IAML Newletter N° 15, November 2004
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IAML Electronic Newsletter No. 15, November 2004 In this out-of-band issue, you’ll find the Fontes branch reports from the IAML-IASA 2004 I wanted to let you all know that, with congress of Oslo. The papers which were effect from January 2005, I shall be work- presented are available online (at least for ing in the music library of the University those speakers who provided them) thanks of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and my to the wonderful organizers. wife, Christina Bashford (whom some of you have met) will be working in the IAML news music school there. I certainly hope to con- tinue to take an active part in IAML, al- Audio-visual commission though, as some of you will also know, I It might seem a long way off now but the shall be ceasing to be Fontes editor with Warsaw conference approaches us even effect from the Warsaw conference (which now and with it come the elections for of- I hope to attend). So hopefully you won’t ficers of Subject Commissions Branches, have seen the last of me yet. – John Wag- etc. This is my last year as A-V Commis- staff sion Chair having completed two enjoyable three-year terms. Events, publications The current Vice Chair and Secretary Publications have each completed a single term. If you work with or have an interest in music Au- Debussy first edition More than 120 dio-Visual materials and are not already years after its composition by a young and heavily involved with IASA, I ask you to besotted Claude Debussy, Les Papillons, a consider standing for election as one of the song for voice and piano set to a poem by three officers for the Audio-Visual Com- Théophile Gautier, is available to musi- mission. Please contact me directly. – cians and the public at large for the very Antony Gordon first time, in a handsomely designed port- folio first edition published by The New Cataloguing commission York Public Library. Publishing informa- I will not be standing for a second term tion: as Chair of the Commission at the elections Title: Claude Debussy Les Papillons in Warsaw, so, I am looking for librarians Publisher: The New York Public Library active in the cataloguing field who would Price: $65.00 USD be interested in assuming this interesting Size: 27 x 35 cm, 26 pp. position. ISBN: 0-87104-453-6 David Sommerfield is interested in con- tinuing as Vice-Chair, so support would be Journal of Music and Meaning The forthcoming from that position. Jaako JMM is an on-line peer-reviewed journal Tuohiniemi may not wish to continue as for multidisciplinary research on music and Secretary, so, I am looking for at least two meaning. The editorial profile of JMM eager volunteers. This is a great opportu- accommodates an inclusive plurality of nity to be active in IAML, and should be methods and disciplines and welcomes an especially interesting time, in view of contributions from a variety of fields, such the exciting initiatives that are underway in as: philosophy, mathematics, physics, mu- the cataloguing field, namely FRBR and sicology, medicine, acoustics, neurology, the VIAF. Now could be your big chance!! theology, literary studies, philosophy of science, music pedagogy, computer sci- – Alison Hall To submit an item to this newsletter, please send it via email to the address [email protected] IAML Electronic Newletter N° 15 November 2004 ence, semiotics, sociology, linguistics, re- LTM). It contains some of the material ligious studies, anthropology, psychology, found on the more recent record reviewed biology, education studies, music therapy, above, but they also differ: this CD, more culture studies, etc. JMM aims to bridge general in its approach to this movement, the gap between various studies in mean- includes also recordings of Apollinaire, ing and signification and areas of research Cocteau, Duchamp and Wyndham Lewis, in music. JMM especially encourages any while Musica Futurista includes pieces by multidisciplinary research on meaning that Alfredo Casella (one of Italy’s most impor- is able to challenge conceptions of music, tant composers in the early 20th cent., or research that explores the notion of Francesco Pratella, Silvio Mix, Maltek & meaning by the study of musical phenom- Signorelli. Surrealism Reviewed is a sequel ena. Its web site also provides links to mu- to the Futurism & Dada Reviewed record, sic research periodicals. and is also issued by LTM. New recordings Conferences, symposia Musica Futurista: Iannis Xenakis Symposium, Athens, The Art of Noises 18-20th May 2005. Iannis Xenakis is one French surrealism and of the most original creators of the 20th German dada have been century. Musical works such as Metasta- credited for their influ- seis, Conret PH, Terretektorh, Psappha or ence on everything Horos opened a totally new sound uni- from musique concrète verse. His thinking, both musical as well as to New Wave. Italian futurism, on the theoretical, about the art of sounds