Lettres John Chowning, François Bayle, Daniel Teruggi, Jon Appleton, Gérard Assayag, Richard Kronland Martinet, Mitsuko Aramaki, Sølvi Ystad

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John Chowning, François Bayle, Daniel Teruggi, Jon Appleton, Gérard Assayag, et al.. Lettres. Computer Music Journal, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press (MIT Press), 2017, 41, pp.15 - 20. 10.1162/COMJc00410. hal-01688998

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Computer Music Journal, Volume 41, Number 2, Summer 2017, pp. 15-20 (Article)

Published by The MIT Press

For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/662531

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[Editor’s note: To complement the tones. I was stunned; the sounds were Yamaha’s consideration of their first late Jean-Claude Risset’s obituary as sparkling and lively as was he. all-digital family of synthesizers. in this issue’s News section, we Risset showed me how, with careful It has often been a topic of dis- solicited these letters of tribute from listening and attention to small de- cussion why Risset, and then I, individuals who knew him well. The tails, he had produced sounds that first focused on the simulation of letters were received in December were dynamic and fluid, with all of the acoustic orchestral instruments. The 2016 and January 2017. As they allure of acoustic sounds. I was struck answer reveals the strategy within reveal, we say farewell to not only a especially by the fact that he based Risset’s long-term goal and the so- giant of our field but also a splendid only one of the simulations—the phistication of his thinking about human being.] brass tones—on computer analysis; what is the sound of an acoustic most he had created using his ear as instrument—what is its “timbre.” his guide. His reliance upon his ear There are several reasons, and from Jean-Claude Risset—A Source was so important to me because I did the point of view of psychoacoustic not have a scientific education and and perceptual research, the first is While it is with ineffable sadness rich technical background as did he, obvious. (1) The sounds are ideal that I write these words following but we did share the ability to listen simulation targets (control) as they the death of Jean-Claude Risset, I also and hear critically. Encouraged by one are so ingrained and easily identified, feel joy and wonder in having known another’s work and having similar in- providing the researcher a sense of him, as I reflect on his musical and terests in research and composition, the perceptual proximity of test tones scientific contributions to the field especially increasing our understand- to target tones. (2) An instrument of computer music and the forma- ing of perception with the controls cannot be represented by a single tive beginning of our professional that Mathews’ program provided tone, as there are infinite possible association and long friendship. us, we were filled with hope for a variations through pitch, loudness, Jean-Claude Risset and I met for medium that was virtually unknown duration, articulation, etc. Risset felt the first time at Stanford University in in the larger world of contemporary very strongly that understanding the the spring of 1967, two years after we music. contextual complexity of an instru- began our work with computers, he at On December 18 of the same ment’s timbre from the very outset Bell Telephone Laboratories (BTL) and year, 1967, I visited Risset at BTL. I was essential to achieving nuanced I at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence played for him what I had discovered musical expression. (3) Orchestral (AI) Laboratory. He had traveled to only weeks before when I selectively instruments have been highly refined Los Angeles for a conference and then increased vibrato depths and rates through generations of craftsmen to to the Stanford AI Lab, where we of a sinusoid to audio frequencies meet the expressive requirements met (certainly at night, when I was that modulated the frequency of a of the evolving musical landscape. allowed to use the computer system second sinusoid, producing tones Risset felt ours was a similar path, as an unfunded researcher). I knew of having many or few partials, both understanding as much as possible Risset from Max Mathews, but I had harmonic and inharmonic. He copied of this rich platform, especially at no idea what I was in for. I played for the MUSIC IV algorithm and my data, the perceptual level, from which to him my demonstrations of moving recognizing the efficiency in gener- refine the sounds of this new dig- sounds in a quadraphonic loudspeaker ating time-dependent spectra using ital domain. From this platform, space. He knew about the all-pass frequency modulation synthesis. (An he stepped into the realm of pure feedback delay, a key component inveterate note taker, he also marked imagination and creation that was, of the artificial reverberator in my the date, which otherwise I would not as Mathews had explained in his fa- demonstration, as it was developed know, as I had no training in research mous paper, unbounded by technical by M. R. Schroeder, a colleague of and my lab notes were undated.) He limitations. Mathews at BTL, but he had not encouraged me in my pursuit of this Risset’s first composition for com- heard until then the spatial richness work at a time when few others did. puter was incidental music for the of a four-channel projection. Several years later I used this algo- play Little Boy,fromwhichheas- Then he played for me his experi- rithm to synthesize brass-like tones sembled Computer Suite from Little ments in the synthesis of instrument based on the insight he had gained Boy (1968). In this work, he made in his earlier computer analysis. The full use of his elegant instrument quality and efficient computation of simulations, the recipes for which doi:10.1162/COMJ c 00410 these simulations were critical in he published in An Introductory

