten the links that connect us and to the surface allure of the larger sound is defined by its distinctive attributes, and is a resource to which I refer often. For to enable those from whom we have yet to context, leading the ear through time in these ideas are certainly unique to music example, whenever asked the difference hear.10 a complex of detailed multi-dimensional made with computers. between frequency and phase modulation, spaces of timbre, location, loudness and— I refer the inquirer to this index. This is a Visualization most importantly regarding dissonance— IMMERSED IN DETAIL detail that I need to know about, but not all pitch. The pitch space is loosened from MANAGING IT ALL the time and certainly not in the same way Since the early days, Max and his its abstract skeletal form by the internal that Julius Smith knows about it. In these colleagues have effectively used graphic dynamic detail and accommodates From the micro-structural detail involved matters, Julius Smith is an expert whereas representation of processes both as a the sound of the soprano, whose fluid in understanding, creating and processing I am not, and the answer is better found in means of composing—signal bandwidth expression derives from its own internal the sound itself, to the understanding of a rich but neutral context. It is a detail that as a function of time or functional control dynamism. machine-generated or -processed music may have quite different meaning for the of melodic transformation—and as a for which the description (the equivalent inquirer, inviting investigation of related means of simplifying complex processes. During the thirty years since composing to a score) may lie in the detail of program topics that could lead to unanticipated Indeed, the very form of diagrammatic Stria, I have often wondered whether code (which, even if familiar, is not a results. representation of unit generators and the integrated spectral tuning and pitch springboard to formal visualization), to instruments that Max used in his Music tuning worked because of the particular the vast amount of relevant theoretical, The Max/MSP-Pd concept of “help files” I-V programs presaged the object-oriented attributes of the work itself, the manner in empirical and poetic detail that is available is a localized but extremely effective web programs that are now so widely used. It which the work slowly unfolds from sparse to us through the web, technology provides providing interactive sound examples in was a representation that made computer to dense spectra having enormous acoustic us with ever more options and consequent addition to text descriptions. But this web music accessible to those of us who were mass, having no other spectral forms than detail—we are immersed. and the Global JOS Index should be linked, not expert programmers. those rooted in the Golden Ratio. Is it a and this is precisely what Julius Smith and pitch/spectrum construct that is unique to But the evolving technology also provides his colleagues plan to do. His concept of Once-difficult concepts, loaded with the piece? us with increasing power and new options “knowledge webs” includes: relevant detail, can now be easily for managing the detail—links that become explained in a very short time, thanks My experience with Voices suggests that vast virtual libraries, rich in content • “backwards learning” (start reading to sound-synchronous animation. For it is not. It could be that these early constructed by experts—and new ways to about what you want to know, and example, with two or three animated ideas—Risset’s structured spectra, Max’s make accessible the complexity of detail click as needed) slides, the relationship between Bessel and Pierce’s joining of odd tunings when it is transformed into synchronous • on-line, demand-driven, self-paced function coefficients and the amplitudes with complementary spectra and Max’s visual/auditory representations. education of the sideband components (partials) evolving pitch space in his melodic • complete “ladders” from any when the modulation index is changing as metamorphoses—can be generally Knowledge Webs research topic down to the a function of time can be demonstrated exploited with synthesized sound, with advanced high-school level and understood to the required level physical models where the “physical” I have long been impressed with Julius of usefulness in minutes as opposed to

15 16 array 2007/2008 hours. All such demonstrations should representation and who has suggested He died on August 24, 2006. the Pierce-Bohlen scale. be integrated into the “Knowledge Web” many refinements, points out that this 3. Max wrote in 1963 “At present, the 10. See http://ccrma.stanford.edu/ and become available to our growing kind of inter-modal reinforcement can be range of computer music is limited realsimple/ community of users. especially appropriate to electroacoustic principally by cost and by our knowledge 11. PhD candidates Ge Wang and Ananya music, for which there is typically no of psychoacoustics [4].” Misra, and Perry Cook, Director. Making visible the relevant detail of the score.13 4. The ease with which spectral change 13. 2003 IEEE Workshop on Applications music that we compose and listen to is an could be coupled to effort (key velocity) of Signal Processing to Audio and Acoustics exciting frontier. The Princeton Sound CONCLUSION is one of the reasons for the YAMAHA October 19-22, 2003, New Paltz, NY. Lab11 provided me with a modification DX7’s remarkable success. of ‘sndpeek,’ their real-time, multi-mode Extending and better understanding 5. The first real-time FM synthesis was sound visualization program with which the ideas of structured spectra and programmed on a DEC PDP-15 computer one can display in real-time any pre- complementary tuning spaces could by Barry Truax in 1973, while studying REFERENCES recorded music. My request was for a lead to dynamic contextual tuning where the in Utrecht. At Stanford, Bill Schottstaedt [1] Chowning, J. “The Synthesis special concert visualization of Stria. The spectrum and pitch spaces are malleable developed a particularly powerful form of Complex Audio Spectra by Means of modification extends the 3-D spectral through time, but always coherent. of the algorithm that was used in many Frequency Modulation.” J. Audio Eng. Soc. display to include the future as well as compositions for many years. 21, 7 1973. the past, so that the waterfall display has Composers can reveal the background 6. Karlheinz Stockhausen created a similar [2] Chowning, J. “Composing the an illuminated slice in the middle that detail of their work, as poetic as it is relationship between pitch and spectrum Sound Itself,” Portraits Polychrome, Vol. 142, is the “now line.” This representation, technical, through the use of graphics in his Studie 1 (1953), although with analog No. 3592, 553-557, 1963. somewhere between signal and score, and new modes of visualization of technology. provides the listener with a view of what is compositional structures. With the sound 7. “An Analysis of the Compositional [3] Goebel, J. (producer). “The to come, thus revealing details of Stria, e.g. and/or score it becomes a complete Techniques in John Chowning’s Stria” by Historical CD of Digital Sound Synthesis.” the complex beating and the ambiguity record—the meta-composition—and it all Matteo Meneghini; “The assembling of Computer Music Currents 13, Schott Wergo, between frequency and pitch, that would becomes part of our “Knowledge Web.” Stria by John Chowning: A philological 1995. be nearly impossible to show in any other investigation” by Laura Zattra; “A [4] Mathews, M. V. “The Digital visualization and that are only implicit in the NOTES Reconstruction of Stria” by Olivier Computer as a Musical Instrument.” score-generating code and the score itself. Baudouin; and “Surface Tensions: Science, Vol. 142, No. 3592, 553-557, While there is only twice the information 1. For a complete account of Max Mathews’ Dynamics of Stria ” by Kevin Dahan. 1963. when compared to a typical 3-D waterfall work and publications, see http://www. 8. Voices was commissioned by GRM in projection, the perceived detail seems ina.fr/produits/publications/collections/ 2004 and first performed (version 1) by [5] Mathews, M.V., John R. Pierce, much more, as one is able to track details collec_11.fr.html. Maureen Chowning at the Maison de Current Directions in Computer Music Research. in both the future and the past. There are 2. His early interest and important Radio, Paris, March 12, 2005. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1989. a number of further refinements planned contributions notwithstanding, Jim Tenney 9. Maureen Chowning, for whom Voices [6] Mathews, M.V., J. O. Smith, that will bring this representation even did not continue in computer music, but is written, has had experience singing in “Methods for synthesizing very high Q closer to how we perceive. Doug Keislar, rather became a distinguished teacher, alternative tunings, e.g. Solemn Songs for parametrically well behaved two pole who has a long-standing interest in music performer and composer of acoustic music. Evening by , written in filters.” In Proceedings of the Stockholm

17 18 array ICMC 2007 Keynote Address John Chowning 2007/2008 Musical Acoustics Conference (SMAC-03), letter to be still very much relevant and http://www.speech.kth.se/smac03/, important today: Stockholm, Royal Swedish Academy of A Selection of Responses to Music, Aug. 2003. Available online with Gregory Taylor’s Letter about “More often, devaluation of a woman’s sound examples at http://ccrma.stanford. Gender and Computer Music work is done subtly, by a casual comment edu/~jos/smac03maxjos. from the Winter 2006 Issue implying the insignificance of non- legitimacy, a joke, or a concert ignored.” [7] Risset, J.C. “A Computer Study of Trumpet Tones.” Journal of the and Acoustical Society of America 38 (1965), p. The Listening Room (http://dao. 912. First presented at the 70th meeting cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Womens_ “We all grow up in a biased culture, and all of the Acoustical Society of America, Listening_Room), organized absorb it in different ways. It is up to us to Saint Louis, November, 1965. The study and curated by Pamela Madsen, honestly assess how to change it personally was also included in “Analysis of Musical- demonstrates the wide range of women within our lives.” Instrument Tones,” Physics Today, Vol. 22, creating electroacoustic music today No 2, Feb. 1969. With M. V. Mathews as (2007). This yearly presentation at --Paula Matthusen co-author. California State University-Fullerton is inspiring and could change perceptions [8] Tenney, James C. “Sound- about women and the composing of Generation by Means of a Digital electronic music. The Listening Room is Computer Music exists at the intersection Computer.” Journal of Music Theory, Vol.7, designed for non-stop all-day playback in of engineering, mathematics, and music, No.1, Spring, 1963. (Available http:// fine concert halls. The production could all of which have been historically male links.jstor.org/). be presented anywhere in the world with dominated fields with strongly patriarchal high quality sound systems and is a great models of pedagogy and achievement. step forward in encouraging women to Alarmingly, Anita Borg [1] cites a downward shape a new musical paradigm. The trend in the percentage of CS and CE Listening Room certainly inspired me degrees earned by women. Elizabeth all over again. Hinkle-Turner [2], while identifying --Pauline Oliveros significant achievements of women in music technology, also notes a decrease in women’s participation in the field. It is our At FTM-8 (Feminist Theory & Music 8, job as artists and educators to examine the June 23-26, 2005 in NYC), a letter from pedagogical tools and curricula rigorously Mara Helmuth was distributed to the to ensure that talented voices are not being audience. I find two quotes from that excluded, and that those who enter the field are encouraged to stay [3].

19 20 array Responses to Gender and Computer Music Elizabeth Hoffman 2007/2008 [1] Borg, Anita. “What Draws Woman Taylor’s solicited comments that new reflected in our art and technology—are not orchestral auditions is an example of a to and Keeps Woman in Computing?” cultural practices, in particular practices things best represented by a mere segment remedy for the latter type of occurrence. Women in Science and Engineering: involving intermedia, are being positively of the population. While racial diversity, Politically correct practices may not change Choices for Success, The Annals of the impacted by a young generation with fewer too, is lacking in the Computer Music the feelings of biased individuals, but they New York Academy of Sciences, 869 gender assumptions than those of the community, gender—as it cuts across all will protect women from numerous forms (1999): 102-109. older generations. However, I don’t see the races and ethnicities and represents a very of oppression, including psychological change as truly structural. Relatively few large segment subject to discrimination— oppression. [2] Hinkle-Turner, Elizabeth. “Women women are choosing to apply to academic remains a uniquely meaningful category and music technology: pioneers, precedents music composition programs, and few on which to cast a periodic retrospective 2. My second set of reflections is prompted and issues in the United States.” Organised women are focusing on the programming glance. by comments in earlier Array forums Sound 8:1 (2003): 31-47. of computer music software. Thus, women arguing against the ghettoizing of women’s as a group are still using techniques, tools The following are particular actions that music, and contending that increased [3] Cuny, Janice and William Aspray. and machines developed overwhelmingly seem to me important to endorse. representation (i.e. jobs) is far more “Recruitment and Retention of Women by men. Women are still writing art music important or appropriate than political Graduate Students in Computer Science in male-controlled environments that 1. Reflecting back on Mara’s statement awareness-raising activity or affirmative and Engineering: Results of a Workshop continue to marginalize women’s access to in the ‘Gender and Computer Music’ action (e.g. women’s concerts) as a means Organized by the Computing Research funding and presentation opportunities. forum of 1993 that resistance to change is of measuring and/or effecting progress. Association, San Francisco, June 21-22, natural, my recent reaction is this: Backlash 2000.” Organized by the Computing The FTM-8 (Feminist Theory & Music is expected, but it is essential that we not be My feeling at present is that all such Research Association. SIGCSE Bulletin, 8, June 23-26, 2005 in NYC) panel was in apologists for it. The dictates of politically activities, direct and indirect, are intricately 34:2 (2002):168-174. agreement that we all (including men) lose correct behavior form our societal superego and cumulatively interrelated. Further, out from such a situation, but the panel at the moment and shouldn’t be allowed to I see no real reason why producing a --Michael Zbyszynski didn’t identify exactly in what ways the slip. I’ve experienced numerous expressions women’s concert should be interpreted as field itself suffers from its ongoing male- of chafing at political correctness guidelines a patronizing (or matronizing) act. High dominated state of affairs. I will speculate over the past six years. Such irritation has quality women’s concerts will continue to here briefly that women tend to have seemed to me particularly dismaying to send much-needed messages of validation, values and thinking styles that may not be observe in academia. Individuals who in access, and inspiration for all women. If Gender and Computer Music: Tracing identical to those of men. (I am postulating 2005 lack the perspicacity to recognize and when younger generations move Change tendencies here, not individual traits; and why political correctness is needed simply beyond a fundamentally M/F power- I’m making no assumptions about whether affirm how imperative it is that externally relations-framed binary world, then Mara Helmuth’s Array discussions these are socio-cultural or partly innate.) imposed guidelines remain in place. perhaps the need for specifically women’s on the state of Women in Computer Diversity is an inestimable plus, whether Ongoing cultural support for behavior concerts will abate; but the need seems to Music continue to be invaluable. I’m in biological species preservation or in codes may take the form of redressing me certainly defensible at the moment. As very appreciative to have been asked to richness of creative and logical solutions linguistic biases, or of redressing hiring Brad Garton noted at the FTM-8 panel contribute to two historical assessments and viewpoints. Who we are, how we see practices formerly guided by irrelevant discussion, we can only hope for a status (1998 and 2005). I agree with Greg ourselves, and what we want—aspects all visual assessments. Use of screens for quo that is eventually gender transcendent.

21 22 array Responses to Gender and Computer Music Bonnie Miksch 2007/2008 Women’s concerts need not be seen as a hand empirical evidence and experience. I received my class list for the composition discussion away from analyzing problems strategy toward counter-hegemony or a class I was teaching that fall at Portland and toward envisioning solutions. reversal of the status quo, but rather as While in 1998 I would have concurred with State University. As I scanned the list of a means to an end, which is the elimination what seems to be the prevailing consensus students’ names, I noticed a conspicuous If you dig far enough into these suggestions, of all gender inequity. even now—that equally effective role absence of women—not unusual, of you will find that it is the systems models for women come in any gender—I course, but a symptom of what we are up themselves—the patriarchal scaffolding 3. A useful ongoing goal: In addition to find myself believing that there are unique against. For me, it is an affirmation that that was largely in place before most of us more women programmers and applicants forms of support and ways of relating that I must be proactive as a teacher to ensure began to participate in the field—that can to graduate composition programs, it would only women teachers can offer women that more women are given opportunities largely be blamed for continued inequities. be beneficial to have a greater number of students. My appreciation for Diane in the creative arts. By targeting various “systems,” he displaces women Tonmeisters, women technical team Thome’s artistic, academic and personal the unconstructive question of whom to supervisors, women console supervisors at guidance for me as a graduate student in Two years ago, I was able to make a small blame. Instead of accepting blame, we can concerts, and women researchers/technical the 1990s at the University of Washington change in the enrollment patterns at accept responsibility and help to dismantle paper conference presenters. There isn’t has only increased over time. Again, if and Colgate University. In the fall, I taught a the scaffolding of oppression. Instead of space here to hypothesize when younger generations move beyond full class of men the basics of digital audio merely changing ourselves, we can change about strategies for achieving such goals. a fundamentally M/F power-relations- and Max/MSP. Bothered by the lack of the way we participate in oppressive Mary Simoni has written and has been framed binary world, then perhaps the women in the class, I let word get around systems. involved in much important work on potential value of women teachers for that I was interested in women signing up related issues. women will be less significant. Keep in for the next semester’s class. By spring, For example, I am a participant as an mind that this has been an issue commented there were suddenly five women in the instructor in the “system” of academia. 4. My last set of reflections concerns women upon in Array only because so few women class! These women constituted about a Like most of my colleagues, I am able teaching women. The profound and graduate students in computer music third of the students that semester. The to identify the various gender issues nuanced importance of women teachers composition have had female teachers in experience taught me that small efforts to within the system. Unlike many of my for women seems apparent to me in 2005 the field. alter the local landscape can go a long way colleagues, I have decided not to stand by in a way that it did not in the past. (One towards change for the better. passively, believing that because I am not could assert that women teachers for men Thanks to the ICMA (particular responsible for the issues, there is nothing are also important, too, but for different individuals, male and female, and to the Of course, real change in the inequities I can do to effect change. It only takes a reasons.) The issue at stake here is not organization as an evolving body) for its of our discipline cannot be accomplished bit of imagination to find a few meaningful simply to promote the use of role models ongoing commitment to Tracing Change through women’s work alone. For this actions that might very well make a per se, which harbors its own debate. My and promoting gender equity. reason, I welcome the inclusion of men’s difference (recruiting women to take a class point here is only that women teachers are voices into the dialogue. Gregory Taylor’s in digital audio is just one small example). able to comment from a subject position --Elizabeth Hoffman comments are both provocative and on a host of women’s issues—political, optimistic. By suggesting new trends in As both Greg and Meg mentioned, the role pragmatic, or gender-related; sociological the field which may help us fight or bypass of mentoring is crucial. Women are raised or artistic; direct or indirect. A subject The same day that Meg Schedel asked me systems and genres which do not treat as social creatures, and it may very well be position simply translates into unique first- to write a few comments for this discussion, men and women as equals, he moves the more important for a young woman in the

23 24 array Responses to Gender and Computer Music Bob Gluck 2007/2008 field to have the support of her teachers and colleagues. In addition, as we have TA: I came to the United States at the end seen with racial inequities in academia, a An Interview with Tzvi Avni of 1962 with my wife Pnina. I didn’t really bit of creative affirmative action can help. by Bob Gluck know what I was going to do there. I only Why not offer a special scholarship each knew that New York was an important year to a woman in the field? Or ensure Tzvi Avni is one of the preeminent center of new ideas and that it offered a that a search committee for a new position composers in the history of Israel. He wide variety of activities that might be of interviews at least one woman? Or was born in Germany in 1927 and interest to me. I did know that I wanted include pioneers such as Pauline Oliveros, immigrated to Israel in 1935. He studied to find a way to learn about what was Bebe Barron, and Laurie Speigel in our composition with the major Israeli going on in the world. After World War II, discussions of the history of electronic composers of the previous generation the Israeli War of Independence and the music? and subsequently visited the United difficult economic situation in the years that States in 1963-1964. While in the United followed, we in Israel were cut off from the These suggestions, of course, come from States, Avni studied at the Tanglewood rest of the world. In the early 1960s, Israelis within my own “system.” If you find Music Center with Aaron Copland of my generation were eager to seek ways yourself working in a different system, and Lukas Foss, and at the Columbia- to find out about the world. you may have a different list of actions to Princeton Electronic Music Center in pursue. Gregory Taylor’s list suggests a New York City. Upon his return to Israel, BG: How did you learn about the Columbia- few. My hope is that each one of us will Avni taught at the Jerusalem Academy Princeton Electronic Music Center? commit to doing something. Then, bit by For Music and Dance, where he opened bit, byte by byte, we may reap the fruits of an electronic music studio in 1971. It TA: Once I arrived in New York, somebody our efforts. became the second such studio in Israel. arranged a meeting with Edgard Varèse Tzvi Avni has won many of the major for me. He asked me, “What can I do for --Bonnie Miksch artist awards in Israel, including the you?” He listened to a few tapes of my coveted Prime Minister’s Prize (1998) work and said, “It’s very good. You are and the Israel Prize (2001). This interview a composer. Do you want to learn my draws from a September 14, 2006 tricks? Go find your own tricks! Go to telephone conversation, which builds Columbia University.” Varèse then spoke upon previous email correspondence with Luening, who met with me, listened on August 8, 2005. Tzvi Avni was at his to a few of my compositions, and spoke home in Jerusalem and Bob Gluck was with Ussachevsky. Ussachevsky enrolled in Albany, New York. me in the course of study at the Columbia- Princeton Electronic Music Center. BG: What brought you to the United States? BG: With whom did you study at Columbia- Princeton?

25 26 array An Interview with Tzvi Avni Bob Gluck 2007/2008 Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez TA: Vladimir Ussachevsky was our teacher. BG: What did you learn from Mario were there. Everyone came to the Hunter BG: Tell me about your electronic work We didn’t see much of Otto Luening. Mario Davidovsky? College concert series. It was a dramatic Vocalise, which you composed at Columbia- Davidovsky was already quite a dominant time in the whole world. When I was at Princeton. figure and already a veteran. The technical TA: Mario Davidovsky is a very bright Tanglewood during the Summer of 1963, instruction, though, was done by Andres person and a gifted musician, one with very right before I came to Columbia-Princeton, TA: I remember hearing the sounds of Lewin-Richter. The students that year definite opinions about what is right and Aaron Copland said to me, “When you get the subway and this gave me the idea for (1963-1964) included Walter Carlos, Ilhan wrong in music. Structure and accuracy back to Israel, it will take you a while to the first sound in Vocalise. This was the Mimaroglu, Charles Wuorinen and Harvey are very important for him. Not a fan of return to yourself from the confusion of period following President Kennedy’s Sollberger. We met once or twice a week for loops, he thought very carefully about your time here.” assassination—quite a tense time in the a couple of hours. We would analyze pieces sounds and how they were worked out and world, a time of international concern. and speak about them. Then Davidovsky placed in a piece. BG: Did you visit other places while in the I think that the general atmosphere goes and Lewin-Richter would teach us the United States? into everything people do, quite aside from how-tos. Individual work was with Lewin- BG: What other recollections do you have compositional technique, such as splicing Richter. Later, at the end of my time at about Columbia-Princeton? TA: During that year, I also spent a month and mixing. Columbia-Princeton, when I was finishing working with Myron Schaeffer at the my work Vocalise, they gave me the keys and TA: It was a time of trial and error and University of Toronto, on a scholarship BG: What about the formal structure? I would stay on my own all night long. everybody was looking for new ideas and from the Canada-Israel Foundation. This techniques in order to find a language was two or three years before he died. He TA: Vocalise is principally a sonata. It has BG: What recollections do you have about for themselves. I remember playing my had the multi-track machine that Hugh two themes: the voice and the electronic Vladimir Ussachevsky? Vocalise to Walter (later Wendy) Carlos, who Le Caine had built. You could choose sounds. After they are introduced, they go was highly enthusiastic about the piece. any loop you wanted for the mixer, and through a series of variations, and at the TA: Vladimir Ussachevsky was a very Altogether, I worked in the studio for a year it had a keyboard. When I returned to end, there is a brief reprise. I didn’t speak kind and nice person. He was of course and a half. Babbitt was already working Columbia-Princeton, I told them about it. of the work as a sonata at the time because one of the pioneers in the field, and when with the Mark I and we were Mario Davidovsky said that that if it had a it was too conventional a category. But I was with him, he was already summing invited once to see that instrument. It was keyboard, it wasn’t for him. times change. In the development—the up his life’s work. He was much more into as big as a room. It seemed to us like the middle section—the material gets very concrete sounds than electronic sources, eighth wonder of the world because we BG: Did you have contact later with tense. All of the sounds build up and reach even though he was the one who developed were used to do everything manually by any of the people you met at Columbia- a climax, almost like an explosion. I didn’t the RCA synthesizer lab. He was a founder splicing, mixing, filtering, and so on, but Princeton? mean to imitate the sounds of an explosion, of the basic language using splicing and this wasn’t necessary with the Mark I. but I wanted a build up of something that other tape techniques. He was also a more TA: The only people with whom I met was very tense. I had recently read George conservative musician than the students, BG: What was it like for you to be in New many years after the course was Mario Orwell’s novel 1984, and was thinking such as Mario Davidovsky and Charles York City? Davidovsky, who visited Israel a few times, about some of the forces and trends that Wuorinen, who were very much into and, once, Ilhan Mimaroglu, who seemed were affecting modern society negatively. and other approaches. TA: This was a fascinating period for me. very frustrated with music.