and its other hand, has been given short shrift due relationship to the world, overturned all to lost tapes and abandoned musical scores. previous convictions. His relationship to Perhaps this disappointing state of affairs the sciences and technology defined new will be remedied with Musica Futurista, a artistic concepts and practices. His inter- lengthy compilation that catalogues the disciplinary artistic practice made him one movement's musical innovations from the of the foremost pioneers in multimedia art. '20s and '30s. The most valuable docu- It is why his work opens up a golden path ments are the pieces by Luigi and Antonio for the arts of today and tomorrow. Russolo, former painters who invented This symposium, organized by the Mu- intonarumori, mammoth noise intoners sic department of the University of Athens (using stretched diaphragms, cranks, and in collaboration with the University of springs) that infuse even the most conven- Montpellier 3 and with support from the tional sonatas with the burgeoning me- Greek Ministry of Culture, intends to at- chanical density of infernal factories and tract researchers from all countries in order diesel engines. It's hilarious and strangely to share their experiences and knowledge, poignant, sending fragile piano pieces hur- their methods and thoughts, and to promote tling through caverns that emit surging Xenakis' work among young musicians wind and movement. Adding to this pan- and musicologists, teachers as well as to demonium is poet Filippo Tommaso Mari- the public at large. Proposals of papers netti's radio collage, “Cinque Sintesi Ra- should include an abstract of 300 words diofoniche,” which rushes through field and a short CV. They should be sent before recordings, soccer matches, folk jams, February 10, 2005 to Anastasia Georgaki alarm clocks and carnie barking. It's a clear and to Makis Solomos. Anyone whose precedent for Cage, Stockhausen, and proposal is accepted hereby agrees to sub- “Revolution 9.” – Alex Linhardt, Cornell mit his written paper before April 20, Daily Sun [By permission, with thanks] 2005. An earlier record – Futurism and Dada The 36th Annual conference of the Reviewed 1912-1959 – was released by Corporation of professional librarians of Sub Rosa in 1989 (and more recently by Quebec will take place May 18 to 20, 2005 2 IAML Electronic Newletter N° 15 November 2004 in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. The topic is Fostering Loyalty and Attractive- ness: Strategies and Purposefulness. You are invited to submit proposals by Decem- ber 13, 2004, by consulting the online Call for Papers. The theremin The theremin, named for Russian inven- tor Leon Theremin (Lev Termen, 1896- 1993, pictured here), is one of the very first electro-acoustical monophonic musical instruments which is still in use and being manufactured. Invented ca. 1918, it uses One of several books is Theremin: Ether electric circuits to produce audible tones. Music and Espionage by Albert Glinsky, a Besides looking like no other instrument, biography of the adventurous life of Lev the theremin is unique in that it is played Theremin. without being touched. Two antennas pro- Many web sites provide extensive in- trude from the theremin – one controlling formation on the instrument, such as pitch, and the other controlling volume. As Theremin Info, Theremin Vox, Theremin a hand approaches the vertical antenna, the World. pitch gets higher. Approaching the hori- zontal antenna makes the volume softer. Music business Because there is no physical contact with ® the instrument, playing the theremin re- Apple launches EU iTunes quires precise skill and perfect pitch. Ini- Apple launched a European version of tially designed to replace whole orchestras, its iTunes Music Store in several countries it has been used either as a transcription (not including Ireland). It features over instrument (most aptly to substitute for a 700,000 songs from all four major music violin or even voice) or to produce eerie or companies and more than 100 independent spooky effects in movies and band music. record labels, in addition to tracks from a Composers have written pieces for the wide variety of leading worldwide artists. theremin: Percy Grainger (including a piece for six theremins), Bohuslav Mar- The music industry and P2P tinů, Edgar Varèse (Ecuatorial), Charles Warner Music, Sony BMG Music Enter- Ives (Symphony n° 4), and more recently tainment and Vivendi Universal's Univer- Kasper Toeplitz… sal Music Group have signed up to allow The two outstanding performers of this their music to be used by the Peer Impact instrument are Clara Rockmore (1911- peer-to-peer (P2P) service, which allows 1998) and Lydia Kavina, grand-niece of legal music file sharing. The company is Lev Theremin, who, besides performing conducting a beta test of its product and (her web site provides dates of her con- expects to release it to the public in the certs) and recording, teaches the instru- first quarter of 2005.