Letters 15 Catalogue of Computer Synthesized rooted in the early years of discovery, for Jean-Claude Risset a frequent base Sounds (1969). the description and excitement of of support, a place and also a bond of But it is in Mutations (1969) where which was always an essential part friendship. his earlier studies paid off, where of our lectures. He gave purpose and Brightly shining evidence of this, at pure imagination and creation took direction to the many students and the other extremity of our life paths: hold, where he created his breakout colleagues who were attracted to him. his Elementa,composedtosalute work that would leave its imprint His knowledge was encyclopedic, but the 50th anniversary of musique on his works that followed (as well what he revealed to us was always in concrete.` as on my own). At an extraordinary context, illuminating and enriching I loved his exigency, his impecca- moment of insight and invention, our thoughts, our research, our music. ble rigor, his proud modesty. Risset composed the spectrum of He left us with his own music and And I share his infinite project: asoundsuchthatthefrequencies writings, beautiful and profound—he ...mettre en scene` des ren- of its partials are derived from the is gone, but he did not disappear. contres intimes entre sons pitch space of which it is a part. acoustiques, traces audibles He created inharmonic spectra, in John Chowning which at one instant the partials Marseille, France (27 November d’un monde materiel´ visible, et sons immateriels qui suggerent cohere as idiophones imprinted with 2016) and Palo Alto, California, USA ´ ` un monde illusoire, imagine, une the pitch material and at another (8 January 2017) ´ they detach and flee independently autre realit´ e,´ purement interieure´ et sonore through time, diaphanous and supple, providing an intimate structural link Through a shortcut in space-time, [...to stage intimate encounters between pitch and timbre—defying Jean-Claude Risset was given very between acoustic sounds, audible their common definition as being early access to the bull’s-eye of the traces of a visible material world, independent characteristics of a tone. target: that of the mystery of music. and immaterial sounds that Risset had unlocked timbre, or the Still, it took a subtle mixture suggest an illusory, imagined quality of a sound, from the idea of of aptitudes for wonder and also world, another reality, purely a physical source, real or imagined, scientific clairvoyance to grasp, in inner and sonorous] creating complex structured sound the same look, the deployment of spectra that cannot exist in the forms in both the concrete space of —Risset in Du songe au son: natural world but that embrace the the world and the abstract dream of Entretiens avec Matthieu deep roots of “pitch” in a millennium listening. Guillot (Perspectives musi- of tradition. He had opened the door to Among other lucid dreamers— cologiques contemporaines), the concept of composing the sound Max Mathews, John Pierce, and Paris: L’Harmattan, 2008 itself, not arranging sounds in time John Chowning—who transformed Having entered fame early, Jean- but composing time within sound, an the austere environment of the first Claude Risset has permanently set- idea that he imaginatively extended computers into miraculous machines, tled there, in his works and that remains as it was Risset who discovered, through an underexplored terrain, one of his a completely new crossroads, the ...dans la lumiere,` avec ﬁnesse great gifts to future generations and astonishing role of “time inside [in the light, with finesse] his own—the opening of Mutations sound,” rather than the usual “sounds —words by Mallarme´ addressed directly inspired my Phone¯ (1981). in time.” to Debussy, concerning Prelude´ Jean-Claude Risset felt deeply Paradoxical, like dream sleep. al’apr` es-midi` d’un faune committed to the culture of which If, through a historical accident, he was a part, traveling widely and Ihadtheprivilegeofpresenting Franc¸oisBayle teaching with exceptional intellectual in Paris his Mutations (along with Paris, France generosity. Over the years, Risset Chowning’s Turenas and a spatial and I shared many lecture/concerts concert d’oiseaux [concert of birds] in many places, often with Max by Jean-Claude Roche),´ it was then Au revoir,Jean-ClaudeRisset Mathews, Risset’s former mentor, through an entirely natural volition the two of them having the highest on my part that the Groupe de During 2016, we had been having mutual regard. Our own bond was Recherches Musicales (GRM) became discussions with Jean-Claude about