27 28 array An Interview with Tzvi Avni Bob Gluck 2007/2008 BG: What were the lasting influences of from electronic music. I began to explore most logical approach to take: to work your studies in electronic music? more open forms and I was much freer and with the students more theoretically and more abstract in my formal thinking. This then give them a chance to try and create TA: I think that my experience with work was a big first step towards a more a piece. They had to do this at the end of electronic music changed much about amalgamated approach for me. each course. my approach to musical thinking, and it remains with me even today. I became BG: What electronic music works did you Every student at the Academy had to take involved in more abstract ways of thinking compose after Columbia-Princeton? the electronic music course. This became about sound, not only as a component of the policy when I was the head of the theory harmony or melody, but as something with TA: I composed Collage for voice, flute, and composition department. Some were its own meaning. And of course, my mind percussion and tape (1967) three years after less enthusiastic than others, but students became changed about noise, its qualities returning from New York. Lyric Episodes created all sorts of pieces, some of them and possibilities. While we in Israel were for oboe and tape (1972) was composed even funny. I believe that students should influenced by impressionism, I learned originally for a ballet. It was included on a have the experience of composing all types about a new way of approaching texture Folkways recording of electronic music from of music, including twelve-tone, and gain in New York and I encountered new, less Israel in 1981. I composed Synchromotrask some degree of understanding. linear ways of looking at development. My for female voice, tape and a door in 1976, earlier works were generally in Classical A Monk Observes a Skull for mezzo-soprano, forms, such as rondo and sonata. What I cello and tape in 1981, and Five Variations learned about electronic music influenced for Mr. K. for percussion and tape followed my later works, and not just those with in 1982. I think of Vocalise, Collage, Lyric Bob Gluck is a composer and historical electronics. Episodes and Five Variations for Mr. K. as the writer. He is on the faculty of the most important of these works. University at Albany, where he directs BG: You mentioned Aaron Copland’s the Electronic Music Studio. Gluck serves comments about what it might be like to BG: What was the influence of Columbia- as Associate Director of the Electronic return to Israel. What was your experience Princeton on how you taught electronic Music Foundation. For more information like? music? about Tzvi Avni and electronic music in Israel, refer to Gluck’s “Fifty years of TA: Indeed, after returning home from TA: When it came time for me to put electronic music in Israel,” Organised Sound Columbia, it took maybe two or three together a studio at the Jerusalem Academy, 10(2), Cambridge University Press, 2005 years to adjust. The work that I completed the model in my mind was Columbia- and “Electronic Music in Israel,” EMF a year later, Meditations on a Drama for Princeton. I gave a weekly lecture with Institute, 2005. On the web at http://www. chamber orchestra, was the product of examples from works, which we would emfinstitute.emf.org/cgi-bin/ireading_ collecting myself and assimilating the new analyze. We would listen to music of search.pl?keywords=articlesmaterials. ways of musical thinking that I learned at different types. We also had a technician Columbia. You’ll find in it some influences who worked with the students. It was the

29 30 array ICMC 2005 Reviews Sile O’Modhrain 2007/2008 effective use of the synthesized tape sounds, The last piece of the concert was Javier contribute to the personality of the whole creating diverse types of interactions with Garavaglia’s Ableitungen des Konzepts der being. Sonically, events emerge from a ICMC 2005 Reviews the natural sounds of the instruments, Wiederholung (for Ala) for viola and computer, context of filtered noise, making explicit as ESMuC Barcelona, Spain contrasting their sound most of the time, played by the composer himself. The piece, they do so the fine distinction and blending them in timbre and space clearly based on the idea of repetition of between tightly filtered noise bands and Tuesday, 6 September 2005, Noon at certain moments during the piece. The a sequence performed by the instrument, pitches. Concert (ESMuC Concert Hall) performance of the players (Sergi Rovira, showed to be very poor in its form, creating by Felipe Otondo saxophone and Carles Guisado, guitar) a development based on an eternal loop Signals - Michael Klingbeil lacked a bit of naturalness, and at moments that went on and on. The relation between Contrast String Quartet (Jordi Claret, The first tape piece of this concert, it became clear that the performers were the sound of the instrument and the sound Claudia Farrés, Elias Porter, Noemí Iron Emerald by Andrew Czink, was just waiting for cues to play their part. transformed through loudspeakers was Rubio), Michael Davidov, piano and MIDI developed spatially in an interesting There was no vivid sense of integration of never very clear. In brief, it was a very long keyboard way in terms of the use of the timbres the tape and the instruments. and simplistic piece that seemed to be a This piece for string quartet and piano/ employed in the piece, which fit well in rehearsal by a performer triggering sounds keyboard explores the boundaries between the wide room where the concert took The fourth piece of the concert was the from a computer rather than a creative sustained clusters of tones and the clustered place. Unfortunately, the piece evolved tape piece L’uomo by Massimo Fragalà. work where performer and computer really overtones of a piano pitch drawn out in a very predictable and simplistic way This piece, based on texts as well as diverse interact with each other. Unfortunately, this through the use of electronic effects. The towards a very predictable climax. sonorities and theatrical approaches of the is a very common practice nowadays. musicians, a local student string quartet, voice, resembled pieces by Nono and Berio handled the music with great care and The second tape piece of the concert, of the sixties and seventies. The piece maturity of approach. Sleep Driver by Martin Stig Andersen, worked quite well, creating dramatic and Wednesday, 7 September 2005, Noon showed a clever use of long transitions hilarious situations where the text worked Concert in-s-cape II - Aikaterini Tzedaki - Tape of very steady sounds in a sort of as a framework and a sort of vehicle for by Sile O’Modhrain As stated by the composer, the aim of this meditative way. The audience seemed dramatic voice gestures. This was a simple composition is the sonic realization of a to like the gentle character of the piece piece structurally, but it was very effective This lunchtime concert featured a well- journey through imaginary soundscapes. and its calm pace. Unfortunately, the in its use of the material. balanced program of works. Pieces for An imaginary soundscape is a type of inner sound projection of the piece was not tape interleaved with pieces for acoustic soundscape (in-scape). at the level of the quality of the sound The fifth piece of the concert was the tape instrument and/or live electronics. As for material, because it created a very steady piece A romance of rust by Antonio Ferreira. most of this year’s concerts, the performers Ajunennuline - Shawn Pinchbeck - Tape and fixed spatialisation. This acousmatic piece explored different were, for the most part, local student This piece derives its material from a types of timbral nuances of sound following ensembles. collection of found sounds with textural The next piece, Litania for saxophone, constant evolutions in the transformations properties that are surprising in their guitar and tape by João Pedro Oliveira, of sound. The piece showed an interesting Vivencias - Beatriz Ferreyra - Tape relatedness—drills, cats growling, dogs was probably the best piece of the combination of tonal sounds with other Vivencias was commissioned for Musiques barking and corks popping. The title concert. The composer made an more granular sonorities. & Recherches in Belgium in 2001. In Ajulennuline is a word that the composer Spanish, the word means experiences that made up, but derives from the Estonian

31 32 array ICMC 2005 Reviews John ffitch 2007/2008 word “linnulennuline” or “bird’s-eye view.” texture is extremely fluid. did not detract from the overall effect. I Prayer of a King for alto saxophone and Literally, it translates as “brain flying like a thought that at about 15 minutes it was computer was a gentle piece, with the bird,” and is intended to capture the act Fluctuations - Seung Hye Kim - Flute and perhaps too long. My notes comment saxophone dominant, being enhanced by of the mind drifting from one thought live electronics on the ending: there appeared to be an computer processing. Perhaps the hall was to another. In this case, the thoughts are Finally, Fluctuations explores the sonic world extraneous voice, out of character with the too large for this work, which would have related through the sonic environment on the borders of pitched and unpitched previous sounds, but this could have been been better in a chamber music setting. they provoke. flute tones. outside the auditorium. Its gentle sounds were too much for my neighbour, who slept through it. Stream - Arne Eigenfeldt - Computer and The second work was for guitar and tape, Sol data glove y sombra...L’espace des spectres, a joint creation Un caracol manchado by Alfonso Garcia de la Stream is an exploration of different meanings Thursday, 8 September 2005, by Francis Dhomont and the performer Torre was the other piece for saxophone of the title: moving water, moving people, afternoon concert Arturo Parra. This work also contrasted the and electronics. I had problems perceiving moving data. It is a journey in which the by John ffitch tape component with a traditional Spanish where the electronic component was for listener inhabits the stream in its changing guitar sound, although the tape sounds were much of the opening section, and while meanings, observing the sonic environment What I privately thought of as the evening created from samples of the same guitarist. there were a number of nice moments, I through which the stream passes as both concert took place in the large concert hall. In the concert, the relationship between was left with a feeling of missing the unity sources of sound and their reflections on The comfort of the seats contrasted with these strands was not clear, and I was not of the whole work. Seeking clarification the surfaces of imaginary objects. As the the uncomfortable bright blue backscreen convinced that they belonged together. I in the program booklet, I found that the piece progresses, the meaning of ‘stream’ behind the performers, which made looking also failed to understand the structure of notes were in Spanish, a language I do not becomes more abstract, and the sound at the performance a little of a trial. the piece and so was disappointed overall. I know, and so I remain uncertain what was environment becomes more complex. could of course appreciate that the playing intended. The concert opened with Séparé et invisible by was of a very high standard. Psalm 06 - Douglas Scott - Tape Yasuhiro Takenaka. The composer stated The concert ended with Panayiotis Psalm 06 is a portrait in sound of the sixth in the booklet that “the work describes the Clandestine Parts by Paulina Sundin was the Kokoras’s Shatter Cone. The work for violin penitential psalm from the Old Testament. relationship between the saxophone part high point of the concert for me. A tape and tape, played by Jordi Claret, explored The source material for the entire piece and the electronic part in accordance with work that started with a slow, thoughtful the way in which the violin’s sounds are is the text of the psalm, recited in both that between the two worlds,” but I did passage clearly established the sound world, created, and the program notes suggest that English and Latin by Denise not read this until after the concert. It is a and when this later changed to a fast section the tape sounds originate from the violin. Gill. Its overlapping sections mirror the tribute to the work that my initial reaction the unity continued, maintaining interest The processing was such that sounds were division of the text into ten two-line stanzas. was to appreciate the juxtaposition of while continuing to have something to quite distant from the live instrument; there However, this is not a setting of the text the two streams; the sounds worked well say. The sounds were all well crafted; this were uses made of string-like glissandi in in a traditional sense. The accompanying together and managed that difficult task of is definitely a work I would like to hear the tape part, but I lost the thread rather material is derived from the vocal material unifying the physical and electronic within again. too soon. The piece ended with what I using a granular synthesis approach, and the same sound world. I was less convinced took as a joke, with a burp after the violin the result is a texture where the division by the second section, and at times there There then followed two works that used the had ended. between vocal material and accompanying seemed a resort to trite solutions, but this saxophonist Xelo Giner. Stefan Klaverdal’s

33 34 array ICMC 2005 Reviews Jon Appleton and Daniel Shapira 2007/2008 Throughout the concert, Xelo Giner played music is Harika Hirayama. Her works the saxophones with great versatility and have been recognized in competitions and conviction. ICMC 2006 Reviews by inclusion in recent ICMC concerts. Tulane University Her virtuoso double bass solo was superbly A review of this concert would be incomplete New Orleans, Louisiana, USA performed. The inharmonic string- without mentioning an aspect of all the like attacks were striking and sometimes 19:30 concerts: there was no interval and Concert V: Tuesday, 7 November even grotesque. Noticeable in many works minimal gaps between the pieces. Preparing 1:30pm, McAllister Auditorium like this one performed at the conference for the next work by checking the title or by Jon Appleton and Daniel Shapira was the return of feedback techniques program notes was not possible unless one updated through granular synthesis. had brought a torch. My notes on some of Path to the Serene - Yuriko Kojima these pieces were written in total darkness Japanese composer Yuriko Kojima’s Das Bleierne Klavier - Hans Tutschku and so hard to read. In ICMC 2003 the chamber work for the Azure Ensemble Composer and pianist Tutschku’s 11-minute conference pen incorporated a light, and I was beautifully performed. It was a work seemed to last an eternity. Filled with wished I had that with me to record more lovely, gentle, colorful, post-Debussy the tired gestured of the European avant- fully my impressions. work without any significant appearance garde, this second-rate import featured of computer-generated sound or the most simplistic delay and processing modification of the flute, violin, cello, modifications of the strident piano timbres. harp or piano. Harvard University, Tutschku’s home, has proved itself again to be an ultra- Balacoire #15 - Jeremy Baguyos conservative bastion of “modernism.” Goelle Leandre’s vocal techniques are Many in the audience were angered by the source of Jeremy Baguyos’s Balacoire being subjected to this drudgery. #15. An arresting and highly original work, it suggests life in a surrealistic Seven Lonely Rivers - Kristi McGarity bird sanctuary. Sometimes the music A rising star of the American computer alternated between the effective use of music scene is oboist-composer Kristi silence and highly humorous organic McGarity. Her work for oboe and tape sounds. Perhaps the looping audio was was a wandering, impressionistic, modal excessive, even if the repetition was melody over a tonic pad with contrasting intentional. sections of wildlife sounds. Verging on new-age ambiance, it occasionally breaks Fragmentary Seven - Haruka Hirayama out in unexpected and adventurous ways. A rising star of Japanese computer les jeux sont faits - Tommaso Perego Violinist Viktoria Horti of the Onix

35 36 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Adam Jenkins 2007/2008 Ensemble (of Mexico) brilliantly sound to sparse droplets. If there was a sound which represents hearing the single almost indistinguishable performed Italian composer Tommaso For me, the piece was very effective in the pain of being ripped and torn apart, concept—the blowing limbs of a tree. A Perego’s les jeux sont faits. In one leading the mind to see, hear, and feel the this would be that sound. To me, it would little later, there is more movement with steady gesture, from near silence to a power of dust. Dust on its own is small, represent the anguish of being put back the leaves, and a darker image seems to be violent climax, this piece meticulously scant, and almost insignificant. However, together after having your entire body seen, though the image is still fuzzy. The explores one high-pitched dyad. This is when dust is thought of as dirt, you can disassembled like a jigsaw puzzle – as sound of crows cawing leads us to think extended by computer-generated filigree. imagine how a mass of dirt, dust, or grains painful as being torn apart. The piece ends the image is a bird stopping for a rest. The Explosive interjections ultimately dominate can create undeniable density. It is like a with just the didgeridoo – calm, peaceful, sound of wind bleeds to sounds of waves the progress of this work. sandstorm, a swarm of bees, or a flood whole. on a beach and then back to sounds of of water molecules. I truly enjoyed the wind. This increases the meditative feeling soundscape. Overlooked – for video – Edrex Fontanilla of stability through ambiguity. The piece Concert VII:Wednesday, 8 November (USA) 8:52 ends with a visual and auditory fade to 11:00am, Dixon Hall Dreamtime – for didgeridoo and digital black and silence. by Adam Jenkins playback – Eric Honour (USA) 8:42 The description of Overlooked states, “The work attempts to explore ideas of being, Microcosmos – for tape – Chih-Fang Huang DUST – for tape - Hans Timmermans This piece starts with solo didgeridoo. structure, and stability through ambiguity 5:05 (Netherlands) 10:28 Popping sounds enter as well as what between the use of analogue and digital sounds like sped up voices. Deep sonic processes.” The video starts with darkness. This piece is built from many different This piece started with short crisp popping waves which feel like angry winds rumble Slowly, from the bottom right hand corner, sound samples derived from direct and sounds. These were used as grains to create in. At this point the didgeridoo player has a white fuzzy light begins to emerge. There indirect synthesis techniques. The best way a mountain of sound which washed over dropped out and the digital playback is the are soft rumbling and tumbling sounds. I can describe this piece is simply by stating the audience. Raindrops joined in and soon only instrument. The deep waves create The rest of the screen slowly illuminates, what the ears would communicate to the clips of a female speaking did too. The the feeling of a chasm. The quick vocal exposing a blurred black image of what conscious mind. Most of these sounds sound of her voice was cut short, but it was chatter continues and builds to a whooshing looks like tree branches swaying from gusts only play for a short while: a loud piercing long enough to recognize it as a woman’s sound. This whooshing escalates and then of wind. Sounds of wind increase the blast; a banjo; horns trumpeting; a variety voice. Robust low frequencies rumbled into collapses on itself to silence. Fiery ruffles sensation that we, the audience, are looking of different instruments; laughter; the the landscape, creating a warm foundation emerge and the didgeridoo joins in as well. at tree branches. However, the image is plunking of an eastern stringed instrument; while the crisp popping sounds continued. We then hear a percussive beat, a primitive distorted and leaves the mind to wonder the hum of soft wind and a variety of Deep wisps of wind blew louder and louder, keyboard synth patch, what sounds like a what we are looking at. The image is not in instruments that inhabit the same space; a as well as what seemed like a wave of water large barking pit bull, and quick chipmunk color—it is simply black and pale yellow. It high “ding” and then the low “dong” of crashing onto the shore. The sound of chatter. This swells and everything exits is a little brighter in the center of the screen a bell; soft wind, almost like white noise; wind and water merged and symbiotically except the didgeridoo and the synth pad. and that leads the audience to assume it is a low stringed instrument that sounds like form a vicious storm. A synthesized choral The sound of a beating heart comes in for the sun shining through the branches. The moaning; more and more sounds join to pad sustained near the end of the piece. It a few seconds. Eventually, the didgeridoo wind and branch movements continue for create a sonic tapestry. All the timbres and ended the same way it began. The popping exits and new sounds enter creating an a while, giving the audience a meditative sonic qualities of each instrument make degenerated from an enveloping wall of uneasy feeling – angry, lamented, painful. feeling. This is caused by looking and an appearance and then are taken away.

37 38 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Adam Jenkins 2007/2008 The piece does indeed create vast layers of by; crisp popping; fast chattering voices; is then also the view of telephone wires on ConcertVIII:Wednesday, 8November sonic microcosms. the sound of glass slowly cracking; the which two birds are perched. These images 1:30pm, McAllister Auditorium ringing of an old alarm clock bell circles the are in inversed black and white, like photo by Christopher Bailey Et Iterum Venturus Est – for real-time Csound5 audience; a hit on a damp metal drum; more negatives. The music mirrors this inversion – Arthur Hunkins (USA) 4:30 metal hits which sound like the clanking of by playing the piano phrase backwards Concert VIII of the ICMC featured mostly This piece is sonically simple. For this metal machines working in a large echoing as well as forwards. The next video is of works for some sort of live performer with reason, it is also very relaxed and meditative. factory with cement floors, ceilings, and an older roller coaster, one whose support computer music. It begins with a quiet low hum which rises walls; the alarm clock bell which seems beams are layered and made of metal and gradually and steadily. A second note starts, more like a fire alarm bell continuing to wood. The beams create a grid of lines. William Kleinsasser’s Protean Profile’s large then a third, and then a fourth. All of these ring; machines rhythmically hammering The next video is of a carnival ride called time scale (the work was 20’ in duration) notes take their time to enter. A single and wind howling again; wooden blocks a swing. Wikipedia describes these rides caught me a bit off guard at first (I had note is held and its intensity builds and clunking, falling, and tumbling down. As as the following: “The swings are types of barely glanced at the program). Not becomes louder. A low note rumbles in and a whole, this piece created a feeling of a amusement rides that have seats attached expecting its extended length, I found that takes over. Its pitch rises slowly over a few metal machine factory dripping with water. below a metal structure. Each seat is there were a large number of moments minutes. The higher pitch then becomes It was cold, damp, and expansive. suspended by metal chains. The swing ride where I thought “wow, that’s a beautiful more prominent. After a few minutes, the will spin around the center axis of the ride, ending…” only to have the work start up high pitch diminishes in volume as if it were lines – for video – Stephanie Loveless and travel at a moderate speed.” The metal again. That’s often a source of frustration fading farther and farther away. The note (Canada) 9:30 chains hoisting the seat again reinforce the for a listener, but upon reflection afterwards, begins as low and majestic and it ends as image of lines. As the ride spins, there is the if I had known what I was in for, I think quiet and faint. The sustain of these notes This piece has a series of video images that sound of children chattering. The video of I would have loved the piece for the very lends us to focus completely on the music are all connected by the concept of lines. the blue line from the film reel reemerges, fact of it being a “collection of beautiful and the piece itself, but it mostly occupies The first video is like the beginning ofa reminding us of the older faded medium endings.” Kleinsasser has a beautiful sense our ears enough so that we can be with the film reel as shown through an old movie that this video is representing. The music of pitch choice, modernist in heritage, but foundation of our own minds—which is projector. It is scratchy and there is a vertical continues with low piano notes played in gorgeous and romantic in ultimate effect. one of the things that meditation attempts pale blue line in the center of the screen. reverse. The music is quite minimalistic to accomplish. The colors and tone are pale and worn. It and has a somber tone reminiscent of LongTrainRunning by Sinichiro Toyoda feels like watching the beginning of an old Radiohead. The piece ends with a fade to was an odd little sonic snipshion. I found The Gongs of Tiny Incerts – for tape – Jeffrey home movie before the days of DVDs or white, which makes sense; since a variety myself listening into its swaths of mostly Stolet (USA) 9:05 VCRs. A piano phrase accompanies this of images were inverted, the end is not a low-end noise, recordings of ambience in video and continues throughout the entire fade to black, but a fade to white. subway stations and so on; occasionally Like Microcosmos, The Gongs of Tiny piece. The next video is train tracks in picking out pattering footsteps, a crash Incerts is best described by stating what was what seems like an industrial area. These Editor’s note: There are two reviews of this or that, and so on. Another heard and felt: A crash of cymbals; what straight tracks stretching to the horizon are for Concert VIII. However, since they exploration of noisiness was found in dirty sounds like many wind chimes rustling and another depiction of lines. The image is not represent two unique perspectives on the grooves by Iain Armstrong, which, to my howling wind; screeching bats; the mood is stationary. The camera person is walking concert, we have decided to publish both. ear, focused on a dialogue (or perhaps dark and damp; a boomerang whooshing forward, giving a sense of movement. There a parent-child relationship) between LP

39 40 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Spencer Stuart Topel 2007/2008 scratch noise, radio static, and other audio only common thread between them was The results were pleasantly effective, with a very successful approach. detritus, and what sounded to me like the intensity of energy. For the last part of an often-ethereal blend of something that harmonies synthesized via sharply filtered the piece, the two came together, with the could be perceived as both electronic and Timelines 1a by (Ireland) noise (though according to the composer’s piano riffing more quietly over sensuous exotic. had a folk-like quality as well, but of program notes, they were from a clockwork electronica-esque harmonies. a Spanish flavor. Lazzarini offered an music box). A highlight of Concert VIII was the first extended work for guitar and an electronic Finally, Christopher Dobrian’s Mannam piece on the program: Spaces Between by mixture of what sounded like tape elements Victor Lazzarini’s Timelines 1a was a curious (Encounter) for daegum and computer Jen Wang. This trio plus tape featured an and live processing (though I suppose most experience. Although the guitar writing and Jason Bolte’s Forgotten Dreams for “east meets west” quality, and from the of it could have gone either way). The was skillful, and there were some moments double bass and computer were gorgeous, dramatic unearthly pizzicato opening this music was driving and at times turbulent. of effective combination between the sensuous works, and both received superb, was immediately apparent. The music The timbre of the electronics often seemed laptop processing and the acoustic guitar expressive performances. Mannam’s seemed to have an unsettling tension born from the guitar itself and this was sound, the guitar was often dwarfed by electronic sounds entered in a very subtle between members of Onix Ensemble and effective. The performance was given by the purposefully brash and often distorted manner, growing and morphing atop and the electronic backdrop, while at times Javier Olondo, a talented and technically processing. At the opening of the piece, around the live daegum. Forgotten Dreams returning to a carefully wrought repose. gifted guitar player. the processing was loud and distorted was a darker work. Some poetic fragments At certain moments one could perceive for a lengthy chunk of time, causing a that occurred to me during this piece: “… an exotic flavor in the electronic tape part, A piece that paid respect to a different neighboring audience member and I to dark trigger for noisy blasts, a scream in an yet Wang playfully avoided any direct tradition was a laptop improvisation aptly wonder whether there were problems with industrial hell…” reference to one particular idiom. This was entitled LongTrainRunning by Shinichiro the performance patch. In a way, this an effective play on expectations that lasted Toyoda (a nice reference to train inspired kind of ambiguity made the piece more the entire piece. At times the music seemed pieces). The music didn’t stray far from the interesting, but I still have no idea whether ConcertVIII:Wednesday, 8November traditional, but it was not a drawback. metaphor, but the composer balanced this this was intentional or not. 1:30pm, McAllister Auditorium Rather, the juxtaposition between ancient potential vice by sprinkling sonic curiosities by Spencer Stuart Topel and electronic contributed to the east-west within the texture that would come and Both Jen Wang’s Spaces Between and Sam dichotomy that the composer describes in go in interesting ways. This was one of Pluta’s noise + mobile were effective works An important theme during ICMC 2006 was the program note as an inspiration for the the works on the program that seemed a for instrument(s) and tape, but there the the employment of ancient or non-western composition. bit long, but I should point out that it was similarities ended. Wang’s work was instruments with electronics. This was an improvisation, and that I have a special relatively quiet, subtle and coloristic, integral component of the conference, Christopher Dobrian’s piece Mannam fondness for train pieces. carefully weaving the mostly diatonic, as there were fantastic guest artists (Encounter) tapped into folk instrument- sensitively arranged pitch and timbral from the Korean Traditional Ensemble plus-electronic motif with interesting uses dirty grooves, the “lone” tape piece on the material between the live and recorded participating in various performances. It of a Korean instrument called a daegum program by Iain Armstrong, provided an sounds. In contrast, Pluta pitted Cecil was exciting to see how many pieces either coupled with real-time processing. The interesting foil to the other works. Like the Taylor-inspired mayhem in the piano part incorporated these instruments or samples approach to the electronics was organic title suggests, this piece was raucous and with Autechre-inspired derangement in the of these instruments into their tape part and worked to highlight aspects of the jovial. I especially liked the expressiveness tape part. For the first half of the work, the or as a component of live manipulation. instrument’s timbral characteristics. It was of the samples, as they were strong in

