How an Interval Cycle Affects Meaning in Bang on a Can's Lost Objects

Of Cycles and Loss: How an Interval Cycle affects meaning in Bang on a Can's Lost Objects

Sean Atkinson Assistant Professor of Music Theory University of Texas, Arlington

Texas Society for Music Theory 35th Annual Conference March 1, 2013

[email protected] http://seanatki.com 48 THEORY AND PRACTICE The channeling operation thus connects the three occurrences of a given pitch class in G-space, and each occurrence is uniquely defined by one of three possible intervallic relations it forms with adjacent notes: (1) it has a S (semitone) "above" and a T (tone) "below"; (2) its has a S "below" and a T "above"; or (3) it has a T both "above" and "below."'^ This captures some interesting spatial resources of the G-space, since the pattern T-S always refers to the most clockwise location of a given pitch class, the pattern S-T to its most counterclockwise location, and T-T refers to its "middle" location. Example 6b focuses on the three representations of pitch-class E in G-space (circled in the example). Accordingly, the pattern D-E-F refers to its clockwise location, the pattern Dlí-E-Fít to its counterclockwise location, and D-E-Ftf to its "middle" location. Therefore, a change of stepwise intervallic adjacency for a given note implies its spatial mutation and corresponds to a modulating motion that can be measured by MUT. As shown in the example, the distance between the clockwise location of E and its counterclockwise location is MUT|2|, and the distance from either of these to its "middle" location is MUT|i|.

Guidonian Space (Example 6b, Martins 2006)

(Exampfe 6ê. The three representations of pitch-class E^i in G-space. Multi-Aggregate Double-Interval Cycle (ic3,4)

Ab C Eb F G Cs Bb Bb D

MUT Fs F

Eb POLE A

POLE-

B MUT+1 C

Gs E E G Cs B A Fs D Multi-Aggregate Double-Interval Cycle (ic3,4)

Ab C Eb Bb, Cs(Db), E(Fb), G(Abb) F G dim7 chord Cs Bb Bb D

Fs F

Eb POLE+ A POLE+ B C

Gs E E G Cs B A Fs D Fw:Fw: Please Look, Upper and Lower voice cycles a. b. 1 2x 16 30 16 b C b 1x Ab C Eb A E F G F G 71 b b 2x Db Bb D B 1x 46 Bb D Bb D58 b Gb F G F 30 Eb A 1 16 Eb A 48

B C16 17 B C

49 s Gs E G E E G E G 29 Cs B Cs B 17 A D 52 A D 49 17 30 Fs Fs 58 Outside Solid Lines = Motion through cycle Inside Solid Lines = Mutation (MUT) Inside Thick Line = POLE Inside Dashed lines = MUT+x transposition = MUT+1 = MUT+2 Fw:Fw: Please Look, mm. 1–16

Ab C Eb Bbm F G Gm Cs Bb Bb D

Fs F

Eb A

B C

Gs E E G Cs B A Fs D Fw:Fw: Please Look, mm. 12-20 (reduction) Lower Voices Ab C Eb F G Upper Voices Db Bb Bb D MUT+1 Gb F

Eb A

B C MUT Gs E E G Cs B A Fs D Fw:Fw: Please Look, mm. 40-52 (reduction) Lower Voices Ab C Eb F G Upper Voices Db Bb Bb D

Gb F POLE Eb A

B MUT+2 C Gs E E G Cs B A Fs D Model for Interpreting Multimedia (MIMM) Conceptual Integration Network (Zbikowski, 79) Conceptual Integration Network (Zbikowski, 79)

3rd Input Space

Fw:Fw: Please Look, text by Deborah Artman

Missing Child, Please look, then forward on…

I am asking you, begging Please forward this email to everyone. I have a daughter named Chelsea. She has been missing since 4 PM. If you know anything, If you see anything, If you hear anything, please.

Missing Child, Please look, then forward on…

All prayers are appreciated. MIMM for Fw:Fw: Please Look Another MIMM for Fw:Fw: Please Look (FD Shift)