16 Computer Music Journal musical preservation and how him, programming sounds necessarily Jean-Claude Risset was a personal composers will have difficulties implied preconception. Nevertheless, friend as much as a colleague. We met in the future to have their music Franc¸oisBayle,whowasthendirector in Sweden in 1970 at the UNESCO performed in good condition. It was of the GRM, commissioned from conference on music and technology. always a pleasure to discover his Risset the first digital work of our I also met Risset’s mentor Max Math- insights, worries, and vision about repertoire, Mutations (1969), first ews at the same time, and he became what music was and could be in performed at the UNESCO meeting my mentor as well. Jean-Claude and the future; he lived through almost for Music and Technology in Stock- his wife Rozenn stayed with me in all the history of electroacoustic holm in 1970. Schaeffer appreciated Vermont many times, as I stayed with music since its birth, and having his the music of Risset, and Risset had them in Paris and Marseille. We drank perspective and thoughts was indeed aprofoundrespectforhimandhis too many martinis, took picnics in unique for me and the GRM. Now he work. French villages and in Sequoia, Cali- was concerned about how his music Since then, Jean-Claude traveled fornia. We laughed a lot (I remember would survive him and how good on a parallel path to ours, exploring ahalf-dozenofhisjokes),sharednews conditions for its performance could his own roads and his strong interest of our children and grandchildren, be ensured in the future. in sound hybrids, where field-recorded hiked, skied, and cooked together, es- Icouldhavewrittenthissentence sounds interact with instrumental pecially when he taught at Dartmouth many times in the past regarding and synthesized sounds, as in his and when I was a resident at the Ca- each visit of Jean-Claude, either wonderful work Sud—which is not margo Foundation in Cassis (20 min- when composing a work in the only one of the outstanding works utes from Marseille). He knew how to GRM studios, or for a concert or of the GRM repertoire but which use computers to compose his truly conference where he would always was analyzed by thousands of young original electroacoustic music, and I spend time with us so we could students when the French Education hardly did. The focus of each of our explain our activities and sometimes Ministry proposed the work as the encounters was four-hand piano mu- institutional problems. We would reference music during the year 2000; sic: Mozart, Ravel, Debussy, and even talk and have discussions about students studied it and discovered its apieceIcomposedforhim,Quatre music, technology, preservation, or richness and were fascinated while regards sur le Parc de Roi d’Espagne, the future evolution of tools. We listening to it, as so many have apunonMessiaen’sworkandthe would always leave with an “au recalled to us. He indeed opened the name of the Marseille suburb where revoir,” see you soon! ears of future musicians. Jean-Claude and Rozenn lived most Indeed, he was a unique man, fasci- We are sad today, the GRM is of their married life. In his memory, I nated by sounds and sound creation; sad; we have lost a great musician, have composed a new four-hand piano he probably lived one of the most unique researcher, wonderful teacher, piece, Alam` emoire´ de Jean-Claude fascinating experiences in music, but mainly a friend. Somebody who Risset.Otherpianistswillhaveto and this was to discover how sounds would enjoy listening to what oth- play it. He was truly my brother. are made and how they can be syn- ers did, always ready to make an thesized. He was a pioneer of sound enriching comment, with deep un- Jon Appleton invention who then turned his discov- derstanding of what music moves in Princeville, Hawaii, USA eries towards music in all its forms us and what it brings to humanity. and developed a personal and recog- Jean-Claude will stay with us, in our nizable musical style, be it acous- hearts and minds and with his music, When Jean-Claude Risset left us on matic, instrumental, or mixed music. and we will always think of him with 21 November 2016, the news struck The GRM met Jean-Claude Ris- asoftau revoir. us hard. set in the 1960s; in that period the Jean-Claude’s foundational work GRM was starting to explore and Daniel Teruggi in computer music and in the understand what was happening with Paris, France analysis, synthesis, and perception of computers and music and what its po- [Editor’s note: Teruggi is the director musical sound contributed in an ab- tential could be. Contacts were made of GRM. A couple of recent inter- solutely decisive way to establishing with Bell Labs, despite the resistance views in French can be found on the this field of musical research in which from Pierre Schaeffer regarding any GRM Web site: http://www.inagrm we work every day. Jean-Claude kind of preconceived music—and for .com/deces-jean-claude-risset.] had participated in the founding