41 42 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Stephanie Loveless 2007/2008 character and were well matched. This is composed seemed idiomatic to play and Shutting out sound: the ICMC unplugging There were still plenty of people on the top definitely one of the pieces in the festival the expressive and charged nature of the Late-night Concert Two floor of the Mimi’s when I arrived, but I that I felt could have benefited from a writing lent itself well to the electronic Wednesday, 8 November 9:30pm, didn’t have to push my way through a crowd different venue, simply because the scale backdrop. Mimi’s to reach the back area where Niroshi was of the work suggested a more intimate by Stephanie Loveless performing. I inserted my earplugs and atmosphere. In addition, the lights were Another standout in the program was made my way towards the performance, rarely, if ever, lowered for electronics-only Jason Bolte’s Forgotten Dreams, with a great my ears acclimatizing to the sound field compositions, which would have helped the performance by double bassist Jeremy I arrived late for this particular event, at hand: piercing, complex, beautiful, and reception of tape pieces, at least for me. Baguyos. This work has a lively interaction the second of the late-night concerts at loud. But just as I reached the performance between the solo double bass and laptop, the 2006 International Computer Music area, someone rushed behind the artist and Of the eight pieces on the program, two and these two components are handled Conference in New Orleans. The event the sound was abruptly cut off. involved the piano timbre explicitly. The expertly. At times the mood was psychedelic was being held at a bar called Mimi’s on first was a mammoth (by ICMC standards) and vibrant, which seems to agree with the Royal Street. On the ground floor were The 2006 ICMC was not without its twenty-minute work by William Kleinsasser composer’s note that the piece is inspired pool tables, locals, and rock music. I made moments of performance art (Meg entitled Protean Profile for amplified pianos by “abruptly waking from a dream.” my way to the back of the bar and up the Schedel’s instructional Max/MSP/Jitter and computer, performed by duo runedako. Forgotten Dreams appeared at the end of stairs, passing scores of ICMC attendees piece involving a rubber chicken comes to Technically, it seemed that the amplification the program, which was a suitable choice going the other way. “Loud,” they told me, mind), and when Nishino’s performance detracted from the performance, while considering the pyrotechnics in the music. some with resigned smiles, some visibly was unplugged by another composer, at times the pianos seemed to overwhelm annoyed. that was the lens through which I found any sense of the electronic background. Overall, the program encapsulated much myself viewing it. For, regardless of (Having had a piece on an earlier concert of the music heard during ICMC 2006, Scott Smallwood and Newton Armstrong the appropriateness of the action, what in McAllister, I could definitely relate to especially since there were so many organized four late-night concerts at ICMC happened sparked an incredibly responsive technical problems.) Even so, the feeling interactive pieces presented during the 2006. Their laudable (and successfully set of dialogues, going so far as to challenge of the piece did come across. In many festival. I am curious to see if the ancient/ realized) intention was to expand the the accepted relationship between artist ways this piece paid the greatest homage to non-western instrument motif that was ICMC community’s reach beyond and audience at a concert event. some of the classic piano plus tape pieces heard so much during the week will academic acousmatic music. According to by Milton Babbitt and Mario Davidovsky. continue in coming years. For me, I found Smallwood, these events sought to recognize The general post-incident analysis was the wedding of technology and traditional, the interesting and intelligent music being straightforward. No one contested that The other piece involving piano was Samuel the ancient and the very new­­­­ extremely made in communities outside of academia, an artist has the right to play loud— Pluta’s noise + mobile featuring pianist Teresa appealing, and I look forward to seeing with its own “long history and streams of particularly, as in this case, when this McCollough. Unlike Protean Profile, this work of composers engaging in these kind discourse.” One of the artists selected volume is integral to their work. It was piece could have benefited from better of projects in the future. I think I am going for this series was Hiroki Nishino, whose understood that this was a Noise piece, and sound reinforcement of the piano, since to go start a piece for sheng and electronics performance was programmed as part of that part of the aesthetic of is at times the electronics would overtake right now. the Noise-themed late-night concert on its loud volume, “just like some pieces need the piano even in places when the piano Wednesday, November 8th. to be played soft,” as Nishino pointed out was playing loudly. The musical material in a later discussion. Also widely agreed

43 44 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Seongah Shin 2007/2008 upon was that unplugging an artist is an What happened when the composer I do believe that all of these ideas are useful. Concert X, Thursday, 9 November inappropriate way to voice one’s concerns. unplugged the amplifier was that he shut They do not limit an artist’s freedom to play 1:30pm, McAllister Auditorium out the sound that he seems to have felt as loud as they like, but they do encourage by Seongah Shin What interested me, however, were other violated by. While a more civilized response sound levels to be approached rigorously, things I heard being discussed immediately may have been to leave, I believe that the and with care. In fact, I feel that such The tenth concert of ICMC 2006 started after and in the days following this incident. frustration that erupted onto Nishino’s protocols can create the space in which with an announcement of a change in For the first time, I heard people addressing performance can be seen as a symptom of conceptually intended loud concerts can the order of works to be performed at larger concerns about playback levels at widespread inattention to sound levels, and be far more meaningfully engaged with. I McAllister Auditorium. The venue is a the ICMC that I had been struggling with of a culture in which the omnipresence would argue that in a context in which the huge charming auditorium with many myself. I overheard two people grumbling and amplification of sound is increasingly level of sound is not attended to with the doors in various locations and a high about the level of the concerts in general, naturalized. same diligence as any other sonic element, ceiling that gives a very long delay time and other complaints about the need to we are missing the framework for sound art with various different times from almost- wear earplugs even during the daytime It seems as though this incident was timely. that seriously explores volume—whether round walls. This character of the space concerts. Of course, I heard and remember Issue 9.4 of the Canadian Electroacoustic the barely audible or the painfully loud. gives the perception that the sound of the these grumbles because they resonated Communities journal eContact!, which music is roomier than in a normal space. with me. Are we, culturally, bowing to the appeared shortly after the conference, R. Murray Schafer once wrote that it The performance ran smoothly without deafest denominator? focused on “Hearing (Loss) and Related is not through increased legislation that any major issues. Issues.” A recent article in the CBC argued issues of sound ecology will be successfully Personally, I love noisy sound; I just like that the problem is reaching “epidemic addressed, but rather through increased The first piece was composed by Christopher it quiet. But then, I might be the most proportions.” listening. Scott Smallwood’s closing Ariza, metalloidesque electronico-clankered for sound-sensitive, hyper-acusis-inflicted thoughts in one of our email exchanges two percussionists and computer, and person I know. I am protective of my In a recent conversation, after making about the incident demonstrates this idea was performed by Ensemble Surplus and ears. So I avoid extremely loud shows clear how deeply he regrets his actions beautifully, I think: NeXT Ens. The opening of the piece was and carry around earplugs. I do regret the on the night of the concert in question, very peaceful, with microscopic sound and amazing performances that I miss out on the unplugger made several constructive In any case, what happened minor movements by the performers. The because I can’t take the volume, or pieces suggestions about how the creation of new happened. I think this might best small musical gestures moved very slowly, that I hear a modified, muffled version of protocols might address this contentious be summed up by Pauline Oliveros’s but also gave way to huge dynamic changes through my earplugs. But mostly, it hurts issue. Performers could mix in front of comment to me, when I asked her within a very static musical form. The my sensibilities that we are shouting at one speakers, giving them access to the sound what she said to (the unplugger) metallic sounds by percussion and computer another. I don’t want a silenced world, but level in the space as the audience will that night at the concert, after he had similar timbral characters and sounded I am also a bit of an underdog lover—I experience it. Decibel readings could be pulled the plug. She said, “I just well with the delay characteristics of the sympathize with the small, and would like made at rehearsals, and earplugs could be listened.” room. The continuous development of to argue for creating the space for sounds made available to the audience. To these, musical elements was impressive gestures of all sizes. I would add that the expected sound levels until the end. of concerts could be made a standard part of event publicity. I thought the second piece, Ronald

45 46 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Carmen Caruso 2007/2008 Parks’s Afterimage 7 for flute, violin, cello, with microtonal pitches and moving it did not feel that long for the listeners. stood alone and also mixed together piano, percussion and computer, was the tones. The tape part sounded like flowing later with various development. Lower best piece in this concert. It also got very sustained grains and micro-sonic sound. The fifth piece, Luna for saxophone and frequency pulse sounds appeared toward impressive feedback from the audience. The instrumental part was rather like a tape, was by American composer Lou Bunk. the end and filled the lower frequency Flute, piano, and cello were grouped in a solo piece, and tape part was working as The program note was very short without spectrum effectively. Another typical bell- sustained timbral sound with percussion. an accompaniment throughout the piece. any musical or technical explanation. I like metallic sound pulled the power up to Flutes have an excellent rule as a typical Curiously, the solo instrument and tape was am guessing that the topic was the moon. make a nice matching ending. jazz instrument. Parks’s musical idea in this just ended without any particular musical The saxophonist stood on stage with two piece was an improvisational jazz style with attempt. It is hard to say what is a good stands, a microphone and headphones. The last piece was Nebulae for harp and a walking bass for the rhythmic pulse and example of traditional instrumentation The opening was a deconstructed musical computer by Stephen Taylor. The musical sustaining washes of sound with the piano and computer music. We just continuously gesture with various unsettled pitches. intent of this piece seems to be to extend and metallic percussion instruments. Those need to try to make various musical events The form of the piece was rather diffuse the instrumentation beyond idiomatic two musical elements were alternated from for every kind of musical gesture with without settling in any particular form. The musical expression by using various the opening and toward the middle, until traditional instruments. Only this kind dynamic range of the saxophone and tape extended techniques. The opening gesture at the end the opposing forces mixed both of attempt will expand the new language seemed constrained, but the saxophone of plucking the string was impressive. The horizontally and vertically. The interaction of musical expression with music and sound flowed naturally and the tape part placement of the microphone covered the of the computer with the musical elements technology. I am also looking forward to never took over the instrument part. The weakness of the amplitude of sustained was more active than the vertical musical hearing more combinations of various function of the accompaniment in the tape notes, but it also brought out note attacks. elements. The action of the ending traditional sound and instruments with was effective and there were two parts that The harp part may have blended better happened without any warning, but it technology at future conferences. had a similar variation in timbre with micro- with the electronics if the microphone had seemed very natural and effective. sonic development. The performance was been slightly further away, but overall the The fourth piece, balanfo for tape, was smooth and attractive and the technology acoustic instrument and electronics blended One of the noticeable themes of this 2006 composed by Austrian composer Daniel was unobtrusive, except that the page- well and brought a calm and harmonized conference was the Korean composers’ Blinkhorn and lasted almost 15 minutes. turning noise made by the performer was end to the concert. works that were composed for traditional This tape piece used very natural sound rather distracting in very calm musical Korean instruments. It is an encouraging material with wood, cracking wood, moments. attempt to combine traditional music and wooden instruments, the natural voice Concert XII, Friday, 10 November new computer music with constructive of Guinean, etc. Two-thirds of the piece The sixth piece, Vague Speech for tape 11:00am, Dixon Hall technology. In this concert, Parang by consisted of wooden sounds with very composed by American composer Daniel by Carmen Caruso Korean composer Su Jin Ko was a piece natural sound effects and wide dynamic Zajicek, started with a characteristic bell- for the traditional Korean instrument level changes. Toward the end, a voice like metallic sound. The entire piece When I came into Dixon Hall that Haegum and tape. A Haegum is a major sound came in. The natural voice was not sounded like timbral variations of this morning to review a concert, I found that Asian fiddle instrument with two strings. touched by special signal processing. The metallic sound. Other granular micro-sonic Concert XII was one of the stronger sets of There are similar instruments in various sound of the voice and the natural wooden sounds moved as ascending and descending performances I’d heard at the conference. cultures (including China and Japan), and sounds made an intimate timbral reaction directional gestures throughout the piece. It started out with a fast-paced video piece all have a very characteristic expression together. The duration was long; however, These two musical elements sometimes called Underground by Tom Lopez. Lopez

47 48 array ICMC 2006 Reviews John Arroyo 2007/2008 used constantly moving slotted bars on the collection of vocal pops and clicks. What head. The bright orange leaf leapt off the quite effective. In the video, however, screen to capture the rhythm of subway also amazed me was their ability to sustain card and into my sonic imagination.” The the juxtaposition of old jazz footage and trains. Sometimes the bars would even interest throughout a 20-minute piece. introduction of his piece also reminds me bubbles was not as effective. Unfortunately, contain video of the underground itself. To me, this was a very difficult task in a of drawing an explosion of sound out from the sound textures were not rich enough to The music also had a steady rhythmic concert setting, and they really pulled this underneath its cover. This segues into a sustain long-term enjoyment and the piece component, becoming more frenzied at piece off well. Part of the reason for this series of electronic chirps that reminded me failed to ever take off. the end. The one thing I wished more was the vocal performance. Hewitt took the of crickets, grasshoppers, and frogs. These from this piece was that music and video visual role of a lead singer (albeit not in the quiet chirps are taken over by a building Lametta by Ewan Stefani began with a were more closely connected at the end. As traditional sense) on stage as she moved the harmonious ambient texture, which also somewhat cliché intro, then soon became the music got more and more turbulent, eMic (a mic stand controller) around her brings in touches of cello, organ, and the interesting. The composition incorporated the video didn’t completely follow suit. to create different sonic textures, providing chimes played earlier, resolving the piece field recordings of children and animals as However, overall, the idea was very unique a strong focal point for the audience. I did nicely, and bringing a wonderful concert to well as other sounds like bells. The piece and I enjoyed this piece very much. feel, however, that a morning concert was a close. expertly incorporated rhythm, including not the best setting for this piece; it would a great bass drum sound. Mr. Stefani Annie Mahtani’s piece, Cidade Maravilhosa, haven been much more suited to an evening managed to pull off the piece without was very suggestive, with electronic or even a late-night concert. Concert XIV: Friday, 10 November overdoing it. He maintained a nice balance whooshes and clicks that suggested 8:00pm, Dixon Hall between subtleties and full audio texture. waves, reverberant chimes, and even Charles Nichols’s The Blue Box was by John Arroyo cicadas. Natural field recordings are also unfortunately stunted by the fact that the Torrid Mix: featuring Jazzy King and Master incorporated into the sound, including dance element was missing from the piece. This concert, in my opinion, was one of L.T. by Mike McFerron was a piece for Brazilian chanting and chirping tropical The piece was designed to use a motion- the finest of the conference. There was piano and tape. The sound texture of the birds. If I closed my eyes (easy to do in capture system with a dancer to create an eclectic mix of styles and presentations. piece used gibberish talking, clangs, and a dark hall), I felt transported to some an interaction between computer and Above all, the quality was rather high and banging pipes, erupting into a powerful exotic land. The piece also had a very dancer, and in turn project the interactive consistent. Many of my favorite pieces crescendo near the end. The vocals of ambient texture underlying these accent animation of the computer on the screen. from ICMC 2006 were in this concert. the piece were very effective; however, the sounds, which gave it an almost foreboding Thus, because there was no interactive live dialogue between the piano and electronics element. performance, only video, this piece really The night began with the piece American was often disconnected. Although the lost one of its core elements, leaving me Dreamscape by Steven Ricks. It is a piece for piece was good, it needed more unity. I The next piece, Nodule, was very interesting. unable to write a comprehensive review of saxophone and video with plenty of free found that each part was more effective on Donna Hewitt and Julian Knowles moved this piece. jazz interludes. There was heavy use of its own rather than together. the concert toward a more secular vein, sounds whirling around the speaker array. which was refreshing. Hewitt’s voice Paul Rudy’s November Sycamore Leaf starts with In the middle of the piece was some staccato Under the Sea by Chien-Wen Cheng provided some very interesting rhythmic an unveiling of chimes. Rudy describes the sax work, which served to divide the piece incorporated some very beautiful sounds. vocal percussion. Towards the end, the piece piece as inspired by a particular Christmas nicely. It played out like the unfolding of They were rich and inviting, but they never reminded me of IDM (Intelligent Dance card: “The moment I slid the card out of a classic jazz piece. The fading between came together as a composition. The Music) with its building complex rhythmic the envelope sound literally exploded in my the video and performer was simple yet sounds were too sporadic to get the listener

49 50 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Noah Keesecker 2007/2008 to become engaged in them. I felt as though one of the best pieces of the week. were detrimental to the performance. The juxtaposition of the absent musicians. The the piece was very close to becoming fully melody is effective only part of the time. interspersion of gestural and rhythmic engaging, but failed to coalesce in the end. Erwin’s Playground by Fishman Rajmil was a It incorporated some neat sounds, but the percussion against the more depictive use tape piece with some great sounds. These plucked string sounds (possibly a clavichord) of a distant creaking ship noise and residual Secret Pulse by Zack Browning followed and start out sounding like a metallic jungle. were timbrally weak. The composition was processing effects actually served to create was performed by the NeXT Ensemble. Later, it sounds like insects running around good, but it falls short in its realization. a dynamic space that was not at all devoid This composition was definitely one of on a tin roof. At times, the passages are of a human touch. Similarly, the contrast the highlights of the week! It began very too long, even teetering on self-indulgence. The concert had many great moments and between atmospheric and localized sounds powerfully, with all of the members of the The excellent sounds, however, are not truly was one of my favorite of the week. accentuated the “missing” performers in a ensemble engaged. The whole piece had quite interesting enough on their own to Secret Pulse and Circles and Rounds were way that pulled the listener into a different a great interplay of the electronics and hold your attention for the whole 9 minutes standouts of the night. All of the pieces contextual dialogue between audience, the performers. The cello’s reinforcement of the piece’s duration. in this concert, even the pieces above performer and machine, as well as ideas of of the electronic part was brilliantly that were criticized negatively, were good live performance works compressed into syncopated. Sounds seemed to flutter in Substitute Judgement + Metal Catalogue by compositions. fixed media format. This was most likely and out of the sound texture. The rhythm Jeffrey Treviño was a piece for video and not the composer’s intent, but it was an of the piece was beautiful and avoided percussion. This was a very unique use of intriguing artifact nonetheless. common rhythmic pitfalls and clichés. video. The video was rear projected onto 4 Concert XVI:Saturday, 11 November Overall, there was an excellent synergy round disks that look like a cross between an 1:30pm, McAllister Auditorium The grouping of the first three pieces of the between the performers and the electronics art installation and an instrument. Three by Noah Keesecker concert also served to accentuate notions that eluded many of the ICMC works. of the disks were translucent, the fourth of “presence.” Mark Applebaum’s John was opaque (metal). Percussionist Ross The Saturday afternoon concert (XVI) Oswald-esque Plundergraphic performed/ Circles and Rounds by Dennis Miller was a Karre and the video were very engaging. proved to be one of the more diverse piloted by Guys w/ Big Cars tackled a vast tape piece with video. The first thing to Occasionally the video was too bright, and collections of works during the conference. and intricate onslaught of sounds that came mention is the beautiful visuals. The video watching it hurt your eyes. I felt that the The focus on electronic works with live across as both wonderfully chaotic as well accompanying the music was great, non- live drums should have been complimented musicians always adds a welcome physicality as sonically relevant in a most peculiar way. representational and quite exquisite. It by the use of electronic drums (either to any electronic music conference, and The slightly alienating disconnect between began with abstract shapes resembling triggered or sequenced). Overall it’s a cool this concert certainly had its fair share of the dry acoustic material—particularly aquatic plants in outer space. The shapes piece, very artistic and creative. It would corporeal performances. the subtleness of the piano—and the morphed and grew a brilliant texture of be great to see more works in this vein in diffusion work kept the piece on its toes, fur. There was a great fusion of sound the future. Oddly enough, the first piece of the concert, but in the end left something to be desired and image. Later in the piece some plant Multiplication Virtuelle by Mei-Fang Lin, was structurally. On a macro level, the work and water 3-D spirals moved around and Finishing the concert was Juggernaut by intended for percussion and computer, felt like something more complex than morphed from organic shapes into a rigid Paul Oehlers, a cello and tape piece. The but was instead represented by a recorded could be appreciated in a single listening. spaceship-like object. The video definitely juxtaposed classical playing and harsh performance. The documentary quality steals the show, but the sound is still strong noises doesn’t work for me most of the of the recording (complete with applause The third piece that helped to culminate enough to hold up on its own. This was time. Perhaps the room acoustics or micing at the end) lent an interesting performance this strikingly distinct trio of opening works

51 52 array ICMC 2006 Reviews James Harley 2007/2008 was Eric Lyon’s Introduction and Allegro. This trends in sectionalized structure and Javier Garavaglia’s enigmatic NINTH Batons autographed by Max Mathews (just work was both intriguing and confounding compartmentalized sound. The seemingly for viola and tape was the endurance kidding on that last one!). at the same time. The pervasiveness of vertical windows of sound were coupled champion of the concert. The strength an overtly ironic wit behind what could with spatialization that was visual, yet not and determination of the long gestures and The show got going with a dance piece, potentially be described as a type of neo- as dynamic as one would have expected. noise elements outside of the harmonic Transparent Body, featuring Rebecca Lazier classical-post-modern circus betrayed any However, this conflict or joining of ideas material allowed the performer to stretch along with composer Dan Trueman playing air of stuffiness. Yet the stark referential between transport and stasis rounded out out into a more rich and expressive realm. his e-violin through his custom-built character of the sectionalized structure the first half of the concert subtly. hemispherical speakers. The choreography and tongue-in-cheek “beats” compared to The concert was concluded with J. Anthony was very well done, and the music was fine, traditional chamber ensemble practice as The second half of the concert felt as Allen’s frenetic and rhythmically driven if somewhat unengaging, at least for me. well as orchestral hat-tipping (was there a though it was still recovering from the Saturations III-C. This work, choreographed ghost of Respighi present?) did not allow first. I understand, sort of for saxophone by Barbara Hayley, felt like a quiet riot of Howard Kenty’s Spider followed. This for a clear understanding of the topics at and tape by Brian Willkie gave a fitting tenuously bound music that pulled the electroacoustic piece was built on hand. The pastiche quality of traditional impression of the title. The textural and listener forward as much as the refreshingly pulsations derived from physical modeling instrumental techniques of tremolo and ambient quality of the work, coupled with clear beats pushed the boundary between instruments, with various spatial and coloristic pairings against deliberately (?) the distinctiveness of the very physical and dance music and art music. timbral trajectories spinning webs around alienating electronic elements such as the recognizable sound of the anvil, explored us. It was also… short. Bravo! stiff vibrato or pointed tertiary harmonic an area of interaction that was minutely progressions, dashed together with changing and slowly organic. Similarly, Rodney Waschka, brave soul that he is, minimalism, Americana and impressionistic Firmament by Hyejung Yoon for bassoon Concert XVII:Saturday, 11November found a way to harness the dangerously swaths of material was almost too much to and computer felt equally reserved and 8:00pm, Dixon Hall manic energy of the Convolution Brothers digest. However, it was packaged so neatly nuanced in a way that perhaps suffered a by James Harley (Cort Lippe, Zack Settel, ) and so openly that it was difficult not to be bit due to the performance space. Both by way of paying tribute to the equally constantly engaged by the music. Certainly works felt like they were reaching for Concert seventeen—the last one. Phew! dangerous Jerry Hunt. Keeping the Core Pure: the work was enjoyable on the surface. small, intimate sonic spaces that invited a The audience had dwindled a bit, but In Memory of Jerry Hunt was good fun, and More importantly, it raises a number of personal, introverted contemplation. those who were there were enthusiastic, I suspect that Mr. Waschka succeeded so deeper aesthetic questions, but leaves the either punch-drunk from over-stimulation, well in this performance because he is taller answers to the listener. Consort for One by Kristina Wolfe, on the or rested from having already taken a than the other guys. other hand, came across as refreshingly break from the relentless six-day schedule. The final work of the first half, James crisp, despite the technical complications. (Sightings of ICMC attendees lurking Butch Rovan’s Hopper Confessions: Room in Brody’s transport for tape, felt distant in The choice to allow the natural beauty of about Bourbon Street over in the French Brooklyn, for interactive cello and video, comparison to the previous works. This the viola de Gamba to dominate the space, Quarter had been reported.) The evening’s required a re-start, but was otherwise was in no way due to a lack of quality, but as well as the simple yet sinewy lines, spoke festivities began with a wild splurge of an interesting, complex work drawing the sudden contrast of the performance volumes in favor of a humanistic and freebies tossed out into the clamoring inspiration from a poem by Anne Carson space. Brody’s work actually complimented thoroughly musical expression. crowd by conference organizer Tae Hong that refers, among other things, to a some of the previously mentioned Park: cool software, t-shirts, and Radio painting by Edward Hopper. The video

53 54 array ICMC 2006 Reviews Iowain Thomas 2007/2008 included bits of text and images taking off consistency of the instrument’s timbre is from the Hopper. well complemented by the Protean world ICMC 2007 Reviews of disembodied sound, while the unusual Manuel Rocha Iturbide’s recorded work Aalborg University Esbjerg, constraints of the instrument itself can give Purusha-Prakrti, produced in Bourges, Copenhagen, Denmark direction to an electroacoustic composition makes use of a number of noisy sources, in fascinating ways. both natural and electronic. I particularly enjoyed the fine transitions across the rich, Monday, 27 August In some sense, Chowning’s compositions sustained textures. 17:00, PLEX Music Theatre on the program—particularly Stria—reflect by Iowain Thomas a similar dichotomy between instrumental Members of Cincinnati’s NeXT Ens constraint and inventive freedom. After 30 convened once again for Yu-Chung There could be no doubt that the concert years, Stria still astounds with its depth of Tseng’s Reminiscence of Pipa for flute, was hot. An overflow crowd pressed exploration of a rigorously limited terrain. percussion, and recorded sounds. Inspired forward, brandishing their hand-printed To elicit such musical range and force by a Tang Dynasty-era poem, this was tickets at the bottom of the stairs leading from a single compact harmonic/timbral dramatic music. The composer showed a to an elegant, steeply raked hall, where structure and a single synthesis technique is definite flair for the flute and percussion the temperature hovered around 30 no mean feat! Likewise, in Voices, Chowning instruments. I otherwise found the music degrees Celsius (hotter at the top). The relies on a simple event-driven score- pretty predictable. less fortunate remained cooler in the following model and a well-chosen palette cafe outside, speaking animatedly about of timbres and techniques. He treats the Jacob Rundall’s This too shall pass… is an (we may assume) the concert they were voice with dignity in elegant, almost bel electroacoustic work based on analyses of missing. canto vocal lines that leave ample room for bell and cymbal sounds. The music didn’t nuanced interpretation. The imaginative make much of an impression on me; I The overall form of the concert was (in room he finds within these boundaries suppose it “passed” a bit too easily. It’s all pseudo-American parlance) a double- vastly exceeds that of most works that are been done before, I suppose. decker Chowning sandwich on harp more technologically profligate. bread. This programming choice was The concert concluded with an updated both practical (the harp parts were Either it was the digital reconstruction of remix of Laurie Anderson’s mega-hit from substantial, so consecutive performances the work by Olivier Baudouin and Kevin the early 1980s, O Superman. Joshua would have been unkind at best) and Dahan, or else it was the Princeton Sound Clausen was joined by a couple of his refreshing. Lab’s 3-D rendering of its spectrograph, (uncredited) colleagues from Minneapolis but this writer heard elements in Stria that to perform live with their laptops. They The combination of harp and electronics, he had never noticed before, despite years got a nice groove going, and the video was while by no means novel, is nevertheless of engagement with the work. The creators cool, too. Imagine, tributes to Laurie and unusual. This is a pity. The relative of the spectrograph video may have been Jerry, all in one program! more entrenched in video game culture than

55 56 array ICMC 2007 Reviews Mara Helmuth 2007/2008 some of us; the sweeping, shifting point of pulled out all the stops in Moon on the one to lay especially well under the harpist’s under one hour. The quality of music view (occasionally ducking below the plane side, Sun on the other. Inspired by an image fingers (and feet), letting the instrument on this concert was quite good. Since the of the spectrogram) induced occasional in Marilynn Robinson’s novel Gilead, the sing in its own voice. Alas, nearly overcome noon concerts often were at the only break seasickness (no, madam, I had not been work’s intensity reflects the notion of by the heat of the hall, some listeners between morning and afternoon paper drinking!). Nevertheless, on the balance of following two lights across the horizon as may have been counting the minutes until sessions, choices had to be made between things it added to the experience. the moon rises and the sun sets. Swooping they could again breathe the fresh air of research and music presentations if one gestures and clouds of sound translate the Copenhagen’s ancient cobbled streets. wanted to eat lunch. (A similar choice also Voices was inspiring. Maureen Chowning’s harp timbre into an evocative soundscape. had to be made in whether to attend late performance was scintillating, and the Gestures triggered by the harp take on night concerts or morning papers.) This electronic setting was subtle, sensitive, their own shape and life. However, in some Tuesday, 28 August kind of dilemma could be avoided by and spacious. Synthesis and spatialization places the work might have benefited from 12:00, School of Architecture exercising more selectivity in programming were foremost in the sonic techniques of greater independence between triggers and by Mara Helmuth (final piece reviewed by Daichi overall. the work, creating an eerie and immersive their responses. Ando) sound world. The integration of timbre and Daniel Barreiro’s (Un)folding was composed harmony based on artificial scales within Fausto Romitelli’s Bad Trip Remix 1998 I will begin with some general comments. of acousmatic textures with some nice pseudo-octaves evoked the world of Stria is inspired by the hallucinatory, drug- The lawn setting for the noon concerts brief shrieks, and filtered long extensions from a distance. The serpentine hissing fueled world of Henri Michaux. This generally enhanced the presentation, giving going into crunchy erratic buildings. I of vapors in the cave at Delphi, the frenzy Dionysian impulse results, strangely, in an acoustically dry space. Occasional would not have known the piece was made of the oracle possessed by Apollo, the a well-ordered and Apollonian work: construction sounds sometimes led to from paper, as the notes describe. Outside space between the internal vision and the idiomatic harp gestures receive a delicate, confusion over whether the piece or real environment construction sounds went cavernous space of the Pythia’s temple— well-crafted electroacoustic setting. The construction was being heard. Also, on the with the piece nicely at times. The piece all were represented and integrated into a tape part continued in a long coda after days that it rained, the umbrellas did not moved into violent eruptions and tense deeply engaging and moving experience. the harp finished playing; the dramatic help in hearing the eight-channel diffusion. high “suspensions,” then dropped to lower awkwardness of this raised the question If there was a “front” and “back” to the frequencies. The high sounds returned The drama and musicality of the work of whether or not it was intentional. The acoustic space in the piece, people were not in hollower timbres, then lower registers aside, how on earth is it that the guru of intensity and conviction of Sofia Anunción aware of this, and sat facing in all directions. with a final crinkling. The element of early digital synthesis has now become Claro’s playing tipped the balance toward Most, if not all, of the acousmatic and unexpectedness in phrasing worked well in a master of the art of interactive music? the composer’s culpability. fixed format music was packed into these this piece. While recognizing Chowning’s unique noon concerts. This programming has mind and spirit, the author received new Ms. Claro seemed most at home in Kristine the advantage of providing a focused set Piéce de Derriére no. 2 by Volker Hennes was, hope of being able to transcend his own Burns’s Nuance ( Nuage in the program, but not of concerts for those interested, but the according to the composer, created after current music technology armamentarium on the composer’s web site), a well-chosen weakness of overly homogenous concerts. analyzing a hurricane’s structure. Perhaps several decades hence! ending to the concert. The conversation Particularly with acousmatic music, which this contributed to the integrated-ness of harp and electroacoustic sound in this demands intense listening without the of some of the sounds, which sounded Returning to the harp music: Robert Rowe, work spoke with a simpler, more direct “entertainment” of watching a performer, as though they contained other sounds a more established master of interactivity, language. Burns’s composition seemed it was a good idea to keep the concerts within them. This effective phenomenon

57 58 array ICMC 2007 Reviews John ffitch 2007/2008 occured with long noisy sounds containing I left to set up for my presentation, and grew more harmonic and chordal sounds, not that of the majority. punctuation, and later with high sounds asked Daichi Ando to review the final which achieved some kind of stasis before containing voice-like sounds. I was piece, Kari Besharse’s Ear to the Ground. a bubbling instability took the sound to a The third work in the concert was not reminded of gunfire at times, with bursts of quiet conclusion. Overall, there did not played, so we moved directly to Brian around four attacks recurring as a motive The real sounds—sounds of the piano seem to be much individual spatial location Willkie’s Noche Oscura. This was a stereo near the beginning, and siren-like sounds performing—were very interesting. The of the sounds, but a unity all around. It was work, but played through four speakers per later on. The clear sectioning and multi- contrasts between non-real sounds and perhaps a little quiet overall for the outdoor channel. The opening of the piece featured level timbral construction worked well. piano sounds were a nice novelty, and location, and a light plane near the start buzzing sounds with continual variation filled me with curiosity. The structures was a little disturbing. Certainly this is a and movement; clearly the influence of The third work, Robert Sazdov’s Sv of the piece were precise due to the piece I would like to hear again. Gendy and Xenakis-like grains was to the Kliment, made the most effective use of sound constrasts. Moreover, the sounds fore. For two minutes, these sounds danced the eight-channel format on this concert, functioned effectively with the ingenious The piece that followed, Friction by Chikashi and gained in intensity before giving way and was based on the composer’s research spatialization. Miyama, was a contrast. Reading the to a very quiet passage. Indeed, this quiet in 3-D sound perception. Kliment was program notes after the concert, I learned reflective and contemplative passage was a scholar who probably established the that all the sounds came from a double unfortunately rather too often swamped by first university in Europe. The piece drew Wednesday, 29 August bass, activated in a number of ways. My external factors (light airplanes being the on world music and vocal sounds, more 12:00-13:00, School of Architecture notes at the time indicate that I had in most common). The mode was broken by traditional harmonies and repeating John ffitch mind something falling on a violin string. bangs and heavier, metallic sounds, with the rhythms. I enjoyed the sounds, including The development took it to less identifiable buzzes now sounding menacing. Longer, some whispery/whistly/choral-like The lunchtime concerts were open- sounds, but still within the same world. steady pitched events were introduced sounds, and did not perceive an attempt to air affairs. In the middle of a circle of 8 This piece made use of the 8-speaker before the bee-like sounds took us back to create a satisfying structure. I wondered if speakers, we sat in disorganised groups to system to locate individual events around the mode of the opening. What a shame documentary music was the compositional listen. For this concert there was sun, but the space. The sounds were of varying it was that the conditions were not right goal. it was rather colder than I like, so I was amplitude and gave an overall jagged for this work. Its continuous activity within wrapped in coat, scarf and hat on my sound world. In the middle I lost the sense tight boundaries were I enjoyed Takayuki Rai’s Labyrinth the portable chair. of development, but the introduction very well composed, and I want to hear this most of those I heard on this concert. of longer sounds led eventually to more work again without the planes and other The exploration of the urban landscape The first work wasAcheron by Paul Oehlers. explicit bowed string sounds, emphasising sounds. covered diverse timbral worlds, from The program notes did not give much away the title and the source. The end returned jackhammer patterns revolving around the about what to expect, but the six-minute to the disjoint world, and the end had what The concert ended with another contrasting listener, dreamy wind-chime-like granular piece was most enjoyable. From its start I heard as brutal bangs before dying away. piece, Kaleidoscope: Arcade by Peter Batchelor. textures (which I think could have been in the midst of long static-feeling sound, I appreciated the craftsmanship The conceit of the work was that it was slightly shorter), combinations of these which developed slowly but deliberately of the composition, but this was not really inside a pinball machine. The sound world with spatial argument, and some softer to include bell-like highlights, there was to my taste. At 10 minutes, it seemed a little is of industrial sounds, broken up at times bird-like textures. an intense feeling of immersion in the too long for the material. It is worth adding with whistles and attention-seeking bangs. sound. At the three-minute mark there that experience has shown that my taste is The surround sound was used to give the

59 60 array ICMC 2007 Reviews Dan Overholt and Graham Wakefield 2007/2008 illusion of the listener being inside the performance started with a pair of delicate assessment of the creative process involved other American composers such as Steve process. Overall, the piece worked. At and meditative sul ponticello bowstrokes in the composition of the work would have Reich, the feeling provided by the work times I lost the surface structure, but the processed and accentuated by piano to include the detailed examination of was that of a beautiful exploration of the unity of the sounds kept me involved for its motifs, followed immediately by the flute’s Klemola’s use of altered orchestral timbres expressive timing inherent in the meter of eight and a half minutes. Apart from the entrance along with the ensemble. The that express quite faithfully the meaning 7, dominated by sonorities implied by the introduction of long static tones at the end, evolving harmonies in the work consisted and feeling of the work’s title, Fragile. unusual tuning of the Hardanger fiddle’s the work was entertaining and engaging. primarily of held sonorities connected strings to A, E, A, and C#. In fact, it was sufficiently popular with by interjecting lines, manipulating the The next work on the program was Lasso the sound crew that it was given a second listener’s ear with increasingly rich, busy, and Corral: Variations on an Ill-Formed Meter In addition to their rhythmic function playing later in the week. and complex tones. The Saarinen quote by Dan Trueman, himself performing in the work, the metronomic pitched is therefore an appropriate metaphor for on the Hardanger fiddle along with the pulses also construct a harmonic guide The concert as a whole was enjoyable. the harmony: “Always design a thing by Uusinta ensemble. Seven is a wonderfully around which the ascents and descents The works contrasted with each other considering it in its next larger context—a uneven number, suggestively approaching of the fiddles gambol. On the whole, the and used the format in different ways. chair in a room, a room in a house, a house crystalline eight yet naturally falling work manages to ride out the potential My only reservation was the extraneous in an environment…” away before reaching it, emerging out traps of such a didactic or demonstrative noises; airplanes and a police siren at times of flowing mixtures of threes and fours, constraint, with perhaps one exception: as dominated the otherwise well-constructed Overall, the form of the work progressed an obstinately asymmetric factor with a the central, driving master of the work, the concert. into more active and frenetic lines overlaid magical quality. Trueman masterfully plays click track was perhaps too harsh a master. on the harmonies. The program notes with the structural rhythmic layering and At times overstating its presence in terms provide us with some insight into the sequencing of sevens throughout the various of amplitude, the pulses sometimes had Wednesday, 29 August composer’s thoughts about the form moments and sections of this composition, an aggressive quality that seemed out of 17:00, PLEX Music Theatre through the Paul Klee quotation “Things through an almost demonstratively keeping with the otherwise lightly musing by Dan Overholt and Graham Wakefield appear in an extended and multiplied presented audible click-track. Trueman harmonic and gestural feel. We cannot sense, often seemingly contradicting the himself notes the somewhat didactic imagine that this amplitude was for the The concert began with Sami Klemola’s rational experience of yesterday.” Again quality: “at times the underlying pulses sake of the performers, who scarcely at all Fragile, a 14-minute work commissioned from the program notes, the final quotation speed up and slow down, but in highly glanced at the visual click-tracks on their by the Uusinta chamber ensemble with (referring to the use of computers in the consistent, learnable ways.” The Lasso in iBook screens. the support of the Sibelius Foundation. work) is by Renee Magritte: “One object the title refers to Trueman’s conception Klemola’s program notes are drawn from suggests that there is another lurking behind of click-track itself, “a valiant attempt to Members of the “Internet generation” quotations of Rene Magritte, Paul Klee, it.” The computer-based elements of the corral an out-of-control fiddle band.” The (if there is such a thing) may well Eliel Saarinen and a Chinese proverb. work (at least in the performance context) pre-recorded tempo variations within have appreciated the next piece, The Chinese proverb informed the title of consisted primarily of the processing of the the click-track were clearly anticipated in Max Savikangas’s Pussyhead 69. As an the work, with the statement “You cannot sul ponticello held notes of the string section. extremely fine detail by Trueman on the intermedia work, the video components prevent the birds of sadness from passing Sparingly used, this provided an engaging, Hardanger fiddle, with the ensemble close were composed by Teemu Mäki, and over your head, but you can prevent masterfully used, well executed expression behind while following along with the brought to mind elements of online video their making a nest in your hair.” The of beautiful and moving sounds. A full insistent beats. Somewhat reminiscent of sites. Many “extreme” video clips were

61 62 array ICMC 2007 Reviews Toine Heuvelmans 2007/2008 organized into a patchwork of visual world”). Perego himself performed with between them) quite immediately and of diverse compositional approaches, abandon filled with somewhat common the ensemble with a wireless gamepad wonderfully switched the listener to a intermedia materials, and ambitious vernacular and seemingly unnecessary controller. As the last paragraph of the different state of listening. Between these works. Within the scope of the entire week hype. Despite the intention to “leave program notes states: gestures, a little noise from the electronic of ICMC 2007’s wonderful programs, it room for immersive interaction between processing seemed to be leaking through showed that the assortment of works on just music and video”, as the musicians could Flute, Bass Clarinet and Violin are connected the sound system. Although this could one concert can provide audiovisual works also watch the screen, what appeared to to computers through microphones and perhaps have been eliminated with a with enough variety to give the conference come across was quite the opposite: an are creating musical events upon some simple , it seems to us that the a successful and fascinating artistic focus. awkward sense of disjunction. At many rules of a sort of a game. They listen to sonic result would not have been nearly as It was a delight to experience these works, points we were compelled to close our eyes the electronic real-time processing on their satisfying, and it is imagined that its absence and we will be looking forward to seeing in order to hear the music undistracted by sound, expecting unexpected and sudden was quite intentional. The work presented what these composers come up with at the relatively ungainly rhythms of Teemu changes coming from the computer. The an overall diminuendo after the first minute ICMC 2008. Mäki’s video jockeying. Musically, the role of the Wireless Gamepad Controller to the end of the work (quite unusually), work was quite capable of standing on player is to provoke and manipulated the yet managed to hold the audience rapt. its own, and was well performed by the electronic responses. The length of the performance was just Thursday, 30 August Uusinta ensemble (Savikangas is in fact a over three minutes, a perfect time in which 19:45, Tycho Brahe Planetarium: member of the ensemble). Each performer The beginning of the program notes may to absorb the disparate sounds combined Omnimax dome concert had a small display, which appeared to well have put the audience in a mental state from the electronic processing and by Toine Heuvelmans indicate the open form module changes to of tension before the piece even began, natural timbres. Was this a pre-composed the ensemble. However, the use of effects with phrases such as “loud and powerful structure, a natural output of the game To be honest, after attending the first foot-pedals produced quite audible clicks metallic spheres of sound,” “piercing the rules, a result of improvisational skill, or Planetarium video concert, I was a bit when the performers tapped them. One audience’s ears,” “ominous advance,” an epiphenomenon of a different nature? afraid of what the subject of this review remarkably well-done element in the music and “wild forgers of violent appetites.” Certainly the immediacy and focus of might turn out to be. This, of course, had was the effective deployment of contrasting However, the work did not offend in the interaction between performers was quite little to do with the Planetarium itself, an and complementary extended techniques, slightest with such sonic atrocities. In fact, evident and viscerally enjoyable. It was clear awesome venue for video concerts with showing the dichotomy between processed the program notes had no mention of the that the electronic processing was certainly its gigantic Omnimax dome and very and non-processed sounds. Savikangas work’s judicious use of silence, intensity of subordinate to the performer’s interaction. comfortable seats. The Tuesday concert, deftly juxtaposes these sounds to create attention between musicians, details of the Perhaps the only pity, however, was that the however, was all but comfortable; there had what seemed, at times, to be a dueling electronic algorithms, or the rules of the audience was faced with Perego’s back for been low video quality (both technically relationship between traditional and game they were playing. These are elements much of the performance, only able to see and artistically) and minimalist music (in extended techniques as well as processed that were all extremely well formed in the his actions on the gamepad controller in both composition and the variety of sound and non-processed sounds. work, no doubt due to Perego’s diligence the moments at which he needed to glance material) that was often too loud. Luckily, it and attention to detail. over to his laptop screen. was rumored that this evening all the video The concert finished with Tommaso would be HD. Although it still only filled a Perego’s Incastro di Mondo (perhaps “tangle The first and second gestures in the work Considered as a concert event on its own, fraction of the entire dome, the videos did of the world” or perhaps “joints of the (and the nearly 20 seconds of silence this was a show marked by a wide range indeed turn out to be of great quality, really

63 64 array ICMC 2007 Reviews Toine Heuvelmans 2007/2008 making use of the extra pixels. However, piece to be just a nice work. the third piece of the evening, is to quote the same color palette as the previous let me remind you that this is all part of Roderik de Man: “Reading programme piece, but there was nothing holy in this the International Computer MUSIC I’ve seen Music, When Soft Voices Die... with notes at concerts, I often find that the piece: hell opens right in front of you, and Conference, so the audience’s attention music by Roderik de Man and video by more complicated they are, the more it’s impressive! should in the first place be attracted to Marcel Wierckx once before in Holland, disappointing the piece turns out to be...” Noise in all its forms is present in each the music and sound. A good piece in this though it was in a relatively small room Elements had none at all. It made me think level of both the music and the images. A context is one in which the music and video on a small screen with a lower resolution. of the deterioration of a smoker. The constant industrial rumble is disrupted by are of equal importance and quality, or in Without the HD quality, it was already a video alternated between something that chaotic and detailed bursts of noise, which which the emphasis lies on the music, but beautiful piece both musically and visually. looked at first like snow but turns into create a well dosed but unpredictable trip the video relates to the music and is of a The composition dates from 2004, but ash at the end, and an extremely detailed through a hostile landscape of sound. quality that isn’t distractingly low. If you the video was added three years later. As pumping organ that turns from (almost) Without this music, the video would close your eyes, you still have something you might expect, then, the composition is healthy red to black. At the end, there’s a be a chain of beautiful graphics, and interesting to listen to. strong enough to stand on its own. It has somewhat holy golden glow shining from on its own the composition is already three chapters: first slow, then energetic within, perhaps representing something really interesting, but the combination is The first piece, Rajmil Fischman’s ¿Te tension, and then a serene ending. The like recovery. This small color palette of extremely powerful. Acuerdas, hijo?, is almost the only piece in sounds used are varied but do not clash, gray, red and gold tones combined with this concert that doesn’t fit this description. and often I couldn’t distinguish right away the slow movement and very realistic 3-D Autarkeia Aggregatum by Bret Battey had a It is as with Hollywood movies (though this how they were produced, which makes it animation made watching Elements an somewhat meditative musical quality, but work is more interesting than many of those more interesting. However, there’s one interesting experience. The slowly moving contradicting this tranquility were the movies)—your attention is mainly directed part in which a voice utters the name of music was calming but at the same time a more than 11,000 points crawling around to the visual story and spectacle, whilst the the piece (and another bit from the poem it little frightening, complementing the video. on the screen. The points moved around music and sound accompany all that on a originates from), and de Man doesn’t pull At the end, when the golden glow occurred, in a similar motion (changing from big to more subconscious level. The music was this off as well as Fischman in ¿Te Acuerdas, a clerical voice even joined in. I wasn’t small circles to Brownian motion, from so supportive to the visual activity that it hijo?; it just doesn’t fit in as well. The video bothered that the overall emphasis lay a bit fast to slow movement), and were present could hardly stand on its own if you closed intentionally uses the HD standard to reach too much on the visual side, because I was throughout the entire piece, constantly your eyes. There wasn’t much variety in a level of detail that reflects the amount of too much hypnotized by the combination changing color, together functioning as sound character, and though this can be detail in the music. It visualizes movements of it all. an organic screen. The sounds seemed to a virtue sometimes, it sounded more like and moods from the composition in such a have a bit of an Indian influence, adding a river of grains to me. Nonetheless, it way that it increases the emotional impact, From one emotion into another, Dennis to the meditative character. Further into was a pleasing piece to watch. It was well but does not distract the audience’s attention Miller’s White Noise evoked a very strange the piece, something that sounded like a dosed, didn’t numb your senses, and told from the music. The video serves more like feeling in me. It felt like peeking inside reed instrument joined in, and I later read a story. Visually, ¿Te Acuerdas, hijo? was of a guideline through the composition. Pandora’s box, or into the heart of a star that the “natural” glissandi it played were good quality. It contained some transitions, nebula. Its overwhelming beauty and actually generated by a tool from Battey morphs and other parts (like a speaking The best way to explain what I find great unreachably surrealistic complexity go (PICACS); it fooled me. The piece evolves face) that I thought were quite impressive, about Elements from Jawshing Arthur hand in hand with a frighteningly chaotic and flows gradually and without cuts, but this evened out with the rest of the Liou (video) and John Gibson (music), destructiveness. White Noise utilized almost making it a very relaxing piece.

65 66 array ICMC 2007 Reviews Sever Tipei 2007/2008 In this relaxed state the concert ended, and Karathanasis uses a beautiful old Greek of the six-string electric cello of Frances- I left the Planetarium, satisfied that I had text as a subtext for his composition, which Marie Uitti without gaining in substance. something worth writing about. becomes an exquisite metaphor conveying Meant to draw attention to the genuine a profound philosophical thought in virtuosity of the soloist, it didn’t rise above vibrant corporeal sound images. When the level of a technical exercise and didn’t Friday, 31 August disregarding the motto, the music stands demonstrate a justifiable need for the 20:00, Queen’s Hall on its own and remains effective while uncommon instrument. by Sever Tipei nevertheless conveying a world view embedded in its minutiae. A final word of praise for the sleek volume Friday’s 8pm concert in Queen’s Hall dedicated to the music programs. It is featured the ensemble Insomnio, Deep South by Lars Graugaard was the least deeply regrettable that the paper schedule conducted by Ulrich Pöhl. Insomnio is a conventionally built work on the program, didn’t benefit from similar attention. very disciplined ensemble, and the use of with the timpani commandeering the live electronics appears to be one of their piece at around the golden mean point trademarks. However, on this occasion, the and taking it into a new realm. The result amplification of the piano sometimes got is puzzling at first, and it reminded me of out of hand. On the whole, though, they the morphogenetic music idea promoted served the music very well, and there were two decades ago by Romanian composer a number of beautiful moments. Aurel Stroe. According to Stroe, some of the most interesting pieces lack stylistic Per Bloland’s Negative Mirror, Part II and unity, their formal characteristics changing Konstantin Karathanasis’s Obscuritas during the unfolding of the work. Luminosa, Lux Obscura were the highlights of the evening. Both works are well The other two offerings on the program constructed and make effective use of were a disappointment. Dietrich Hahne’s instruments. Although the overall results Ecoute 2 were commendable, I was left wondering (announced in the concert booklet as if the use of the Electromagnetically NUT) incongruously pitted a rather trivial Prepared Piano Device in Per Bloland’s instrumental section against the speakers. piece was really necessary from the point Too long for the amount of the information of view of the composition or just another delivered, the piece was swamped by gimmick. Prokofiev-like sonorities.