Letters 17 Figure 1. LMA, Marseilles, 1990. From left: Jean-Claude Risset, Daniel Arﬁb, Nathalie Delprat, Pierre Dutilleux, Philippe Guillemain, an internship student, Sabine Meunier, Max Mathews, John Chowning, and Richard Kronland-Martinet. (Photo: Rozenn Risset.) of the Institut de Recherche et de conference on the emergence of Coordination Acoustique/Musique modern musical research was accom- (IRCAM) alongside Pierre Boulez. panied by the performance of some At the institute’s outset, he directed of their compositions, followed by a the computer department, and later, surreal round table at the archaeolog- the ATIAM program. This master’s ical site of Plato’s Academy on the level program—whose initial letters theme “A tribute to the Platonic view stand in French for acoustics, signal on the mathematical nature of mu- processing, and computer science sic.” Thus, on a day of that Hellenic applied to music—has since trained limpidity, which suited him so well, several hundred young researchers surrounded by his travel companions in the science of sound and music. and the electronic charm of cicadas, Thus, very early on, this exceptional all Risset’s luminous passions were researcher and artist had also set witnessed: his rigorous creativity, his up facilities for higher education beautiful intelligence, his youthful in order to identify and train young wisdom—this is the image that we creative personalities and ensure the will treasure forever. discipline’s future. AtutelaryfigureforIRCAMas Gerard´ Assayag well as for the whole world of new Paris, France music and musical science, Jean- Claude Risset possessed an unlimited interests. Even if he was particularly benevolence and open-mindedness, Since 21 November 2016, the door attached to art–science interactions, along with his farsightedness. He to Jean-Claude Risset’s office has Jean-Claude knew that discoveries inscribed himself permanently in not been opened, and the sound of could not be imposed from above and our imagination like those great his keys, modulated by the trace of that the roads towards new findings figures who at times in history, from his gestures, will be forever missed. were not straight and sometimes had Pythagoras to Helmholtz and beyond, With the passing of Jean-Claude, to diverge from the initial goal. It have advanced the quadrivium of it is an entire era that has become was in this spirit that he allowed the musical sciences, or who, like a history. Jean-Claude was one of the one of us (R. Kronland-Martinet) to Rameau, have achieved the rare alloy last computer music pioneers, and explore a new, purely mathematical of a personal musical elegance and a one of those who opened the road to a decomposition method, the wavelet systematic understanding destined to brand-new world of unheard sounds. transform, that was totally unknown illuminate the path forward. We had the privilege of being at that time. Thanks to this initia- Some time ago, a historic con- part of Jean-Claude’s research team tive, the very first applications with ference opening in Athens brought until he retired in 2000. In spite wavelets were performed on sounds together, in a moving manner, the of Jean-Claude’s intense activities and musical signals. two friends and pioneers Jean-Claude abroad during this period, he was Jean-Claude’s attachment to sur- Risset and John Chowning at a always extremely inspiring and open- prising detours that sometimes appear major international symposium on minded. The team strongly benefited in research can also be perceived in his computer music. The audience was from his large international network, musical pieces in which he brilliantly captivated by a summary of how the and we got to meet many influential experimented with the ductility of digital alchemy of music, so familiar researchers working in the field at sounds through new, tentative com- to us today, was first distilled in that time, such as Max Mathews, puter tools. He even went further those feverish years at Bell Labs and John Chowning, David Wessel, Jon and experimented with visualizations at Stanford’s Center for Computer Appleton, et al. (See Figures 1 and 2.) of sound representations, as on the Research in Music and Acoustics Jean-Claude was a very tolerant cover of the CD Sud Dialogues • • before coming to modern technolog- group leader who was always enthu- Inharmonique Mutations published • ical foundries, among them IRCAM, siastic about our work and ideas and by INA-GRM in 1987, which displays which was once home to both Risset who never tried to interfere with one of the first images of wavelet and Chowning. This retrospective our various initiatives and research transforms applied to a sound.