I particularly liked Obscuritas Luminosa, The last work on the program, Mal di Lux Obscura, which displays a refined Luna by Calliope Tsoupaki, also wandered sensuality and shows great care for detail. too long trying to highlight the virtuosity

67 68 array Festival Reviews Jacob Gotlib 2007/2008 niche see the beauty of the broader musical often soothing, were continually thrilling (experimental),” “Intersections (immersive universe. to hear. Jeff Morris’s Improvisation, while electroacoustic),” “Rhythm & Noise (post- Festival Reviews more firmly rooted in academic electronic industrial),” etc. The shows took place in Enter the Bellingham Electronic Arts music, was equally as evocative with its a variety of venues around Bellingham, Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival Festival (or BEAF), whose goal was to take wide variety of sound sources and quick from the gorgeous (but freezing) American (BEAF) everyone working with electronic media pace. Ligyro, a group from Bloomington, Museum of Radio and Electricity, to the November 30 - December 3, 2006, out of their cushy artistic suburbias, and IN, changed things up with a set of electro- Western Washington University concert Bellingham, WA place them all in a giant mixed-income pop/rock songs, featuring the sole usage hall, to the Nightlight Lounge, a rock club by Jacob Gotlib neighborhood in the middle of the city. of human vocals on the entire concert. downtown. Sebastian Roux delivered a The festival brought together artists from Their music was exceptionally broad, blistering, noisy set that achieved beauty There’s a famous scene in the movie all over the world, from nearly every ranging from more up-tempo dancey and intensity through its sheer variety Austin Powers where Mike Myers is scene or niche in the electronic music tunes to mellower, more ruminative pieces, of sound sources and treatments; its laying in bed with a woman who asks community (excluding most popular dance showcasing the expressive voice of Neil relentless energy and thrilling movements him to describe himself in a nutshell, genres). Academics, pop musicians, DJs, Cain. The centerpiece of this concert, were a perfect bridge between academic and he suddenly exclaims, “Help! I’m VJs, dancers, installation artists, laptop however, was the nearly evening-long Six electroacoustic music and more popular in a nutshell! How did I get into this improvisers, turntablists, and many more Axioms by Randy Jones. The work featured experimental styles. Rocco Di Pietro’s nutshell?” We composers doubtless met and mingled for four days of concerts, interactive synthesis and video that the Deconstructed Fountain From Ravel With Derrida ask ourselves this question often; we all lectures, and parties. No one got shot (to composer controlled with an instrument Watching for piano and tape was mysterious have nutshells in which we exist, small my knowledge), but many minds were called a “radio drum,” which operated and intriguing, with both piano and tape niches or scenes that are subdivisions doubtless blown. like a combination sensor and drum parts slowly expanding and blooming of the greater musical world. And pad. The visual and sonic textures in this like a flower. Lusine (aka Jeff McIlwain) within these musical gated communities BEAF displayed its raison d’etre brilliantly piece were gorgeous, and though it was presented subtly textured ambiences, reside composers, performers, theories, in the Opening Gala Concert held at lengthy, the consistently meditative mood creating an entrancing yet always rich philosophies, histories, and even the American Museum of Radio and created a hypnotic and ethereal space. and fascinating atmosphere. Chris Biggs’s audiences—what more could one Electricity. The works ranged from ambient The interaction between the music and Inconspicuous Impulses for piano and tape possibly need? It’s easy to see why many noise pieces to techno-pop performances to Jones’s gestures were engaging to watch, attempted to reconcile the “contradictory of us never leave the comforts of our experimental improvisations to academic often giving the impression that the sounds tendencies” of electronic and serial music. homes, be they “classical,” “electronic,” electroacoustic music. From the start, were controlling Jones as much as he was Though I’m not sure if I noticed these “experimental,” or any of the infinitely BEAF unveiled its secret weapon: talented controlling them. This opening concert, contradictions, the rich counterpoint and small subgenres within each. However, video artist Peter Rand, who performed live as the rest of the festival, provided a space Davidovsky-esque interactions between just as a person who doesn’t stray far video improvisations to many of the works, where arbitrary divisions of “scenes” and the performer and the tape, as well as from home can never get an idea of both on this concert and all the others at “styles” were completely obliterated. the virtuosic performance by Shu-ching the vastness and wonder of the world, BEAF. Scott Smallwood began the concert Cheng, made for a captivating listening neither can a musician that fails to with an impressive set of ambient noise Throughout the next three days, experience. venture outside his or her self-prescribed improvisation, displaying subtly changing the concerts were programmed by textures of static and that, while particular style, i.e. “Sonic Explorations BEAF’s guest lecturer this year was Barry

69 70 array Festival Reviews Jerónimo Rajchenberg 2007/2008 Truax, a composer and professor at network of visual and sonic elements, all electroacoustic ones), there was a nearly should say that in Mexico contemporary Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. linked via computer, to express a kind of full audience of both composers and music and technology music concerts have Truax gave a fascinating lecture on the information synesthesia where aural senses “civilians” – open-minded music lovers rarely a crowded audience. That is why it history and philosophy of Soundscape were mapped to visual ones, which were who were not professional musicians. was so surprising and interesting to see the composition and Acoustic Ecology, or the mapped to bodily ones, and back again. After attending countless new music NWEAMO concerts and the reaction and idea that recordings of a particular space’s festivals that were populated entirely by acceptance of the audience. environment yields not only material for Perhaps the strongest performer at the composers and academics, to see a general composition but an auditory “snapshot” of festival, however, was Prefuse 73 (aka audience that was excited and enthusiastic Concerts took place at the CMMAS a place, and that by comparing recordings Scott Herren). Somewhat of a star in about this music was thrilling. Bruce (Mexican Center for Music and Sonic of a single location over the course of many the experimental hip-hop world, Herren Hamilton and his staff did an amazing Arts), a technology art center directed by years, we can learn about how it has been and his performing partner (whose name job not only organizing and overseeing Rodrigo Sigal that allows instrumentalists, changed and affected. Truax presented was not listed) performed their brand of a festival as extensive as this one, but for composers, video and installation artists several of his works throughout the festival, dense, eclectic, textural music to the largest setting a new precedent for contemporary to meet and work in a creative and rich including Island, a mesmerizing piece that crowd of the entire festival. Manipulating music festivals. If contemporary classical environment. uses techniques of soundscape composition turntables, samplers, drum machines, music (including electroacoustic music) is to take the listener on a journey through and computers, Prefuse’s set was not only to thrive, it becomes imperative that we First of all, it was striking to see the concert the landscape of an imaginary island. musically exciting, but the performance itself as composers break out of our nutshells, hall filled to capacity. Not only were all The octophonic presentation of the work was easily the most energetic and engaging and start interacting and coexisting with the seats taken, but there were also people created an immersive world that once of the entire festival. This was no sitting- our colleagues in other fields (including standing here and there, listening with again had ties to classical electroacoustic calmly-behind-a-laptop performance: the more “popular” ones). BEAF, and similar attention throughout the entire concert. music and to more popular ambient styles. duo was constantly moving their hands festivals like it, is a breath of fresh air and a The CMMAS received more and more (and feet) across a sea of electronic gear, bold step in the right direction. people every day—all kinds of people, from Some of the strongest, most engaging music heads bobbing with the music, eyes locked experts in technology and art to people who at BEAF came from the live/interactive in concentration, even actual sweat pouring NWEAMO Festival came for the very first time to know this performances. Kinesthetech Sense, a down their brows. Many listeners claim Morelia, Mexico, thing called contemporary musical art. multimedia dance group from the Bay electronic music is boring to experience September 19, 2007 Area, lectured and performed a thrilling in performance because the performers by Jerónimo Rajchenberg In the NWEAMO festival, the music work for electronic music, interactive hardly do anything; Prefuse 73 would of twelve composers was presented, video, and dance called FleshLightMovement. easily prove them wrong, delivering one of In the Purepecha lands in the central with a very large range of aesthetic and TrioMetrik, another group from the Bay the most exciting, interactive, and human plateau of Mexico is Morelia, a calm technological approaches, from a cello Area, weathered technical difficulties electronic performances I have ever seen. city with a large music tradition. One piece (the traditional all-written-in-a- and delivered an engaging set using Zeta of Mexico’s most important music score) to the dance-video-cello-computer instruments, acoustic sounds, and gorgeous Aside from the eclectic music, the one conservatories, the Conservatorio de las music proposal of Kinesthetech Sense. All interactive video featuring image synthesis, thing that made this festival stand out from Rosas, has been there since 1743. Yet of them performed over a four-channel paintings, and text. Both TrioMetrik and any that I’ve been to before or since was the music landscape in Morelia has been speaker system array. I’d like to write Kinesthetech Sense created an electronic the audience. At every concert (even the traditional and, somehow, conservative. I about the pieces and performances that

71 72 array Festival Reviews Jerónimo Rajchenberg 2007/2008 have contributed, from my point of view, and suited by a very deep and complex net Morimoto gets the view of a camera set in to the Mexican music scene. of instrumental and synthetic sounds. The front of the stage, transforms it using both second piece consisted entirely of non- video and sound information, and outputs The NWEAMO festival in Morelia was Le Repas du Serpent, by Mexican composer harmonic sounds, all kinds and colors of the result in a screen set behind the stage. a surprising contemporary art (not just Javier Alvarez and vigorously performed noise worked and presented in balanced music) event that people from Morelia and by cellist Iracema Andrade, was the first doses in order to make it violent but easy to In my opinion, Ibitsu has attempted the visitors enjoyed and profited from. It is now piece in the festival to create a multimedia listen to. It was surprising that the Morelian right balance between music and sound, up to the Mexican artistic community to ambiance, including cello played in very audience, who rarely hears non-traditional between viewing and hearing, and—maybe continue with these kinds of festivals and different ways, computer sounds and sounds in concert halls, was very attentive the most difficult challenge of all—between to expand the research of technological video. The video of Le Repas du Serpent is an and vigorously applauded the work of balancing the artistic guidance of the applications in art in order to create a truly old French recording of a snake eating a Presidentes con Bigote. audience and the unpredictable changes contemporary Mexican art. rabbit. It must be in a zoo or a biology class, that make the entire piece something you because we can see people looking at the Two performances were particularly want to keep watching and hearing. snake. It is as interesting to see the snake interesting in this festival: one was the eating the rabbit as it is to see the reactions Japanese-Irish group called Ibitsu and the Kinesthetech Sense performed in the same of the people in the video. The piece other was Kinesthetech Sense, an American concert a work called The Color of Waiting, has a delicious variety and development duo that masters equally the computer in which they used a video projected on a of timbre, and spatialization that locks in processes of sound and video, the use of non-continuous screen in whose “holes” music the audience’s attention. The cello instruments and the consciousness of the were set the cellist and the dancer. The Color performs several glissandi, to which the scene through dance and movement. of Waiting is truly a multimedia work—not tape responds with changes in the size of just a juxtaposition of different media works grains. The tape’s sound’s texture, then, Ibitsu performed a piece named Hystère (for example, a musical piece with a video changes in a glissando way, creating a for an especially innovative instrument added or with choreography added), but a dialogue between them. they created themselves called the work in which the parallel development of “E-clambone,” which is a technological dance, video, instrumental and computer Another very interesting work was the hybrid of clarinet and trombone that music is obvious. And there’s still another one presented by Mexican-Dutch group uses a saxophone mouthpiece. Hystère field of art involved in this creation: the video Presidentes con Bigote (Presidents with consists of mostly improvised music for part is made out of the design of a graphic Moustache), created by Carlos Iturralde the E-clambone with a real-time computer artist which is “sliced,” and the alternation and Keir Neuringer playing several music and video counterpart that responds of these slices produces a particular sense instruments and sound devices. The first to the music, but in a non-linear way so of movement. As the image taken is a water piece they performed was a very surprising that it’s not predictable and easily holds design, the resultant movement of waves is guitar-sax-tape composition (with large the attention of the audience. While neither the usual behavior of water nor a improvisational parts) that used several Satoshi Shiraishi on his E-clambone and computer emulation of that movement, but non-standard techniques. They began with Alo Allik on the computer create an inner something that deals with the audience’s a loud shout performed by both musicians, and contemplative sound design, Yota time perception.

73 74 array The Future of the Concert Review Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz 2007/2008 assessment of the success of the work from has been improved.” With the release of an aesthetic standpoint. ICMA’s new website, we hope to come The Future of the deal with other events posted by members closer to that goal. on the website. Concert Review I am happy to say that many of the reviews by Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz, Co-Editor published in this issue do attempt to Margaret Schedel, Toine Heuvelmans, Before we roll out such a system, however, grapple with the issue of the composer’s Jeffrey Treviño and I (along with a few we’d like to get your opinion. Do you intent and a piece’s ability to hit the mark. others) have been discussing the best way read the reviews in Array as they currently In our last issue (Winter 2006, p. 43), However, there still remains a fair bit of to use the website to enable a “hyper-print” stand? Do you think it is a good idea to we published an article by Leigh Landy blow-by-blow commentary and program version of Array to exist—one that, while have an online discussion forum available entitled “Why Haven’t I Written about note paraphrasing that gets passed off not eschewing the “traditional” printed for each ICMC concert? Would you the Pieces Played at ICMC?” In his as serious reviewing, and Array is not the reviews, enables repeat listening of select actually participate in these forums if they article, Landy questioned the usefulness only place that such reviews appear. This pieces and the capacity to discuss them existed? Do you think we should dispense of reviews of “one-off events.” Many of phenomenon is woefully present in many online. The role of the “reviewer,” then, with written reviews, or do you think the pieces performed at the ICMC are realms of the new music world. Are we would not be someone who jots down that no amount of online discussion can new works that are not easy to come by. afraid that being frank about our colleagues’ notes on his or her program booklet and replace the written review? Would you Generally, only the people who attended work will hurt their self-esteem? Or are types them up a week (or a month, or six agree to have your work(s) exist in some the concert have had the opportunity to we afraid that someone else might look months) later, but someone whose role is form on the ICMA website? Please direct hear them. Subsequent hearings—which at our own work with a similarly critical more like that of a moderator who leads your comments to array.journal@gmail. are necessary to fully appreciate any type eye? Are we—composers, performers, and a discussion board and summarizes the com. We will take them into account when of music, and especially music that is engineers dedicated to the development, discussion afterward in printed format. the board discusses the future direction of presented at an ICMC—are difficult, promotion and appreciation of computer The printed review would contain a link to Array. We look forward to hearing from if not impossible. Chances are that if music—doing ourselves any favors by not the discussion, enabling interested readers you. you have been reading this issue of Array speaking our minds about what moves us? of Array to listen to the piece and contribute from the beginning, you have already No, we are not. to further discussion. We could not do complained that the pieces discussed in this, of course, without the permission of the reviews are either distant memories Array is certainly not equipped to solve the artists involved; while some might be or completely unknown to you. this entire crisis of reception on our own, enthusiastic to distribute their piece to a but we’d like to attempt to make our own wider audience, others might be hesitant for Landy also lamented the practice of reviews more relevant to our readers. So any number of good reasons. This might what he terms “Mutual Back Patting” how do we solve these problems? There be solved by adding a checkbox to future in many ICMC reviews. The author are two main issues: the first is the problem ICMC submission forms that lets artists of the review engages in little more of enabling repeat hearings, and the second choose whether they give ICMA the right than technical explanations, polite is the lack of honest and intelligent debate. to post their submitted piece on the website. encouragement, and deliberately In his article, Landy wished to see “active Discussion could still take place about vague language. Lacking is an actual musical debate (and distribution) replace pieces without online documentation. If the review until the status of appreciation all goes well, we could extend the format to

75 76 array CD Reviews Altered Realities 2007/2008 augments the guitar is lost. The duration Helvacioglu’s method of music making Helvacioglu’s materials include a of these moments never feels too long CD Reviews on this disc begins with his performance combination of simple motives with and the guitar is always returned gently on acoustic guitar. The steely timbre of tasteful doses of processing, and his careful to a position in the foreground. Because Erdem Helvacioglu the strings grounds the sonic explorations interactions between human and computer Helvacioglu dynamically changes his Altered Realities as he augments the guitar with real-time achieve compelling musical results. The processing parameters in longer, sweeping (New Albion NA131, August 2006) processing. Helvacioglu’s platform of melodic material for the guitar is never motions, he provides a perfect foil to the by Nathan Wolek choice for affecting his guitar sound is more than a short fragment lasting up to short, simple guitar motives. Had either AudioMulch, the interactive computer four measures. The minimal character of one been pushed closer to the other in In Altered Realities, Erdem Helvacioglu has music environment developed by Ross these riffs by themselves would likely come character, the balance would have likely found a balance between guitar and real- Bencina. The sound is captured and off as calm and sterile, not unlike a twenty- been upset and jeopardized the success time processing that results in a cohesive extended by a variety of processing first century Satie. They struck me as found in their contrasting natures. disc with moments of true beauty. The techniques over the course of the disc. In poignant at times, but lacked the inherent titles of the tracks are visually suggestive addition, he uses sampling to achieve time- musical tension to sustain focused listening The structures of individual tracks exhibit and offer vaguely poetic extensions of shifted playback within each track and over the duration of the disc. a striking simplicity and allow the changes the disc’s title. Names such as “Sliding what sounds like the occasional synthesized to unfold gently over time. Most tracks on a Glacier” and “Shadow of my timbre to accompany the guitar, although It is the addition of processing that injects have no more than five alternating motivic Dovetail” betray nothing of the musical these could just as easily be some form of a subtle dose of drama into Helvacioglu’s ideas in the guitar, with the one exception mood, the programmatic intent or the extreme processing. music. Without it, Altered Realities would be being a track called “Pearl Border on a creative inspiration. They are almost just another ambient disc (and I say this as Dune” that had ten by my count. Even this interchangeable on a disc that has no To control the computer’s activity while his someone who enjoys ambient music!). The variety could be condensed if one accounts lyrics or program notes, but maybe this hands are busy with the guitar, Helvacioglu processing never remains static for very long for harmonic and rhythm relationships that betrays Helvacioglu’s aesthetic intent uses a MIDI pedal board with his feet. This as it carries out its duet with the melodic exist between the motives, as Helvacioglu to create a compact disc that plays like equipment setup allows him to perform material, where the timing of changes often alters these parameters to provide an extended composition, as each track each track in real time and simply record often follow the same formal divisions that something new. Each idea is established flows effortlessly into the next. Because to DAT, something he is clear to point out govern the guitar playing. These arcs and and repeated before moving on to the the disc works so well as a unified whole in the liner notes. Limiting himself in progressions provide a form of tension next one, but Helvacioglu seems to have that unfolds its macroform over the this way and not succumbing to the allure and release that intensifies the underlying carefully measured the amount of time he course of 53 minutes, it makes little of endless studio editing and tweaking melodic figures. can extract from each idea without boring sense to isolate the tracks from each gives the tracks a more organic feel. The the listener. The guitar’s repetition is also other and talk about them as individual grounding in human performance makes The processing rarely seems to overpower tempered with the longer arcs presented compositions. So instead my review will this a disc that even novice listeners of Helvacioglu’s guitar, providing artificial by the computer processing, as it morphs focus on the connective elements that electronic music will enjoy, and because spaces, spectral alterations and granular mostly within and sometimes between the Helvacioglu uses throughout the disc: the method employed to realize each track shuffling. However, there are times when formal boundaries created by the changing his method and materials. is the same, it is a big reason for the unified the intensity of the computer’s voice guitar motives. It is easy to read each sound of the disc. surges and the clarity with which it usually track as a dialogue between these two

77 78 array CD Reviews RedASLA 2007/2008 elements, in which the guitar is pushing Overall, Erdem Helvacioglu’s Altered sections, odd combinations of timbre, and nothing truly sounds natural. True to its the discussion forward with new topics and Realities is a compelling sonic ride that seemingly random bits of noise, the album title, Plastic Feeling, this piece effectively each conversation ends in a calm, cordial functions as a cohesive whole. The unified also contains many sections that would not illustrates the nature of unnatural feelings resolution. sound is an obvious result of his decisions sound completely out of place on a modern through synthetic sound. Jorge Martínez to use consistent methods and materials popular record. Ulloa’s Leitmotiv No. 6 combines the If one considers the entire disc as a throughout the disc. It is the ebb and flow seemingly incompatible timbres of a nearly macroformal structure, there is a clear between computer processing and acoustic In discussing this album, I will overview unprocessed brass instrument with various progression from beginning to end that guitar that shapes the music in convincing the tracks and then focus on the three I felt shimmering electronic instruments. The shows careful planning on the part of ways. Neither feels out of place as the represented some of overarching themes of effect of this combination causes each Helvacioglu. The first three tracks set up a computer works effortlessly to extend the the compilation best. The album begins with element to be highlighted in its position light, playful mood, as the guitar sounds like possibilities of the guitarist. I felt it was Rodrigo Sigal’s Mudra, a contemplative and offers an intriguing sonic contrast. it is testing the possibilities of its computer a successful album that captures what piece that blends electronic and organic companion. Track three, entitled “Frozen it might sound like to hear Helvacioglu elements together with beautiful dynamic Otto Castro’s Mala Fé presents an Resophonic,” is by far the sweetest sounding perform a live set at the local venue, and contrast. The jazzy reedy timbre in this intriguing examination of a main theme track on the album, with melodic content should be of interest to those who enjoy an piece lends itself as an effective focal of the album: the barriers, or lack thereof, that could easily be mistaken for a children’s intimate evening of electronic music. point. What You See is What You See by between electronic music and sounds found song. “Dreaming on a Blind Saddle” is Daniel Quaranta follows with an interesting in nature. The initial soundscape of the the track that follows and it is a definite RedASLA: Red de Arte Sonoro exploration of synthetic soundscapes. piece, presumably entirely electronically turning point in the mood of the disc. The Latinoamericano, Vol. 1 Raúl Minsburg’s Entre Sueños can be best synthesized, sounds as if it could have come bleak character, immediately apparent (Self-released, April 2006) understood by translating its title, Between from a recording of jungle insects. The in the opening guitar motif, provides a by Jonathan Seiden Dreams; this eerily compelling piece was electronic nature of this piece heightens good setup for the track that is the climax extraordinarily introspective and produced towards the middle as increasingly of the disc: track five. Entitled “Shadow In 2006, RedASLA (the Network for Latin- vivid musical pictures. Daniel Schachter’s “electronic” sounding noises take over of my Dovetail,” it combines touches of American Sonic Arts) released RedASLA three-part piece, Espejos Viruales I-III, the piece and the electronic-mimicry of melancholy with a rhythmic drive that Vol. 1, a compilation of Latin-American would make an effective film score. nature fades into the background of the is reminiscent of classic blues, although electro-acoustic pieces. The album Its subtleties, punctuated by periods of noise tapestry. Usage of stereo panning without the usual progressions. From here consists of ten pieces over twelve tracks sonic brilliance, could easily provide the techniques as well as variable frequency the last two tracks give the listener more by various contemporary Latin-American backing to a range of film genres. Óscar synthesized tones and modulations of the dreamy qualities found in track four, electro-acoustic composers. While many Chaves’s Estudio Sobre Mi Gatita, or dominate the majority of the middle of as the processing asserts its transformations of the pieces challenge traditional notions Study on My Kitten, is one of the most fun this piece. Organic components once again evermore on the guitar. The final track of coherence and congruity within music, pieces to listen to on the album. Beginning return to the mixture with what sounds ends its unmetered meanderings with a the album as a whole delivers a reasonably with various human imitations of the like heavily edited and modified bursts of time-stretched and pitch-shifted arpreggio listenable and very interesting aural composer’s cat, the sounds are quickly a human voice. After this disappears from that slowly decays away, gently returning portrait of electro-acoustic music today. edited into oblivion to create a varied aural the piece and “electronic” sounds reappear the listener to the real world. It is interesting to note that while some experience. Sentimiento Plástico by Edson as the substance, organic noises only return of the pieces on the album contain atonal Zampronha is a composition in which towards the end with a faint piano heard

79 80 array CD Reviews Dr.OX 2007/2008 in the background. The piece finishes with saxophone themes are set against more material. The clacks, clangs, and hisses reveals the source of the overall aesthetic a recitation of one of Castro’s poems, electronic and distorted noises that no of the city street can be jarring. However, of this record. Here, the cello serves as a only slightly altered, which provides an one would ever want near a cradle. The after listening to the original sample, I was noise generator, making contact with the interesting conclusion to a piece that mostly piece uses these dual motives to keep amazed at how varied a sound and effect strings via pizzicato, tapping, spiccato, consisted of completely foreign sounding the listener on edge and create a sense of the composer was able to achieve. creaking, and col legno. These techniques electronically produced noise. tension between the two worlds of electro are layered on top of each other as the and acoustic. As the title of the piece RedASLA Vol. 1 gives interesting insight computer remains unobtrusive, emerging Bryan Holmes’ piece Canción de Cuna would indicate, the ultimate prevalence into the world of Latin-American electro- only with a flutter of accents and reverse provides an interesting contrast to Castro’s of comfort and organics are displayed in acoustic music today. Any listener can pizzicato toward the end. Most of the piece. The opening lines of organic the final seconds of nearly unaltered music appreciate the meticulous care, attention to computer sounds throughout the record saxophone, electronically distorted and box sample. detail, and sonic intricacies that went into seem generated from cello timbres, most made to sound nearly alien, provide the these compositions. of them falling into one of four categories: primary texture for the beginning of the Presumably named for the famous German 1) ringing, ethereal mid-to-high register piece. The saxophone melody is heavily mathematician known best for discovering Sources: chords that sound like a flanging of cello altered and then reorganized in various a three-dimensional object that retained “Interview with Rodrigo Sigal/RedASLA.” harmonics; 2) droplet sounds that seem to traditionally classical compositional one side, Eleazar Garzón’s Moebius shares Conducted by Acusmatica. Available Online be softened pizzicato; 3) roars that appear manners. After the decay of the final sax qualities with the geometric construction it 24 September 2007. http://acusmatica.7host. as a magnification of the creaking of high note, the reversed sound of a music box refers itself to. The piece was comprised com/acousmatique/redasla.htm bow pressure; and 4) metallic scrapings that is first heard; this will prove throughout of altered samples from John Ffitch’s might be generated by filtering a tremolo or the piece to be the most important sonic “The Transport Project,” a project that “RedASLA Vol. 1 CD Liner Notes” mimicking the granular quality of creaking. component. The double entendre of the title, challenged electro-acoustic musicians to Gubernikoff, Carole. Produced 2006 by This collection of duos works well because which translates to “Song of the Cradle,” create short pieces based on an unaltered RedASLA. of these types of timbral similarities. is somewhat explained in the liner notes. source sample of various city transport The notes tell that the piece was composed noises. The recombination of this singular “The Transport Project.” Ffitch, John. The cello is the anchor of “Anchor using both old and new components source material and extrapolation into Available Online 24 September 2007. http:// Synthesis.” It begins with forceful low- of electro-acoustic composition and various musical ideas can be seem as the www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jpff/transport.html register double stops, sometimes suggesting performance; the simultaneous use of the creation of a multidimensional object from a rhythm. The computer’s sirens, dangling music box as a main producer of sound a one dimensional object. The first of these chains, and thunderous granular static are provides a more real sense of the “cradle” distinct motifs is reminiscent of Castro’s Tanja Orning and Natasha Barrett disconcertingly split between left and right within the piece. The dual usage of earlier piece as an insect-like, near organic DR.OX channels. As the cello plays low col legno, electro-acoustic recording techniques with soundscape provides the background to the (c74 records, c74-013, March 2008) the computer imitates it with a fluttering organic instruments, which the liner notes introduction of the piece. The “transport” by Krystal Grant between sides. The cello’s ensuing identify as everything from a double bass sample, once heard in its original, is combination of pizzicato and col legno to a vacuum cleaner, create conflicting easily identifiable throughout the piece, as Dr.OX is an album by cellist/composer is gradually overcome by a cacophony motifs within the piece. The haunting but Garzón uses nearly unaltered sections to Tanja Orning and composer Natasha of popping, sirens, static, col legno, and oddly comforting reverse music box and carry the majority of the forefront musical Barrett. The third track, “Polycomb,” ringing chains. Its return is confounded by

81 82 array CD Reviews Dr.OX 2007/2008 being split between three channels. When gurgling, the computer bellows by using a The mass fades, and a new sound emerges: At the beginning, the cello bows an un- the cello returns to the center, its creaks are reverbed low pass filter of the creaking. granular synthesis and filtering of the airy pitched tremolo at various speeds. Electronic accompanied first by low knocking, then reverb become the chirp of insects, vinyl chirping is produced in imitation of this by wind-like sounds, then by the previously Likewise, “Axial Landmark” layers several record pops, and finally a motor driving motion. When pitches are added to the heard col legno. This fades to low bowed cello sounds. An airy hissing pervades the away. tremolo, it is a roar of low sul ponticello. The and pizzicato cello utterances and the background as the cello’s high-register chirping becomes a miscellany of tweets fluttering col legno. For the ending, the creaking is layered with low-register In “Meiotic Recombination,” cello and squawks as the tremolo and echoes of cello plays low double stops similar to the creaking and pizzicato. An airy siren harmonics are interspersed with creaking it continue. A wave of white noise washes opening, as the computer adds popping to sweeps beneath these from right to left, that sounds like falling trees amidst sweeps over the flock. The cello fragments the the col legno. increasing in volume and clarity as it of white noise. When the creaking stops, the tremolo to sul ponticello pitch bending as the descends in register, becoming a low cello white noise continues with water-imitating chaos of chirping enters in the low register. “Zinc Finger” is a collage of high and multiple stop. This is repeated a few times amplitude fluctuations, and the high cello A rattle of white noise signals the end. low pizzicato that would be impossible as the creaking and pizzicato continue. harmonics begin a dialogue with a mid- to produce by a single cellist plucking Brief high register statements are spattered register moan of recombined string sounds. Outside the realm of arrhythmic creaking the strings. A few sonic events color the above these sweeps, noticeably a pitch The cello takes a solo over the white noise and tapping, “GFP-fusion” has a sense of continuous pizzicato: a loud boom, reverb shifting of cello playing. Silence abruptly as a bell chimes five times, then six times, stasis with a high heterodyning tone and the that enters then fades out, and reversed concludes the piece. carrying the music out of the forest and cello improvising on a major ninth chord. pizzicato. into the metropolitan chatter of pedestrians The resultant sound is almost spectral. Three tracks occur which seem to suggest a talking and cars passing by. The cello softly Throughout “Toothrin,” the cello landscape that contrasts the natural with the comments on the people’s laughter, and a The only other instance of ideas based improvises with creaking sounds. Through synthetic. “Myelin” seems to open with the descending moan concludes the piece. on the pitches of the cello is “Motif of simultaneous processing, the creaking cries of seagulls or whales in dialogue with Myo1p.” The cello plays two forceful becomes gurgles of slightly reverbed metallic scraping underneath. The cello In “Cellobiohydrolase,” the cello produces beats of double stops, a herald strangely granular synthesis and analog popping plays ascending glissandos on harmonics a buzzing sound through bowing and pitch reminiscent of the opening of Beethoven’s based on the attacks. These computer colored by an airy reverb; these sounds sliding. The computer processes this with Eroica Symphony. Crackles of droplet sounds sounds begin as an accompaniment to the are echoed in diminution. The scraping a monstrous reverb and augmentation of underlie the cello’s free development of the cello but grow to encompass the entire gradually becomes more present. At the the low frequencies. Whirring, water, and motive. Next, the cello plays double stops sound field. The cello responds to this climax, the cello and its reverb are buried electronic chirping sounds are added. Their that end in a tremolo that launches a flight climax by adding pizzicato to the creaking, under a mass of a synthesized glissandos frequency decreases until the cello plays of wispy electronic sounds. The ensuing both of which are heard in reverse via in granular synthesis, a multitude of mini alone and unamplified, buzzing its double cello dialogue seems to reference Vivaldi, the computer. The cello signals the coda cries, and the airy reverb loud, fast, reversed, stops. The water sounds and the reverb and alternating between the cello tremolo and with one distinct bowing; the computer and rapidly panned. This brief climax rising of lows (albeit quiet) return as the the ethereal computer sounds. answers with a mid-register ringing sound is followed by an even shorter cello and piece ends. and analog popping reminiscent of the reverb solo. Immediately, the mass returns With a similar construction, “Homolog 1” gurgling, though clearer and higher. The more chaotic than before, with the cello In “Beta Receptor,” the relationship opens with the cello playing double- and cello returns with long creaks; instead of harmonics staggered on top of each other. between natural and synthetic is less clear. triple-stop harmonics. The opening six

83 84 array CD Reviews Electric Brew 2007/2008 harmonic dyads and triads are separated Tanja Orning’s inventive use of the Prior to hearing this disc, I had never After all this extra listening, a logical by a few seconds of silence. The computer cello is commendable throughout the heard any of Gluck’s music, although I question followed: Is it fair to compare enters with synthesized chimes immersed in album. Although the building of textural knew of him by reputation. He has been Bob Gluck’s work with that of Miles Davis reverb. This timbral exploration continues climaxes is formulaic in some of the director of the University of Albany’s and friends? My answer was yes. Gluck as the cello moves to the low register and tracks, the interaction of processed and Electronic Music Studios since 2001 and has invited it based upon his admission to the computer causes overlaps between computer-generated sounds with the cello currently serves as an Associate Director this influence and source material in the the cello and previously played multiple is always exciting. Dr.OX is a recording of the Electronic Music Foundation. He liner notes of the disc. In my opinion, stops. A low drone enters as the cello plays that vividly emulates a live electroacoustic has studied jazz piano and holds degrees you cannot write music that is inspired multiple stops in the middle register; one performance. from a rabbinical college. These aspects by another artist, draw motifs from his of these is looped as the cello continues to of his background help contextualize the work and then absolve yourself from improvise and the chimes fade out. The influences cited on this disc. They helped comparisons. The materials in Gluck’s computer adds sweeps of white noise. After me understand the concept of the disc, but music are not obstructed and will be clearly the white noise stops, the drone ceases, and I still felt like I was missing something after evident to anyone familiar with the original the cello plays a final triple stop. Bob Gluck my first listen. recordings. I have no ideological qualms Electric Brew with him using these materials; sampling The most convincing composition is also (EMF Media, EM169, 2007) After reading about the musical works musical materials is par for the course in the longest. “Axial Budding” opens with by Nathan Wolek referenced in the liner notes, I knew I our post-modern world, and I will concede a long descending slide that lands in a needed to get better acquainted with that Gluck has done something unique monstrous creaking. Shorter slides soar Bob Gluck’s new compact disc Electric these recordings. It had been a long time and original with them. However, Gluck’s around. The next section begins with a Brew features an eclectic mix of influences. since I had heard Bitches Brew, the album compositions do not rise to the level of low scraping sound, adds amplified sul The backbone of the disc is formed by to which Gluck’s disc title is an homage. those works by his muses. ponticello, short squeaky motions, and a four original compositions that were I thought it was important to grab this flurry of brief backwards fragments until inspired by and use motifs from famous jazz-rock masterpiece from the library and What amazes me about Gluck’s disc one is surrounded by a field of sound. jazz compositions by Miles Davis and his dive into the sound world that inspired is that out of references to such highly This is followed by the contrast of cello collaborators, namely Joe Zawinul and Gluck’s compositions. It addition to the energetic, rhythmically impassioned and harmonics bleeding into one another over Dave Holland. In addition, Gluck offers up titular track, Gluck also cites Zawinul’s unmistakably exciting music, he produces a background of white noise. The noise two additional interludes that he describes Pharaoh’s Dance as source material that he mostly bland offerings. The original rises in volume as the cello dissipates into as “collages,” formed by editing together has reworked in respective compositions. I pieces are all about rhythms and grooves another long slide. Unlike the first, this several live performances of his original also listened to Davis’s Is There Still Time?, that propel the listener forward with such slide ends in a soft rumble of creaking and compositions. Gluck mixes these jazz a similarly referenced work by Gluck, but undeniable force that you cannot sit still. I heterodyning. The miscellany of sounds references with his eShofar, a twenty-first could not get my hands on Q&A, a piece want to move when Miles plays a solo and returns, but this time a patterned sizzle century take on an instrument typically by Dave Holland, who also played bass on groove with the bass ostinato. I can’t help rises from the texture. When it fades out, used in Jewish religious ceremonies and Bitches Brew. After listening to all these and but be energized by the intensity of the a violent tremolo begins in the cello with Stravinsky’s infamous Rite of Spring. a cursory refresher on Rite of Spring, I felt bass clarinet on Bitches Brew or the electric ethereal slides flying around. The piece Unfortunately, these varied influences often more prepared to dive back into Gluck’s pianos on Pharaoh’s Dance. All this is lost ends with low noise. yield muddled results. disc. in Gluck’s attempt to take motifs and ideas

85 86 array CD Reviews Puzzles 2007/2008 and pin them down under his microscope piano playing. This provided the track Akeda, composed by Ofer Ben-Amots, is a Robert Normandeau for reflection and study. with some clarity and identity and it was simple yet evocative setting of a liturgical Puzzles all the better for it. After hearing it, I lamentation for the departed. Here again, (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 0575, 2005) Admittedly, “energy” and “intensity” are wondered if this track would have been Gluck’s piano playing is given the chance to by Julio d’Escriván vague musical traits that beg for more a better choice to start off the disc so that shine without electronic intervention, and specificity. The biggest contributor is the listener could proceed through the rest listeners should be appreciative. Together Perhaps every review should start with likely the percussion on Bitches Brew, with a better sense of how Gluck’s piano with Is there still time?, we get a clear sense a confession. It seems fair that if you’re which featured two drummers on sets plus stylings were extended by his electronics. of the range of abilities Gluck possesses about to discuss somebody’s work, you additional players on congas and shaker. as a pianist. Shlomo Dubnov’s 127 Digits should say something about yourself. Together these formed a consistent, One piece that is not part of this jazz- is described as “a duet for computer- Otherwise, it is far too comfortable. This layered pulse. Gluck only gives us rock milieu is In the Bushes for computer- assisted piano.” Although I have worked is it: I have been playing acousmatic music percussion on Pharaoh’s Spring, and here it assisted piano. It uses samples of George with Disklavier and understand how one on my iPod while I train for my endurance is a MIDI conga that is a poor facsimile of W. Bush to form what Gluck calls “a could go about the process of ornamenting events, alongside The Kooks, Juan Luis Don Alias. The keyboards on the originals political commentary on the war in the work of a pianist, I found myself a Guerra, Keane, José González, Snow feature a funky Fender Rhodes, so when Iraq”—very much a sign of the times. little lost trying to follow the duet in this Patrol, Juanes, Porcupine Tree, Caetano Gluck transfers these motifs to a concert I am usually resistant to pieces that try piece. Perhaps it is the fact that the audio Veloso and Orishas. Actually, the only grand, they seem to lose some of their to be overtly political, whether they are recording flattens the two into a uniform other acousmatic composer besides these edge. Gluck’s eShofar with its chaotic right or left in their ideology. Artists in sound field and any sense of the duet is pop guys is Dhomont. As often happens, processing system is no match for Davis’s centuries past had to veil their political blurred. This piece likely works much better I started wondering why I was doing this trumpet and his carefully placed delay commentary or risk being persecuted by in live performance, preferably up close so and what this told me about myself. effects. There is also something to be said their governments. Today there is no need that you can see what the performer and for the recording quality on the originals, to finesse, and the freedom to be forthright computer are each adding to the music. Runners need cadence; it helps if you where nearly everything was close miked, coupled with sampling from well-known can follow a groove. It keeps you going giving the sounds a stronger presence media sources can lead to a situation It should be clear to any listener that the beyond the eighth mile, which is when any in the mix. When compared to Gluck’s where the artwork loses its relevance over jazz-rock elements dominate this disc, training actually starts (for me, anyway). choice of concert-style recordings where time. The materials have meaning to easily demanding more attention than these Normandeau’s music is permeated the listener is kept at a distance, one could us now because we have heard them in other compositions. Gluck obviously has a throughout with pulse or the promise of easily make the case for this being the their original contexts. I have now heard personal fondness for the material from this pulse. Puzzle (2003), the first piece on this biggest difference between the two discs. several of these “Bush pieces” at various period in Miles Davis’s career and has used disc, is part of a long lineage stretching concerts and conferences. How will it all these compositions to explore it for his own back to a piece called Rumeurs (1987) from I felt the strongest track on the compact be perceived in 20 or 50 years when the amusement. While the success of the results the composer’s early release Lieux inouïs, disc was the last one, entitled Is there still speeches are a distant memory? I don’t is debatable, a definite positive is that one which also uses opening/closing doors and time?. It’s an odd realization that this know for sure, but I’m guessing that the has to listen first to Bitches Brew in order to various sounds which are begging to be was the only composition in which Gluck impact will fade. have any chance of appreciating Electric Brew. looped and pulsed, some which are clearly dispensed with all the electronics and There are two additional compositions And directing new ears to this masterpiece is pre-reminiscent (I know the word doesn’t treats the listener to some straight-up jazz on the disc not composed by Gluck. perhaps the disc’s most redeeming quality. exist, but is coined here as a “pataphysical”

87 88 array CD Reviews Puzzles 2007/2008 concept). The doors in Rumeurs are used making it has traditionally been rather referencing Pauline Oliveros (he actually as structural pivots to parcel the work linear. Tape was bounced onto tape. Old Chorus (2002) is conceptually based on said “écoute en profondeur,” which I into sections or scenes, whereas in Puzzle habits are reproduced to this day, profitably, the story, taken from Gotthold Ephraim believe has not been trademarked yet). the doors actually become the rhythmic on non-linear editing software. Yet here is Lessing’s “Nathan the Wise,” of a dying The piece is seemingly static, but as with so material of the piece itself. I would suggest a piece made of loops—re-arrangeable, father giving his three children a ring much of Normandeau’s music, full of life that the two pieces illuminate each other freshly pulsing, infectious loops. It is more made out of his own ring, thereby avoiding that reveals itself upon successive listening and should be heard in tandem, as they Ableton Live than ProTools, more Dance having to give the original one to any of as you unpeel the layers. This piece is seem to explain each other in music. remix than cinema for the ear. A puzzle the three. A parable on the three religions also punctuated with sudden starts that Puzzle fulfills the promises of rhythm in of patterns, yes, but perhaps also evidence “of the book” and the fact that—wait for eventually make you aware of a pulsing Rumeurs, and belongs to the continuum of of a shift in Normandeau’s electroacoustic it—they May ALL be right (!), the piece is motion. This is music to endure with. Or pulsing pieces Normandeau has made in thinking. a layered stream form that uses shofar, bells should I say music that helps you endure? the intervening years (including of course and voices, stretching them all out with Anyway, it is tactile, sensual and immersive, Le renard et la rose (1995) and Clair de Terre: Éden (2003) begins with beautiful liberal punctuations that do not detract not conventionally “acousmatic.” I feel I Montage Metaphorique (2001), which are Vietnamese singing, and before you know from the textural unity that is achieved would like to listen to it many times (and I also forerunners of this piece and perhaps what’s happening you are flying over the here. These punctuations work as statement have), as there is still so much to be heard. easier to link on the surface level). clouds in the dusk, no land below to be seen, “markers;” they define parts and sections, just the textures of clouds and the strange but as the piece progresses, they give way Another feature of Normandeau’s work But Puzzle does something that is also very twilight of the northern hemisphere, and to blends of sounds that allow us to forget is that a number of his pieces, such as modern: when you start playing it, you the stewardess voicelessly asking you to the earlier divisions. It’s a fitting metaphor Hamlet-Machine with Actors (2003), have a find that it was already playing before you switch off your iPod as we are about to for the spiritual place we should all be previous existence as incidental music for started it. This Puzzle—which gives the disc land in Toronto (yes, this is actually what striving to reach. Chorus also reminds me of the theatre. This is always a challenge for its name—is but an instance of n potential happened and rebelliously I only took a much earlier piece worth re-listening to, a composer. As opposed to what happens Puzzles, or so the author tells us in the liner one earphone off and proceeded to listen Jeu (1989). In that piece’s opening section, in film music, the composer has no exact notes. It is not that in some ways it could be to, well, half the piece). Again, as the Normandeau treats the voices similarly, measurement of pace in the theatre, as the construed as an algorithmic piece, or that mature piece that it is, it reflects concerns and this fascination with vocal sounds, action is realised live on stage. In practice, because of the way the musical loops have that Normandeau has voiced earlier but arguably a feature of all of Normandeau’s this means that the music must approximate been tailored you have some material in perhaps never in this way. Perhaps the music, is portrayed nearer its infancy (as is without exactly shadowing; the composer search of rules, but rather that a non-linear greatest musical affinity to this work can be the use of rhythmic pulsing, actually). has to allow for imprecision, and this compositional approach has pervaded a found in his CD Clair de Terre (1999-2001). always takes its toll on the musical pace. In style of music which is known for being As the slowly changing and pulsing layers There are not a lot of ways in which I film, on the other hand, you can compose very linear. In acousmatic music, normally, reveal perhaps the sound of the sea, the could be induced to listen to much hurdy- to the quarter of a frame and know that the development is made into a virtue. suspending in time of the female voice and gurdy playing, but if it is to be mutated action will always be supported in the same Interpolation is revered, careful remixes the sudden explosive openings of vistas, into these elongated beautifully textured way. This is why, I think, Normandeau is at of brassaged textures prompt much beard new and old musical material washes over layers found in StrinGDberg (2001-2003), pains to explain to us in the liner notes scratching, furrowed brows (if no beard) the listener and submerges them into Eden I am all for it. Normandeau calls this a that he has “reworked every sound and and hushed “aaaahs.” The process of (the title is so damn appropriate!). “deep listening work,” perhaps unwittingly recomposed every sequence to produce

89 90 array CD Reviews Analytical Methods of Electroacoustic Music 2007/2008 an autonomous work.” The piece as it the book, Adams’ essay presents both the stands evokes visual imagery and does usefulness and drawbacks of each form dexterity with which Normandeau has Book Reviews not hide its close relationship with surmounted these challenges in the of representation, including fundamental the stage. I wonder if I should have past. (and often overlooked) aspects, including watched the play to derive maximum Simoni, Mary, ed. logarithmic versus linear frequency pleasure from listening to this. As it Analytical Methods of graphing and window sizing. unfolds and I listen repeatedly, I find Electroacoustic Music more connections and put together Routledge, December 2005 The next essay, by Leigh Landy, is perhaps some kind of mental plot, but it comes (312 p., ISBN 0415972694) the most distinct in the collection. Most back to reconstructing in my mind Reviewed by Kristian Twombly of the essays focus on timbral and what the original must have been like. compositional issues, but Landy presents Should this piece be able to stand on its The field of electroacoustic music is still what amounts to a sociological study on own in concert as, say, Petrushka can be quite young, and precious little exists compositional intent in electroacoustic played without the ballet? Perhaps. It is in the way of analyses and published music. As the author states, “This for each listener to decide. In any case, theoretical approaches to this music. It is investigation is based on the premise that the sounds of the actors at work and only in the last few years that collections certain forms of music deserve a larger the inclusion of the aural environment of such analyses have begun to appear, audience than they currently have” (p. 29). of the industrial neighbourhood where and Mary Simoni’s Analytical Methods of The Intention/Reception Project therefore the rehearsal building was located Electroacoustic Music is a valuable addition attempts to empirically measure audience seem to add a dimension of “acoustic to this important field of study. response through questionnaires and post- ecology” to the work, but maybe that listening discussion. For the purposes of is a facile reference. I am sure this The collection of essays represents the study, the study groups were divided piece will have a very diverse impact a variety of musical and analytical primarily according to familiarity with depending on how close you are to the approaches and, after an introduction electroacoustic music. Each group heard original play and how much you enjoy from the editor, is launched with a two different works—Prochaine Station by “theatrical” environments. I can’t welcome discussion of some basic Christian Calon and Claude Schryer and separate it from the original idea, concepts in acoustical and electronic Valley Flow by Denis Smalley—multiple and I wonder, if I had not read the analysis, written by Norman Adams. times. Composer intent was determined liner notes, whether the effort in aural This essay briefly describes various primarily through answers given to a series reconstruction would have been equal methods of representing audio of questions by each composer, and listener to the pleasure I have had listening signals visually, from time-domain response was similarly garnered with the to other works on this disc. I think representations to spectrograms, each addition of a group discussion following Clair de Terre (1999-2001), which also with numerous examples from a variety each listening session. has a theatrical background to some of audio sources. While the spectrogram of its movements, is worth listening is the primary representative tool used in This essay was challenging for a number of to in order to more clearly show the reasons. Valley Flow proved to be too long

91 92 array Book Reviews Analytical Methods of Electroacoustic Music 2007/2008 to play in its entirety until the final listening As If by is the subject of the that occur as the piece unfolds. Individual score following, first realized using Miller session, and one wonders if perhaps a next essay, by editor Mary Simoni. This words are extracted and compared at Puckette’s Max language for the IRCAM shorter work could have been chosen. work for tape and string trio was composed both selected moments and for the all 32 4x computer. May uses software code Some data was disregarded due to varying in 1981 and 1982. Simoni’s analysis repetitions of the source material. Broening from the most recent version, written in testing conditions, and ultimately Landy focuses primarily on the pitch material, ends the analysis with a comparison of Puckette’s Pd software, as well as peak- proclaims “no large-scale conclusions with an exhaustive set theory analysis for Lucier’s work with that of Reich’s It’s Gonna graphs, examples from the score and should be drawn here due to modest sample each of the four movements. While there Rain and Luciano Berio’s Thema (Omaggio a numerous tables in his analysis. Ultimately, sizes” (p. 35). The descriptions from the are a few spectrograms that accompany Joyce), placing each within a greater context May illuminates the relationship of the testing subjects reflect a desire to link the the analysis, these are used primarily of compositions that explore the continuum live performer to the computer, weaving sounds heard to imagined sound sources, descriptively, and for the most part the between speech, sound and music. historical and technological information such as “a kettle,” “recording of a stomach” tape is analyzed according to set theory into this enjoyable essay. and “animal sounds” (p. 45). While none principles as well. In fact, of the 34 figures Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco by Jonathan of the composers stated expressly that and 8 tables that accompany the analysis, Harvey is the subject of Michael Clarke’s Mara Helmuth contributes an analysis of they favored reduced listening practices1, only 15 include spectrograms, with the contribution. While this work is well known, Barry Traux’s pioneering work of granular Smalley states that he wishes that the rest comprised of lists of sets and musical Clarke’s approach is novel—using Max/ synthesis, Riverrun, composed in 1986. She listener hold onto “the layering of sonic examples from the score. However, given MSP and SYBIL (SYnthesis By Interactive worked closely with Truax, even gaining material, pitch, the work’s sonic language” the pitch-based nature of the score and Learning), a software program developed access to the computer system on which (p. 43). I can see the usefulness of continued tape accompaniment, an analysis of this by Clarke, the reader is encouraged to the piece was composed. Riverrun was study in this area, albeit for a particular type is perhaps appropriate. explore various facets of the analysis originally composed as a four-channel work style of electroacoustic music for which in conjunction with any commercially and released in stereo, but was realized in listener intent occupies a greater level of Brenjamin Broening’s analysis of Alvin available CD recording. The interactive an 8 channel version in 2004. After an interest, such as soundscape composition. Lucier’s classic I am sitting in a room appears analysis is not necessary to fully appreciate extensive discussion of the background However, the implication that “intention next in the collection. Appropriately, the essay, which itself is illustrated with of the work itself as well as some of the information” demands consideration Broening addresses the process-oriented Harvey’s sketches, pitch diagrams and processes used to generate the sonic stands in direct contrast to those composers aspects of the composition, comparing it sonograms. Quite purposely, Clarke material, Helmuth adds a multidimensional who might follow a different compositional to contemporary works by Steve Reich. illuminates the fundamental aspect of all analysis in which various methodologies methodology (a Cagean approach springs In Lucier’s work a text is projected into a analysis: careful listening. The interactive are explored, arranged by levels. Level (1) immediately to mind). While my feelings space (in this case the composer’s living analysis facilitates this process for novice presents a textual description, (2) groups about the project remain guarded, I look room) and recorded, with the resulting and experienced analysts. events (or “phrases”), (3) describes pitch, (4) forward to further research in this area recording projected into the same space shows amplitude and (5) is a spectrogram. with both a larger listener sample and an and the process repeated until the original The interactive features of Phillipe The entire composition is described in this expansion of the pool of compositions recording is destroyed, leaving only those Manoury’s Jupiter are discussed at length manner, broken into 30-second segments. utilized. resonant frequencies activated by the in Andrew May’s analysis. This influential As one would expect, there are moments recorded speech. Spectrograms are used work, composed at IRCAM in 1987 in which particular dimensions are 1 Pierre Schaeffer’s écoute réduite. mentioned by Landy as a mode of listening that is nearly in opposition to both to illuminate timbral evolution as well (and later revised), was one of the first more analytically useful than others, but what he wished to study, namely the “access to or the commu- as the spectral degradation and filtration works to use real-time pitch tracking and ultimately the multidimensional approach nication of meaning” (p. 31).