18 Computer Music Journal Figure 2. LMA, Marseilles, 1995. From left: Jean-Claude Risset, Sølvi Ystad, Daniel Arﬁb, Jon Appleton, Max Mathews, Richard Kronland-Martinet, Marjorie Mathews, and Thierry Voinier. (Photo: Rozenn Risset.)

on the notion of sound invariants that enables an intuitive control of sounds and a perceptual navigation in various sound spaces. Jean-Claude very quickly showed a strong interest for this approach, and he was recently preparing a musical composition based on sound metaphors stemming from this paradigm. Even if his ideas of a piece in which the piano interacted with the metaphors seemed to be well on the way, this piece will forever only be known by him. A few years ago we started to toy with the idea of creating a new interdisciplinary art–science lab here in Marseilles in order to gather the many local communities, both scientific and artistic, that work on sound-, image-, and music-related issues. This was one of Jean-Claude’s old dreams Jean-Claude liked to experiment stop strangling animals? We aren’t that he mentioned in a report on the and discover new possibilities of managing to work next door!” importance of art/science/technology sound creation, but he also knew Jean-Claude was a wise man in interactions, commissioned by the how to formulate his expectations the noblest sense of the word. We French Ministry of Research in 1998. and adapt his methods to reach his often compared him, with amuse- He was extremely excited about the perceptual and aesthetic goals. He ment, to a true encyclopedia. He idea of creating such a new inter- was the typical example of an art– had an answer to everything, and disciplinary structure that favored science researcher or a science–art everything interested him. When collaborations between artists and artist. He constantly juggled between from time to time we were lucky to scientists from different research the paradigm of scientific research teach him something new, his eyes fields, and he immediately agreed to and that of artistic research. Arts and sparkled with gratefulness, like a support our initiative. As a member of science were intimately linked in his child who discovers a present. We the steering committee of this project mind, and this was not always easy owe so much to the fabulous inter- (see Figure 3), he actively participated for his fellow researchers to accept, disciplinary culture that Jean-Claude in meetings with future actors of the in particular at the Laboratory of developed. Even if we joined his team lab as well as with several decision- Mechanics and Acoustics in Mar- trained as fundamental scientists, makers of the various institutions seilles, which is resolutely oriented Jean-Claude incited us to develop a that were likely to support the project towards formal sciences. It was un- critical mind and a desire to always (Aix-Marseille University [AMU], doubtedly because of his kindness place the human, and in particular French National Research Center and his power to convince that our our auditory perception, in the center [CNRS], and the French Ministry of colleagues specializing in mechan- of our research. His scientific convic- Culture). ics accepted that their ears were tions, particularly those related to the On 1 January 2017, the new labora- titillated by the “bizarre” sounds ecological approach to perception, as tory, called PRISM (Perception, Rep- and even more “bizarre music” that well as his interests in philosophy resentations, Image, Sound, Music), emanated from our studios, at that and arts, have influenced us forever. was officially created. Unfortunately, time poorly soundproofed. We still It is as a continuity of these ideas that Jean-Claude never got the opportunity remember the irruption of one of our group more recently established a to participate in this new, exciting these colleagues into the studio, new sound synthesis paradigm called adventure, but his contribution to who exclaimed, “Could you please the action-object paradigm, based its creation will never be forgotten. { }

Letters 19 Figure 3. Marseilles, 2016. Vion-Dury, Jean-Claude The PRISM steering Risset, Richard committee. From left to Kronland-Martinet, Peter right: Jacques Sapiega, Sinclair, and Claude Mitsuko Aramaki, Sølvi Vallee.´ (Photo: Gaetan¨ Ystad, Remi´ Adjiman, Jean Parseihian.)

Dear Jean-Claude, your passing has left us with a painful feeling of emptiness, but we promise to do our best to conserve your spirit and en- thusiasm for our field, your generous way of transmitting knowledge to young and old people, and also your subtle humor and your capacity for enjoying life, good food, and wine. We only blame you for one thing: Why did you leave us this early?

Richard Kronland-Martinet, Mitsuko Aramaki, and Sølvi Ystad Marseille, France

20 Computer Music Journal