93 94 array Book Reviews Women Composers and Music Technology 2007/2008 works quite well, giving a more complete not had the opportunity to experience the collection. While these can be illuminating, Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner. view of this interesting work than any single opera live. I found myself wishing that less attention Women Composers and Music dimension could. A minor issue is found in had been paid to these musical inputs Technology in the United States: the presentation of the spectrograms, as it A DVD is included with the book, containing (sketches, software code, musical scores) Crossing the Line appears that a too-wide amplitude range most of the examples included in the text and more attention paid to the output—the Burlington, VT: Ashgate Press, 2006 was used in their generation, leading to and short audio clips of some of the pieces actual sonic result. Spectrograms are merely (301 p., ISBN 0754604616) dark pictures. I understand the need for analyzed as well as a few short videos from representations of sonic energy and thus Reviewed by Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz this, as a narrower range sometimes fails to Manoury’s opera K… This DVD plays on must be used with an analytical ear. Simoni’s reveal sonic energy that one’s ear perceives, both a regular DVD player as well as on a inclusion of a spectrogram of a cantor A person new to the field of electroacoustic but a wide range can produce results where computer, although not everything available performing “Alleluia” in the introduction, music could easily assume that women the ear cannot perceive sonic energy (as can on the DVD-ROM is shown when playing for example, includes a discussion of the have not played a significant role in the the application of a Fletcher-Muson curve), the DVD in a regular player. usefulness of the spectrogram as a possible history of the genre. A brief inspection of lending a quasi-perceptual interpretation tool for proper performance practice, but two standard electronic music histories— to the amplitude shading. A particular concern was with the only briefly acknowledges the progression Joel Chadabe’s Electric Sound and Thom figures in the text. Many of them are of vowel sounds from emphasis in the Holmes’ Electronic and Experimental Music— The final essay, Momilani Ramstrum’s reproduced poorly and are difficult to read. higher formant regions to lower formants. reveals that in about 300 pages, these discussion of another Philippe Manoury Fortunately, many are reproduced on the Ultimately this performance of a single word authors both mention about 20 women. work, the opera K…, is an ambitious look at accompanying DVD, but a computer is is a marvelous oppositional exploration of In contrast, Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner’s the entire production. With lavish staging, not always available when reading through nearly the entire vowel formant range of the book Women Composers and Music Technology multiple channels, a mixture of live and the text. Also, some of the figures that are human voice, with a clear timbral evolution in the United States: Crossing the Line chronicles electronic, solo and ensemble performance misprinted in the text (for example a figure over this short example. Simoni goes on the lives and works of at least 165 women and a formidable length of three seamless in Simoni’s essay is repeated, resulting in to present and analyze the same musical in the United States alone! A few, like Acts, Ramstrum does an admirable job a “missing” figure) are also inexplicably material performed by a synthetic bell but Bebe Barron, Wendy Carlos and Pauline with this challenging piece. After a look at missing from the accompanying DVD. again focuses mainly on the differences in Oliveros, are already established “greats” the inspiration of K…, Franz Kafka’s The Additionally, many of the spectrograms representation, rather than the clear lack of in the field, and for good reason. However, Trial (itself a formidable text!), Ramstrum are missing vital information, such as timbral evolution in the second example. as I was reading the book, I kept marveling uses the MSD (Music Structure Discovery) the legend for the amplitude range, or over the amount of information that was software developed at IRCAM to illuminate the frequency scale. This information is Overall, Analytical Methods of Electroacoustic completely new to me. It is information the aural self-similarity in the Prologue and essential to full understanding of these Music achieves its goal of presenting a that should be shared with any young Scene XII. While a single chapter is not sonic representations, and if the scale is variety of analytical methodologies for woman considering a career involving nearly long enough to tackle the analysis missing the reader is left assuming that two a variety of musical works. Simoni has music technology. In addition, the of an entire opera, particularly one as spectrograms show the same frequency created a website, http://www-personal.umich. snapshot of women involved in academia technologically and musically complex ranges when in reality they may not. edu/~msimoni/analytical-methods/ for updates (circa 2005) will be helpful to young people as K…, Ramstrum’s descriptive analysis and supplemental materials. researching college and graduate programs illuminates many aspects of the work, Extensive use of the composer’s notes in composition and electronic music. The particularly for those readers that have appeared in nearly every contribution in this book also includes web resources and an

95 96 array Book Reviews Women Composers and Music Technology 2007/2008 extensive discography for 91 artists. composers was fueled by her search for a in the world. The chapter finishes with a in academia, contributing to the public professional role model. This viewpoint brief discussion of young women who perception of women’s roles in music Crossing the Line is arranged into seven has a large effect on the organization of were working on doctorates at various technology. chapters. The first chapter (“Introduction”) the book as a whole. The women featured institutions at the time of publication. contains a survey of previous scholarship in Chapter 3 (“A Generation of Growth The ability of visual and interactive on women in music and an introduction to and Influence”) studied with women from Buried in this chapter is one of the most technologies to add a further documentary the methodology of the book. The next Chapter 2, and the women from Chapter intriguing issues raised in the book: the or autobiographical element to one’s three chapters “focus on women who have 4 (“Continued Promise for the Future”) notion, raised by Pamela Z, that the “women work has contributed to making music significant ties to the academic world either studied with women from Chapters 2 and who garner the most respect in the area of with video “a powerfully feminine and through their training, their engagement 3. Chapter 3’s women were born in the electroacoustic music are those who take a feminist art form” (p. 245). Chapter 6 in the teaching profession, or their active 40s and 50s, educated in the height of proactive role in developing and inventing (“Finding Their Visual Voice: Composers participation in many academically- the women’s movement and mentored by tools and theories of composition rather Explore Multimedia Technology”) focuses sponsored events such as workshops and early pioneers such as Pauline Oliveros, than settling for current perceptions and on electroacoustic music composers who festivals” (p. 10). These chapters are the bulk Alice Shields and Pril Smiley. The chapter situations” (p. 135). These women have use film and video in their work. The of the book, weighing in at just over 75% is organized by centers of activity (NYC, entered a realm of “true geekdom” where field is narrowed to discuss only women of the text. They progress chronologically Columbia-Princeton, Mills, UCSB, gender becomes irrelevant and “what who create their own video, with only a according to the generation in which the Stanford CCRMA, and “other West is most valued is raw brain power and few paragraphs reserved for collaborative women were born and educated. Chapter Coast.” The rest of the country is lumped technical aptitude.” Outside of the women endeavors—a great loss, in my opinion. 2 (“Precedents and Pioneers”) starts under “Other.” who are designing tools, the women who The author places herself into the former with Johanna Magdalena Beyer (1888- act in acceptably “feminine” ways—for category, which may have contributed to 1944), whose Music of the Spheres was “one Chapter 4 explores the generation of instance, the vocalist/composers who use her neglect in the area of collaboration. of the first pieces for purely electronic women who came of age during the their body to communicate—gain the most She provides extensive discussion of her instruments” (p. 13), and carries us through 1980s, when home digital technology positive reactions from their audience. It is own work from a personal perspective, but the generation of women who were born expanded opportunities for women and certainly a thought-provoking idea. one wonders if the material may have been in the 20s, 30s and 40s and were involved other marginalized groups. The advent of better served by an unbiased assessment in early developments of electronic and MIDI technology enabled instrumentalists Chapter 5 (“In the Spotlight: Role Models from an outside source. computer music. to explore new roles as composer/ Rise in the Mainstream”) breaks outside performers, while the growing availability of the world of academia and covers It would seem, after reading this book, that As the book progresses, Hinkle-Turner of computer technology encouraged “women who have made a contribution the amount of female mentors in the field continues to emphasize the theme of composers with technical aptitude to in more popular music, and who create has grown dramatically and that the number mentoring (in particular the master/ become composer/programmers. Hinkle- most if not all of their electroacoustic of women in electroacoustic music will only apprentice relationship) and networking Turner also examines the next generation of work themselves” (p. 10). These include continue to rise as a result. However, Hinkle- as important to the emergence and independent composers in New York City film composers, composers of commercial Turner focuses on the question of future encouragement of women in electroacoustic and in academia, women with alternative music, and audio engineers. Their work is women in her final chapter (“Where Are We music. She notes that her own foray careers and “creative expatriots” who were particularly important because it is more in Now?”), sharing the disturbing news that into the study of contemporary women born in the US but are now based elsewhere the public eye than that of their colleagues “research conducted in connection with this

97 98 array Book Reviews Musimathics Vol. 1 2007/2008 text indicates that there may be an actual Women have been involved in electroacoustic communicated. It is true that I am a copy the musician seeking to understand the decline in interest and technical activity music since the beginning, but we just don’t editor, so bad grammar is a particular pet mathematical foundations of their art, it can among young women.” She discusses the read about them. This book brings to peeve of mine. But when I had to resort to be daunting. Gareth Loy’s book Musimathics possible reasons why, noting that in her light many important women who are not reading with a pencil in hand so that I could aims to change this by compiling basic (and research she has observed a difference in the normally mentioned in general electronic parse convoluted sentences more quickly, I some more advanced) information on the way women talk about their work. “Many music histories. This, of course, begs the came to the conclusion that this was no small mathematics of music in a concise format, exhibited a reluctance to discuss equipment, question of why they are not in mentioned. problem. I am alarmed that Ashgate Press aimed at a wide audience of students, programming languages and software for its Certainly there are some women who are released a manuscript in this condition. composers and mathematicians looking own sake…Utilizing the medium because of discussed in this volume simply because this to expand their knowledge of a closely its sonic possibilities took precedence over a is an in-depth study focusing specifically The author intends to continue her research related field. One of the distinguishing desire to learn about technology for its own on women, but there are others who have and release future volumes on continental characteristics of this book is that it only sake” (p. 250). The commonly held notion played a pivotal role in the development of Europe, the United Kingdom, Mexico, presupposes mathematical training through of the dichotomy between “boys with their the genre and should be mentioned in general South America and Australasia. I applaud advanced algebra and geometry, further toys” and “girls with their tools” may not be histories. (In particular, I am thinking of her for this, and only hope that she works widening its audience. as black and white as some may think, but composers like Alice Shields, who played an more closely with an editor on subsequent the remarks of the women interviewed for important role at the Columbia-Princeton manuscripts. Musimathics begins with a few basic chapters. the book showed a definite bias for working Electronic Music Center but is absent The first covers “music and sound” toward a musical end product as opposed from both Chadabe’s and Holmes’s books.) Gareth Loy (fundamental physical concepts of waves, to concentrating on the musical means. Hinkle-Turner muses, “Perhaps the issue Musimathics, Volume 1: The forces, and harmonic motion), and the If we are to succeed in encouraging more isn’t so much a difference in gender and Mathematical Foundations of Music second covers the traditional representations young women to become involved in music numbers but an issue of documentation” (p. MIT Press, 2006 of music in western culture (musical technology, this knowledge should have an 255), and indeed that may be the case. This (500 p., ISBN 0262122820) notation). The inclusion of these chapters impact on the way that we recruit and teach is a project that has been long due, and Reviewed by Brendan Aanes helps make the book suitable for classroom young composers in the field. it is one that will be a great resource for use, but anyone with a background in either composers young and old, male and female. Throughout history, the intersections of field could probably skip them. That Loy As Hinkle-Turner notes, “the majority of my In particular, it serves as an inspiration for music and mathematics have been studied, begins with physics instead of traditional research comes from the primary sources of young women who find themselves the only pondered, and debated by practitioners of musical concepts illustrates the book’s main personal correspondence and unpublished female in their respective programs. both disciplines. With the last century’s approach as examining music from the resumes, vitas, biographies, and program advent of electronic sound as well as perspective of mathematics rather than the notes sent to me by the women themselves” Unfortunately, something must be said about more numerically-focused compositional other way around. This isn’t to say that Loy (p. 11). This is really the great strength of the awkward prose in this book. Hinkle- techniques, math and music have come lacks sensitivity to musical issues, but that the book. She has put together an invaluable Turner’s reluctance to use commas— together in even more ways. A trip to the his focus, like much of the book’s content, collection of information that comes particularly in long, run-on sentences—is library reveals thousands of books and is scientific. straight from the artists themselves. Indeed, particularly frustrating. The reader is articles in fields as diverse as analysis and she considers the book “a true collaboration forced to read a passage several times in acoustics, most of them intensely technical The introductory chapters are followed by between myself and the composers.” order to grasp the information that is being and full of the jargon of their subfield. To an encyclopedic but brief chapter on the

99 100 array Book Reviews Musimathics Vol. 1 2007/2008 history and practice of tuning systems. their placement in the middle of the book enough that I suddenly felt qualified to mathematics at its root and music that may Rather than simply enumerating scales is a little strange, particularly when there build them. Again, although I have little to not, raising aesthetic and philosophical along with their strengths and weaknesses, are already fundamental chapters at the say on these chapters (other than to questions that Musimathics does not Loy first compares equal-tempered and just beginning. However, given Musimathics’ about their ease of reading), with a book explicitly address. If math is really the intonation, then guides the reader through ambitious scope, there is no clear linear like this that is a strong endorsement. foundation of music and not just sound, the problems of such scales and the various or growing path between all the material. shouldn’t all music be easily describable, at solutions that have been proposed, including When viewed as an encyclopedia rather The last and most expansive chapter in all levels, through mathematical language both western and eastern microtonal scales. than a narrative, it isn’t a problem that the the book deals with composition and as well? If it isn’t, then what is the point The microtonal portion of this chapter in book suddenly shifts gears from detailed methodology. Here, unlike in the other of enumerating methods that are just particular is extremely well written, and discussion of tuning systems to basic chapters, Loy necessarily departs a bit special cases? I suppose these questions makes an excellent introduction to a topic physics. from his encyclopedic, mostly objective have not been adequately answered, so that is often intimidating. My only wish viewpoint to give some of his own views as there is some merit to leaving them out of was one that came up often in reading These basics aside, we come to the real meat to the principles upon which composition a quasi-introductory book. Also, I was glad Musimathics: that Loy would extend the of the book: chapters on psychoacoustics, can be studied scientifically. Among these that Loy did not try to force all music in chapter and cover the material in more acoustics, and vibrating systems, as well is the conviction that composition can to a reductionist mathematical framework. depth. Given the scope and aim of the as a long chapter on composition and be divided into its methodology and the Mostly, the trouble with this section is book, this isn’t a criticism but rather a methodology. On the first three of these choices made within that methodology by that (in contrast to the rest of the book) testament to the openness and clarity of I have little to say, other than to echo my the composer. This approach defines the it is incomplete both as an overview of the author’s writing. previous sentiments on Loy’s remarkable first half of the chapter, as he focuses on compositional methodologies throughout clarity and ability to pack lots of information Guido d’Arrezzo’s method of composing history and as a mathematical theory of From here, Loy moves on to the physical into a small space. Due to the expansiveness chant to fit a text, Baroque and Classical composition. It does, however, succeed and geometrical bases of sound, each with (and relative underdevelopment) of experiments of Musikalisches Würfulspiel, as a relatively complete description their own chapter. Much of this part of the psychoacoustics, this chapter is broader the serial methods of the Second Viennese of compositional methods that have book covers basic concepts of physics and than it is deep, but it adequately covers school, and finally the stochastic methods deliberately embraced mathematics, and geometry, expanding on the first chapter. the relationship between objective and of Xenakis. While each of these techniques is certainly worthwhile reading for one not Despite the abstract nature of the material, subjective variables, localization, sound is well described, Loy’s examination of familiar with those methods. it is explained with remarkable clarity, masking, loudness and pitch perception, methodologies is limited to those which although here as in other chapters there giving enough detail on each for the reader have a clear numerical basis and which After his description of methods used by are several confusing errors (corrections to understand many acoustic phenomena. dramatically reduce the element of composers to directly compose music, Loy are listed on the website: http://www. As one would expect, the chapter on compositional choice, or at least clearly enumerates a number of methods used by musimathics.com/). Fundamentals out of acoustics discusses the effects on sound limit it to a position defined by the system, computers to compose, evaluating their the way, methods (RMS, peak, etc.) and of different media and their boundaries, and begs expansion into describing other success based on the belief that music is motivations for measuring intensity are again in an easy to understand manner. methods. As much as this fits the book and about the manipulation of “expectation covered as well, leading to the evolution of In his discussion of vibrating systems Loy chapter’s stated purpose, the omission of and interest.” As hesitant as I am to the DB scale. While the material covered in describes the fundamental operation of many other styles of composition implicitly accept most attempts to define music, this these chapters is necessarily fundamental, almost every traditional instrument well splits music into that which obviously has ends up being a good working definition,

101 102 array Book Reviews Musimathics Vol. 2 2007/2008 particularly given the nascent state of most of compositional activity. Loy dedicates book will be of most value to students, in the form of calculus and differential experiments in automatic composition. much space to David Cope’s Experiments experienced musicians will probably also equations, which fewer readers are familiar Loy’s explanations of varying rule-based in Musical Intelligence (EMI), which have find at least a few things to learn within it, with. systems, Markov Chains, and other methods been remarkably successful at composing and due to its rigorous organization it is easy are as usual elegant and clear and supported new Mozart symphonies based on the to pinpoint the sections one wants to find. Musimathics Vol. 2 begins with a novel by various diagrams. In this section as well analysis of Mozart’s own music. Like On the whole, I would highly recommend description of sampling and other basic as the previous, many examples are given the earlier descriptions of methodology, Musimathics to anyone interested in learning concepts of digital audio. Loy asks the reader using the Musimat programming language this section of Musimathics provokes about the basic intersections of math and to imagine a seismograph-like system for that Loy has developed. Musimat is easily philosophical questions on the nature of music, and have already loaned my copy to recording the height of waves as they pass understandable by anyone familiar with music and composition, but this time the several friends. by a buoy anchored to a piling; an attached C or similar functional languages, and an author does begin to address them. In his pen records the height of the bouy relative appendix is included so that those who are belief, a system like EMI passes a musical to the piling. This metaphor is then extended not familiar can learn the basic principles. “Turing Test” by being for all intents and with a sample-and-hold system to represent While the inclusion of so many Musimat purposes indistinguishable from human Gareth Loy sampling of the continuous wave motion, as examples has the benefit of showing composition. Despite its success, it is worth Musimathics, Volume 2: The well as the low-pass filter found in the typical techniques concisely and in full detail, I noting (as Loy does) that such a system is Mathematical Foundations of Music ADC. Loy’s metaphor seems like an effective am not sure how valuable it is in the long based entirely on previously-composed MIT Press, 2007 description of the basics of sampling, even run. Many computer musicians could input. Although we like to think otherwise, (576 p., ISBN 0262122855) as the mechanical system described becomes easily write the programs themselves given composers are all affected by outside input, Reviewed by Brendan Aanes rather complex by the time the full ADC is a verbal description of the procedure, and and so this actually isn’t such a failure. Loy modeled. On the other hand, it also seems those without programming experience suggests an experiment in which EMI is Gareth Loy’s first volume of Musimathics: that Loy is reinventing the wheel; many may find their understanding impeded by recursively fed its own results to mimic The Mathematical Foundations of Music readable explanations of sampling already the unfamiliar method of presentation. the process by which a human composer provided an excellent overview of many exist. Still, it is always good to have different Also, in order to use some of the techniques develops their own style; the results of such areas in which music and mathematics explanations that may appeal to readers with presented (such as operations on serial an experiment would probably be quite intersect. The second volume of this series different backgrounds or learning styles. rows) without a computer, a reader would a development for the field of computer aims to provide the same lucidity to the much After explaining sampling in terms of have to abstract the knowledge from the composition as well as setting a model for narrower area of digital audio. Unlike the his tidal metaphor, Loy switches over to program into a manual procedure. future tests. first volume, this narrowness allows the book a more traditional and technical account to become more encyclopedic, through its of sampling, which is then followed by Loy follows his description of the basic A book as broad as Musimathics is usually a bit focus on a single umbrella of topics rather information on encoding, quantization and theoretical procedures of computer- unfocused and sprawling, but Gareth Loy than a tangentially related set. On the other distortion. Continuing the standard set by based composition with some real-world does an admirable job of organizing and hand, unlike tunings, psychoacoustics, and the first volume, well-labeled graphs abound examples such as Hiller and Isaacson’s explaining his subject matter. Musimathics compositional strategies, which were covered when appropriate. Loy’s language here is Iliac Suite. That few of such early attempts makes an excellent introduction to the in the first volume, the Fourier transform, concise, yet somewhat more technical than were successful, even by Loy’s simplified topics it discusses and gives a solid footing spectral analysis, and the other topics of this one would expect after his metaphorical definition, clearly shows the complexity on which to expand. While I think the second volume involve more higher math, introduction. Still, this chapter provides a

103 104 array Book Reviews Musimathics Vol. 2 2007/2008 detailed look at sampling that should be mathematics understandable through to simple convolution of sets of numbers, topics, he returns again to extensive use of understandable to readers willing to put verbal description and metaphor, but followed by windowing and musically- equations, which make the chapter more their mind into it. here he seems more interested in getting relevant convolution applications. This difficult. Again, the greatest complaint I on to the more musically-interesting later approach has the downside of seeming have about Loy’s writing is that sometimes The second chapter in Musimathics Vol. 2 chapters and hesitant to fully deploy this overly abstract at first, but it pays off by his faith in the comprehensibility of well- plunges even deeper into mathematics, skill. thoroughly explaining the operation of presented equations leads him to trust beginning with a very brief explanation convolution. Also in this chapter, Loy them over his excellent capacity for verbal of complex numbers. Here, Loy relies far Returning to more familiar territory, references his Musimat programming explanation. This is somewhat less the case more on equations than he did at any point Chapter 3 covers spectral analysis and re- language. My thoughts on this remain in the chapter on resonance. Although the in the first volume, although in his defense synthesis, heady topics by most standards. ambivalent: to a programmer, the Musimat requisite calculus is, like complex numbers that book used simpler math. I’m unsure Here, I found Loy’s explanation of the examples don’t provide anything that previously, given a whirlwind introduction, as to the value of this section. Those who operation of the Fourier transform to isn’t already in the text, and to a non- this brief chapter comes out much more have no familiarity with complex numbers be incredibly understandable, and the programmer they only complicate things readable than its predecessor. will likely have a hard time understanding final description of a “real-life” discrete unnecessarily. them with such a short explanation, and transform seemed obvious based on Taken together, Musimathics’ next chapters, those who do understand them won’t need the preceding steps. I would highly Most computer music textbooks introduce “The Wave Equation” and “Acoustic to read this. Readers who did learn about recommend this chapter to anyone filtering well before Fourier transforms and Systems,” can be seen as a comprehensive complex math at some point but haven’t seeking a thorough understanding of convolution, but in Musimathics Gareth Loy exploration of sound production by any used it for a while will probably be the only Fourier transforms and related operations. places these topics before his extremely instrument or source. Although they are ones to get much out of this section, but Although most readers will probably not in-depth look at filtering and resonance equation-heavy and utilize a lot of calculus even then some portions of it are very terse be interested in going out and writing their (one chapter each). This is probably a and trigonometry, Loy here provides more and equation-dependent. own FFT implementation, understanding good choice because the math involved at commentary on his equations than in some these mechanisms leads to a better this level makes a little more sense when other chapters, making it possible to either Loy continues to build an increasingly understanding of how to work with FFT- introduced in the context of the Fourier quickly read and grasp without working complex set of equations once the reader based applications of many types. transform than it would have if it had been through what is going on mathematically, is familiarized with complex numbers and introduced alongside filtering. Another or to dig further into the inner workings of their associated properties. He then uses The next chapter’s introduction of mark that sets Loy’s treatment of filters sound production. There isn’t much else this mathematical vocabulary to discuss convolution begins again with an unusual apart from most is that, writing in the for a reviewer to say on these chapters; sinusoidal motion and phasors, aiding the metaphor. Rather than stating the typical age of computer music, he can approach although the subject matter is very reader by returning to more verbal than (and simplistic) explanation of convolution them from a mathematical standpoint that complex, the presentation of it on multiple mathematical descriptions. This portion in relation to spectral multiplication, Loy correlates directly with the operation of levels is very welcome. Like the chapter on of the book is very abstract, forming the describes the operation of a moving-shutter digital filters, rather than getting caught Fourier transforms, these segments of the background for much of the material camera and its effect on images, likening up in the necessary design concerns and book provide valuable knowledge that will found later. However, I had a hard time convolution to this mechanism’s effect of components of analog systems. That said, be useful to musicians and readers from following it. Gareth Loy clearly has an “scaling and time shifting.” He then gives Loy’s take on filtering is again heady but diverse backgrounds and fields. incredible ability to make complicated an equation for convolution and moves on manageable. More so than in the previous

105 106 array Book Reviews Living Electronic Music 2007/2008 The second-to-last chapter of Musimathics work suitable for musicians of varying Living Electronic Music is divided into six with the provocative question, “exactly is a brief encyclopedia of synthesis experience levels and a useful reference for chapters with an introductory essay what is it to be alive in music making?” techniques. Being a new book, Musimathics those working with computer music. called “Between Disciplines.” Emmerson while the last sentence in the entire book has the advantage of being much more designed each chapter “to be a self- reads, “nonetheless an ‘authentic sound’ up-to-date than the classic computer sufficient essay, yet all cross reference and from any of the last eight decades would music textbooks, and in addition to going Simon Emmerson ‘need’ each other to get the bigger picture.” demand attention to the loudspeaker into more detail than usual on the old Living Electronic Music The chapters are paired: Chapter 1 (Living construction of that time.” I had to return standards also devotes considerable space Ashgate Publishing, 2007 Presence) is paired with Chapter 2 (The to the introduction to feel fully satisfied to developments in physical modeling. (195 p., ISBN 0754655482) Reanimation of the World), which discusses with the book. Beginning with the classic Karplus-Strong Reviewed by Margaret Schedel the two-way exchange between the animate algorithm, Loy moves on to Julius Smith’s presence and inanimate worlds. Chapter Emmerson is a strong and clear thinker; waveguide synthesis, a new development (Editor’s Note: This review also appears in an 1 is further subdivided into three parts: he is able to turn the most complex that generalizes the Karplus-Strong upcoming issue of the Computer Music Journal; physical presence, psychological presence philosophies inside out so that we can see this is the first of what we hope to be more cross algorithm to form a model based on the published articles.) and personal/social presence. This pair of the seams and understand how his thought reflections of waves in media. Everything in chapters is the most challenging in terms process is put together. While I appreciate this chapter is well explained, and it makes Living Electronic Music is a direct and careful of introducing new concepts to the average his desire to make each chapter function on an excellent and very deep introduction to treatise about the performance, practice and reader. Chapter 3 (The Human Body in its own as part of a larger whole, I wanted the field. Following this look at synthesis perception of electronic music. Aimed at Electro-Acoustic Music) examines the more substance after Chapter 6. Perhaps techniques is a chapter on “dynamic composers, researchers and musicologists, physical body in electro-acoustic music, this is a great compliment to Emmerson’s spectra,” most of which is spent discussing it is more than a historical overview— and is paired with Chapter 4 (Playing writing, but I think the same system of the short-time Fourier transform and its Emmerson blends the philosophical, the Space), which unfolds the personal and organization would have worked just as applications. This chapter was, for me, scientific, and the musical into his wide- public space surrounding the physical well with a concluding essay tying themes one of the best of the book, and although ranging thesis. He “asks questions that body. Chapters 5 (To Input the Live) and from the various chapters together. I’m not sure why it didn’t come nearer the may have no answers” and throughout the 6 (Diffusion-Projection) are the easiest to chapter on Fourier transforms, it provides book casts questions, invoking glimmers understand, and deal with transducers As a writer who is sensitive to cadence, an excellent note on which to end. of meaning instead of making declarative that are the paths between the “animate” variety, accent, and nuance, Emmerson has statements. Full of cerebral provocations, and “inanimate” worlds: microphones and created a book that is a bit dense in places, On the whole, Musimathics Vol. 2 is an this book needs to be discussed rather speakers respectively. but still a pleasure to read. He is also a very interesting examination of the mathematics than simply read. The full experience also thorough researcher. For example, there are of computer audio. Although at times it requires listening—the book boasts an I wished for a concluding essay. Though seven citations in the second paragraph of fails to deliver on its promise to make its extensive discography full of pieces both Emmerson feels that “no chapter is really the introduction alone. These range from topics easily understandable, it is still easier in the electro-acoustic canon and others first or last and there are no definitive the expected (Pierre Schaeffer and Jean- to read and more in-depth than many of less familiar. Emmerson doesn’t simply list conclusions,” I would have liked some sort Jacques Nattiez) to the surprising (James the classic computer-music texts, even as it these works; he places them into a larger of final essay to balance the book, even if Gibson, a perceptual psychologist, and lacks some of their depth. Together with its context, giving the reader a rudimentary it simply contained more questions about even Tim Ingold, a social anthropologist). companion volume, it forms an excellent listening guide. the bigger picture. The introduction ends This slim volume contains fifteen pages

107 108 array Book Reviews Max Mathews 2007/2008 of references to books, articles, scores and Lektrowsky’s sensational return from CDs. One minor annoyance is that the Alpha Centauri preempted the headlines references for recordings and books are Lektrowsky’s Will nine months ago. He was the first and not clearly located for the reader. They by Max Mathews only STARNAUT to be declared sane are cited identically within the text, but on arrival, although some consider his are then found in different sections in the At his keynote address at the New Orleans subsequent application to the Chewlards at references. The reader must look both in ICMC, Max Mathews referenced a short the certified age of 35 to be an indication the “books and articles” section and the story he had written. He graciously allowed of, at least, judgmental disequilibrium. “scores and recordings” section, as it is not us to republish it in Array. Others attribute it merely to long practice clear where an individual citation might or time alienation from the world. be. Lektrowsky, himself, maintained that his ------choice was a reasonable consequence of 20 Emmerson does a beautiful job of integrating years acceleration during which space he various streams of history, philosophy, practiced the Chaconne and that only the ethnomusicology, and auditory perception “The future may be a fiction.” impossibility of playing the music preserved together to demonstrate key theories in - Anonymous survivor of a his motivation and sanity. Whether or not composed and improvised electo-acoustic, New Jersey mugging his opinions are believed, the Chewlards acoustic, and a few popular(!) musical broke their traditional rule limiting compositions. The text is illustrated with a novitiates to five years of age or younger. small number of Venn diagrams showing New Universe Spaces, June 13, 2165 The argument over Lektrowsky’s age has areas of overlap and enclosure in the never been satisfactorily resolved. He was philosophical realm. These figures helped John Lektrowsky, the world’s only born August 14, 1985, entered space in my understanding of the broader concepts STARNAUT, joined the Chewlard Order the year 2001, and returned in 2164, earth Emerson presented in the text. yesterday. The massive gates of the students’ time. According to both his records and the I have decided to use this book as the primary portal of the Chewlard Monastery opened certifying physiologists, he spent twenty life text for my class in the fall entitled “Electronic briefly to receive his body and instrument. years under acceleration attaining a speed Music of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Using He entered clad in the traditional “Tails” greater than 99 percent of the speed of Technology to Create Music.” I am looking with violin (the 1704 Betts Stradivarius) light. Physicists still have not been able to forward to delving deeper into Emmerson’s under right arm, Tourte bow dangling explain the time discrepancy. One group view of electronic music with my students from thumb and forefinger, and the page maintains the theory of relativity must be and creating a stronger “relationship to the of manuscript in left hand. Observers revised, another that he passed close to a sonic resources around us.” speculated that it was the opening of Black Hole. the Back Chaconne, but, of course, this information is not revealed by the Order. Lektrowsky left a will to be made public in two weeks.

109 110 array Lektrowsky’s Will Max Mathews 2007/2008 New Universe Spaces, June 27, 2165 and wish to give to it the wisdom that I, used until about 2010 when the petroleum STARNAUT’S WILL READ the only sane and surviving STARNAUT, supplies were exhausted.) Now, with At that time, manufacturers started possess. Accordingly, I hereby will this automatic factories, polyethylene grass, phasing out the dual stereo tapes and John Lektrowsky’s will was communicated document to the entire Universe for and the one-month work year, a sense of their accompanying four speakers and today from the offices of Burk and Fint in whatever good uses can be made of these creativity in work is difficult to feel. To some making available only incompatible eight an unusual transmission. unique opinions. Since time is short, I will extent this need has been filled by creativity channel disks which required completely simply attempt to describe my reactions, in the arts and especially music where the new turntables plus, of course, four more Lektrowsky is assumed to be still alive those of a 20th century man, to the 22nd new instruments and trainers have made it speakers. The response from the public, somewhere in the Chewlard auditoria, century world. My comments focus on possible for almost anyone or any group to whose memories of the transition from though his existence will be confirmed only music, because both the world and I play a self-satisfying auditory performance. two to four speakers were all too vivid, was if his style can be identified on a recording, owe our sanity to these vibrations. Their (Editor’s note: Here the will continues at immediate. Factory walls were stormed, which—as is well known—are the only unique effect on our brains has never been some length developing the argument production lines wrecked, and atrocities messages ever to leave the monastery gates. explained or understood and I can subtract that, with the outlawing of any form of committed. An unfortunate Vice President Although public interest in Lektrowsky nothing from the mystery, but it is clear live recording, auditory performance is of Advertising, who tried to sway the mob, has somewhat abated, Burk and Fint’s that without this form of expression race pure creativity and can have no utility, was found with his head in a folded horn communications were copied by all major suicide might end our great civilization, hence it has rightfully been excluded from driven by a 500-watt amplifier playing both news media. The most unusual feature was even as apparently happened to the strange productivity rationing. Music is contrasted channels of an old stereo Rock recording. the will. The only property involved is the earless creatures on the inner planet of to painting where no satisfactory method information in the document itself and Alpha Centauri. for disposing of finished pictures has yet Happily, a technical solution to the this “wisdom” Lektrowsky left to the entire been invented, and they continue to pollute impasse was feasible. Some work of an universe in order that “the future may The need in every man to create something the walls of our buildings.) early computer musician, Howning, was profit from the experience of the past.” beautiful, at least to his senses, was not rediscovered and developed. By using Following the Spaces longstanding policy, appreciated in my day, perhaps because it ingenious techniques involving mixing the entire document will be published in was partly fulfilled in the course of normal On Quadraspeakers reverberated and direct sounds plus the Moonday Supplement and annotated work. A lucky man might spend his years My star ship having been equipped with Doppler frequency shifts plus time delays, excerpts are given below. building houses or boats or gardens, which an excellent stereo system, I was somewhat Howning was able to demonstrate that -BG could be made more beautiful, or at least surprised to learn that recordings were four speakers are sufficient to reproduce better, by the loving effort he put into their reproduced over only four loudspeakers, sounds from any direction or any distance construction. Even the automobile worker albeit excellent ones. I had really expected and to create moving sounds, in fact to Will of John Lektrowsky could be proud of the sparkling chromium to find the walls of rooms papered create sounds moving faster than the speed and bright colors on his cars knowing that with tens or even hundreds of speakers of sound. These methods were developed I, John Lektrowsky, being of sound mind but somewhere deep inside he had tightened a designed to attack the ear from every into the quadraspeakers that have been unusual experience and having voluntarily vital nut to just the right torque, and that conceivable direction. Of course, I had no standard for so long. left the company of man by joining the the motor might fall out if his work was way of knowing about the quadraspeaker realms of eternal Chewlard practice, do neglected. (Editor’s note: The automobile, revolution that occurred in the year 1990 On the Absent Audience and Virtuosity nevertheless feel kindly toward the world an ancient form of transportation, was and was decisive, if brief. Some men, returning from a long trip,

111 112 array Lektrowsky’s Will Max Mathews 2007/2008 yearn for ice cream or some other edible. naïveté was so great I had to be told that embody the performers’ musical ideas keyboard, a wand that could be freely I, coming home from an incredibly longer any virtuoso worthy of his tails would play effortlessly as if in answer to their very moved in three dimensions, or a set of journey, dreamed of again hearing a at least twice as fast as the listening tempo thoughts. As I later learned, the computer foot pedals were popular with the younger concert, even the nonmusical parts of the and all recordings are carefully slowed was controlled by perfectly ordinary players. Some devices looked vaguely like performance—the orchestra tuning, the down before being released. Paginenius, devices and the “miracle” lay in the archaic instruments—a violin without a audience coughing, the conductor tapping according to my informer—a man with trainer’s program. I am most grateful to the body, a clarinet with a solid tube, a board his baton. You can imagine my crushing rank of Mabbot—played nothing slower government for making an exception to the that could be struck with a stick. These disappointment to learn that audiences than four times real time including strict laws banning audiences at Audances, were favored by the older players who I had been banned many years ago from his measure from “The Flight of the though I feel it was entirely justified by my guessed might have studied traditional all auditory performances. Only gradually Bumblebee.” Such virtuosity, he explained, special circumstances. I believe my disguise instruments. have I come to agree with the wisdom is achieved by having each performer as a repairman looking for an intermittent of this decision. I now understand that concentrate on a short section, typically bug in the computer was accepted and the In discussing the performance afterwards any live performance of any Index work a measure, of one piece and practice performance was normal. with the trainer, I learned that the simplicity would be bound to be far inferior to the it to the ultimate perfection. Complete of appearance of the devices was deceptive. flawless recordings, released in cathedra performances are created by abutting the I arrived a little before the performers. The The knobs responded not only to twisting, by the Ecumusical Synod, and reproduced efforts of many such specialists. While I look chamber, a pleasant room almost 15 meters but also to how hard they were grasped to noiseless technical perfection over the forward to such an opportunity to perfect long, was furnished with about a dozen and even to the skin temperature of the quadraspeakers built into every room. my technique, I must admit to occasional consoles resembling TV sets distributed performer. The keyboard was sensitive to (Editor’s note: Although no one would nostalgic memories of my voyage, when in a comfortably irregular pattern. Some both vertical and horizontal pressure on the argue against the superiority of recordings, I played the entire Chaconne, however had chairs, and others were at standing keys as well as to velocity and displacement the audience ban was enacted for another badly. (Editor’s note: Certain restrictions height so the performer could move of key stroke. As far as the computer was reason: to protect the performers. Auditory are presently in effect to limit ways of freely as he reacted to the music. Only concerned almost any device could control performance grew out of an ancient ritual, achieving virtue. Paginenius resulted from the control console of the computer and any function so that the players could quite The Happening, invented in the mid 20th the crossbreeding of a Congolese drummer the card reader were actually in the room, arbitrarily select something that fitted their century by Allen Kupro, John Kage, and with a Chinese ping-pong champion. Such the main circuits being in an adjacent training or mood. several other artists far in advance of their genetic engineering is outlawed.) room. The usual quadraspeakers were time, perhaps too far. The instruments incorporated into the walls and the sound The player who had rejected all mechanical available then were so poor that the On Audio Performance came from there just as it would have for devices merely stood in front of his console result was frequently unendurable and To you, Audio Performance—Audance, any recording. and watched the TV display intently, thus performers were all too often lynched by as it is called—must have the comfortable making me erroneously suspect him of being the angry audience.) familiarity of a close friend, but for me, From my chosen post, hovering over the some sort of performance critic. (Editor’s coming from a time when each note card reader with miniscope in hand, I was note: Criticism of audio performance is Even after hearing a recording, I cherished had to be individually handcrafted, my able to watch the players assemble. All but one of the few capital crimes in our society. the hope that occasionally a monastery first Audance seemed a miracle of mass one selected some control devices from a Fortunately, it is rare, the last critic having gate might open a crack to allow a select production in which swarms of notes cabinet and plugged cables from these into been executed over 50 years ago.) Far from few to witness a recording session. My grouped and regrouped themselves to their consoles. A box with knobs, an organ being a critic, the trainer explained that

113 114 array Lektrowsky’s Will Max Mathews 2007/2008 this player, one of the most advanced in quadraspeakers, rising in intensity, pitch, allow exceptions only on command I do not know the reason—perhaps the the group, was a looker. Built into each and rhythmic modulation as it moved. The of the trainer. The sound quality was environment was constructed by the trainer console is an eye-tracking camera, hence it effect on the performers was immediate also superb. All the normal instruments for other personalities, perhaps the players’ is quite possible to play any note displayed and utter. During the set-up time, I had to could be heard at various times with the improvisations limited the organization, on the TV screen simply by looking at it. attend discretely to my miniscope and poke brilliance we have come to expect from perhaps my mood was unreceptive. In any With a more complex program, groups of the card reader occasionally to assuage their enhanced reproductions on the case, I did not regret the non-recording act notes can be played by sweeping one’s eyes some slightly worried glances. From the first quadraspeakers. But in addition, many which, as the Audance ended, condemned across them. Although eyeing a score is one vibration of the Audance to its reluctant new sounds were incorporated—some so the last never-to-be-repeated vibration to of the most facile performance techniques, finale, I could have paced in Chewlardian different from normal instruments that oblivion. But the thoughtful departure of more eye training is required to become Tails in front of the oblivious performers, so it would be useless to attempt to describe the players testified to memories that would proficient than might be imagined and completely was their attention captured by them, others which seemed like crosses be long cherished. (Editor’s note: The not many performers reach this advanced the sounds they were creating. The trainer between standard instruments. I amused Spaces take no responsibility for the above state. explained that one of her most critical myself inventing names for some—the statements, which border dangerously close functions was to resolve and terminate Trumpolin, the Obow, the Piananet, the to criticism. Fortunately, the arm of the An immediate quiet in the group was the performance while the players were Harpsibone. My fantasies were closer to law seldom reaches inside the monastery produced by the entrance of the trainer, a still alive. Early Audances, before trainers the truth than I realized. Players could walls.) beautiful girl with long yellow hair, whose were mandatory, sometimes got into man- construct timbres by mixing traditional presence made it difficult to concentrate on machine loops that were broken only by instruments, for example, 10% violin, 30% On Trainers the card reader. Trainers, in my time, would the collapse of the player, or in fortunate trombone, and 60% tympani. The classic The skills of a trainer, which encompass both have been called composers, or conductor- cases by some computer error. instruments provided a convenient palette an explicit theory of music and the most composers, except that they would not to be combined into these new sounds. The sophisticated programming techniques, have had the superb skill in programming Three and one half hours later, as the last three-dimensional wand was a popular could hardly be described here even if I achieved by the trainer through long years sound reluctantly died into a reverberated tone control. understood them. I can only recount a few of understudying master programmers, nor distance far beyond the walls of the room, the recollections of an after-performance drink the required certificate in psychotherapy. players slowly laid down their instruments However, comments on technique and with Alison, who immediately denied that and slipped from the room, guiding their sound quality are procrastination to delay she composed “works of art.” In fact, she The Audance began with some discussion, feet over familiar steps with unfocused eyes. answering my original question, which must put down those pompous old soundbags like not entirely audible to me, amongst the They had returned from another world, an now be faced. Without risking violation of Beethoven and Brahms, whose delusions performers and trainer in which, I believe, inner world immeasurably further away the criticism laws, I can certainly say I was of grandeur let them write something so she ascertained the mood of the group. than Alpha Centauri. not moved by the performance as deeply as it could be played again and again. Her Next she selected a deck from her large were the performers. Many times the music function was to create an environment in music case and dropped it into the card How did the music affect me? Technically, rose to great peaks and fell beautifully which her group could express themselves reader. At the same time the performers there was no question about its excellence, into the intervening valleys, which are as musically in ways satisfactory to themselves. took up their various devices. The trainer and indeed there could hardly be any necessary as the peaks themselves to define This, she maintained, was both far more next inserted a key in the computer console since the compositional rules were part the summits. But the succession of climaxes difficult than making a composition to be and a low sound gradually swept round the of the program and the computer would did not form, for me, a convincing landscape. played by expert musicians and much more

115 116 array Lektrowsky’s Will Max Mathews 2007/2008 valuable than endlessly repeating the same The TV consoles were invaluable in We parted with her suggestion that, although relativistic performance at earth speeds is old notes. Of course, she admitted the old controlling the Audance. They could group Audances were relaxing recreation, immensely more difficult, nevertheless the fogies had perhaps done as well as they show a selection of possible sounds that she also led private performances, which Mabbot was well pleased. (Editor’s note: could considering their crude instruments. the performer could play in any order he were incomparably more satisfying, W. A. Back, who is occasionally confused wished or, with another subroutine, they and if I would come by her studio some with J. S. Bach, lived in the remote Green By contrast, the computer allowed almost could show a phrase pre-composed by evening, she was sure she could make me Forest of Bavaria in the 17th century. His any possibility from completely unrestricted Alison which the performer could start or forget the violin. Unfortunately, I had an music was lost and rediscovered in 1981 in improvisation to the exact replication of stop at any time. They could reveal to one appointment with the Chewlardian High the men’s room of the New York Public pre-composed notes, though she would performer what another was improvising or Mabbot on the following day and, by the Library on some old paper pressed into only consider pre-composition for very show one of the global functions that Alison time I again thought of Alison, my future service during the great paper shortage inexperienced performers. Frequently, she often provided to control the climaxes and was committed in other directions. Had it which resulted from the Sierra Club’s would supply the harmonies by means of valleys of the grand structure. In rare not been for this quirk of timing, I suspect legislation forbidding all tree cutting. In the a program to a melody improvised by one cases, they could picture a staff with notes things would have come out very differently Green Forest, during Back’s time, a five- of the players. The harmony rules could that were played in the manner of ancient and I might not now be writing this will. string variant of the violin was popular, be changed from time to time, either by performance, except that the players could which greatly simplifies performing some herself or one of the players. Alternatively, relax knowing that the computer would On Monastic Music of his music.) the computer might improvise the melody, correct any mistakes they might make. I As far as I have been able to determine, no and the players, as the spirit moved them, have already mentioned the unique use of layman has ever before interviewed a High The Chewlards contain three ranks of might improvise restrictions on it making the TV by the lookers. Alison confirmed Mabbott in any of the musical orders. Not virtuosi: Performers, who are rightfully it proceed rapidly or slowly, in scales or in my feeling that without TV, Audance only was I granted this privilege, but the the only group entitled to wear tails; great melodic leaps, or in arpeggios. would scarcely be possible. Mabbot answered all my questions and Archivists; and Untouchables. The duties In my century a woman composer was a appeared to withhold nothing. It almost of the Performers, as one would expect, The most interesting, but trickiest, controls rarity, so I inquired whether Alison felt out seemed as if he wished to communicate are to practice their notes diligently and, involved interactions among several players. of place in a male profession. Her reply a better understanding of the Order to when requested, perform flawlessly for the One might create the durations of a note was delayed by a sharp spasm, which she the world through me. Why he chose this recording microphones. sequence while another made the pitches, was able to suppress with some difficulty by poor vehicle I cannot say, except that the or one might create a rhythm pattern and holding her napkin over her mouth. When customary audition at the beginning of the The Archivists maintain the Index of the second a counter-rhythm to go with she had recovered her voice, she explained interview went well. As the demonstration Classics and the master digital recordings it. When necessary, the computer would that although the Men’s Equality League I had chosen the quintuple stops at the of all classics. In order to be put on the resolve any conflicts according to its rules occasionally cried discrimination or beginning of the second measure of the immortal Index, a composition must be by changing the notes of one or the other picketed an Audance, very few men were Back Chaconne, having practiced these unanimously canonized by the Ecumusical player. Even so, Alison had to carefully select able to compete as trainers. She didn’t know from my second through thirteenth years Synod of Archivists. Thereafter, a digital compatible partners and, not infrequently, exactly why—something in the feminine in space. As written, all tones must be recording of the definitive performance change the rules or arrange a hasty divorce outlook—men just never seemed to be struck with precise simultaneity. This will be kept on quartz plates in the archives, to avoid a breakdown in the music. able to learn how to properly maintain the I achieved during final acceleration to the Untouchables will be authorized to climaxes so vital to musical finales. the speed of light, and though the non- issue records and all performances will

117 118 array Lektrowsky’s Will Max Mathews 2007/2008 be counted. The Chewlards, unlike some the year 2051, the 126,532,543th sample has learned as a child. In my time, before orders, do not maintain that the universe of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony changed Telespeak became universal, different will end when all classics have been perfectly from 124613 ... to 124615 ... due to a most peoples spoke many languages. Although played 2440 times. They do, however, unlikely constellation of flyspecks. A High it was possible for an adult to learn a new keep a careful count of all performances. Synod was called immediately to deal language, he could never master it in the Needless to say, few compositions achieve with the emergency, but fortunately before way he would have learned it as a child. the Index; in fact, none have been they acted, the difficulty was cured by an Today’s music is a new language for me, canonized in the last century for reasons ingenious Archivist who washed the plate. and I can intellectually appreciate its that are controversial. Some maintain that The role of the Untouchables at first power, yet in another sense I can never audio performance has diverted the interest seemed enigmatic within the purity of the learn it. Audance is the privilege of the of composers away from classics. Others musical Orders. Their function is to handle youth of today and I must seek the music feel that the reason lies with the unplayable the unclean electronic apparatus used to of my youth, which happily is also a rich (and unlistenable) music composed at the record performance, slow the speed to language. end of the 20th century by the successors the proper listening tempo, abut and mix of the 12-tone school. In any case, since the various performers and compute the no limit is ever put on playing speed, the quadrasignals. This last operation included existing classics are sufficient to provide an such enhancements as reverberation, eternal challenge to the Performers. filtering and noise stripping, whose existence is seldom mentioned to the performers. Even if the art of performance would But, as the Mabbot so clearly put it, one vanish, the classics would be perpetually must eat to play, and the income of the preserved on the quartz archives located Order comes from record sales. Hence, deep inside a granite cave cut into the heart it must compete in quality with the other of a mountain whose location was unknown sounds coming from the quadraspeakers. I even to the High Mabbot. On these plates was moved by the beauty and directness of are written in sputtered gold, numerical his wisdom. samples of the four sacred signals used to drive the quadraspeakers. Each signal is A Farewell Warning Against sampled 440,000 times per second, and Misinterpretation each sample is quantized into a 440 digit The day of my entry into the Chewlards binary number, so to human senses the dawns and I must end this will with one recordings are flawless. But, in addition, the caveat. My choice should in no way be samples contain not only check sums, but interpreted as evidence that classical also error correcting digits, so that errors performed and recorded music is superior are unthinkable. In only one case was the to audio performance. A man is a prisoner perfection of the archives challenged. In of his age and, in fact, is bound to what he

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