Reviews

[Editor’s note: Selected reviews are performances, lectures, demonstra- ateur choir of 24 voices who per- posted on the Web. In some cases, tions, and workshops exploring con- formed under their conductor Martyn they are either unpublished in the temporary music for voices and Warren an impressive and articulate Journal itself or published in an ab- showcasing computer music research new work by Karen Wimhurst. The breviated form in the Journal. Visit and new creative developments at choir also participated (most imagi- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi the University of Plymouth. It was a natively) in electroacoustic works by /comj and, under “Inside the Journal” most successful collaboration be- Andrew Lovett and Mr. Miranda. at the left, click on “CMJ’s Website.” tween ICCRM and Peninsula Arts, A lively program of lectures and Then click on “Reviews” at the top.] an organization set up by the univer- workshops surrounded the concert sity under the direction of Simon events. Mr. Miranda gave a presenta- Ible to animate music both on and off tion of great clarity that examined the campus. the techniques he has been develop- Events The festival promoted three major ing to create an artificial phonologi- concerts in three different spaces. cal system for his work Sacra The opening event brought together Conversazione, an opera in five acts. the jazz partnership of Mike and Kate His coda to the lecture introduced Voices: Peninsula Arts Westbrook with ICCMR researcher the intriguing notion that his newly Contemporary Music Festival Marcelo Gimenes, an accomplished developed research tools could well pianist whose program of music from be used to explore how early humans Interdisciplinary Centre for Com- Brazil made a lively mix with the may have spoken, and in conjunction puter Music Research, University of Westbrooks’ cabaret performances of with robotic simulations, might go Plymouth, Plymouth, UK, 24–26 Feb- Kurt Weill alongside their celebrated further to exploring communication ruary 2006. William Blake settings. Saturday’s and behaviors. Ms. Lynch gave an in- concert focused on the unique pres- valuable “how to do it” guide for per- Reviewed by Nigel Morgan ence of Frances Lynch, one of the few formers and composers. It was the Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK international singers to have worked kind of common-sense presentation closely with composers of electro- all too rare in a cultural climate The South West peninsula of the acoustic music. Her dramatic and where the interpretation of digitally United Kingdom is all set to become most commited performances con- mediated work is so often regarded as one of the major new areas of techno- tinue to inspire many composers, not the sole property of the artist and no logical and cultural growth in Eu- least Mr. Miranda, whose Requiem one else. Sadly, composer Karen rope. At the epicenter lies the city of per una perduda Ms. Lynch was able Wimhurst’s session could have bene- Plymouth, whose enterprising uni- to rehearse and develop during a fited from a different slot in the versity is already making waves in short residency promoted by ICCMR. schedule. What she said about her the academic world, not least in its Her concert also featured one of the work and her background in com- establishment of the Interdisciplinary classics of the genre, Alejandro munity and theatre arts was most re- Centre for Computer Music Research Viñao’s Hildegard’s Dream. The third vealing, but those who heard her did (ICCMR). This center is formed of concert gave listeners an opportunity so at the end of six hours of continu- scholars from different backgrounds to experience something of Ply- ous events. and different departments across the mouth’s own alternative musical Voices was a most imaginatively University, bringing together Com- scene in a performance shared be- planned and well-executed mini- puting, Neuroscience Education, tween remix performers Daniel and festival that deserves to be established Music, and Media. ICCMR is led by Matthew Smith and the songwriter as a regular part of the contemporary Eduardo Reck Miranda, a composer John Matthias. music calendar in the UK. Further in- who deftly marries in his academic Woven into and around these formation can be found on the festi- work visionary ideas about future concerts were performances that cel- val Web site (cmr.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/ states of music with the ability to ar- ebrated the wealth of community in- event.htm). ticulate accessible and realistic mu- volvement in regional music-making. sic experiences. Saturday’s concert with Frances Voices was a weekend festival of Lynch was shared with Voces, an am-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 Publications shown on late-night television on oc- proach to creating electronic music, casion, and it is possible to rent or pur- and also provides an outline history chase on DVD. Until this publication of electronic instruments and stu- by musicologist James Wierzbicki, dios, experimental techniques, and James Wierzbicki: Louis and Bebe however, the music has not been other uses of electronic sounds in Barron’s Forbidden Planet: A studied in depth, either on its own or film. The listing of films that make Film Score Guide in the functional context of the film. use of Theremin sounds and so forth Louis and Bebe Barron’s FORBID- is a useful resource for anyone want- Softcover, 2005, ISBN 0-8108-5670-0, DEN PLANET: A Film Score Guide is ing to explore the wider context for Scarecrow Film Score Guides, No. 4, the fourth of the Scarecrow Film the Forbidden Planet soundtrack. 185 pages, illustrated, notes, bibliog- Score Guides. It is an admirable book, The invented circuits that Louis raphy, index, US$ 24.95; Scarecrow looking in detail at the music and the Barron built were intended to make Press, Inc., P.O. Box 317, Oxford OX2 film, and setting Forbidden Planet— “interesting sounds” that were “non- 9RU, UK; or The Rowman & Little- and the Barrons—into historical con- logical” and “unstable.” He appar- field Publishing Group, Inc., 4501 text. The text is organized into five ently found theoretical justification Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, chapters. The first, “Origins and for his approach in the cybernetics of Maryland 20706, USA; telephone (+1) Connections,” provides biographical mathematician Norbert Weiner, who 800-462-6420; fax (+1) 717-794-3803; information on the Barrons, includ- attempted to link the organizational Web www.scarecrowpress.com/. ing their relationship with John Cage. systems of machines and living or- I had always understood that the Bar- ganisms to information theory. For Reviewed by James Harley rons had supported his Music for Barron, the creation of sound- Guelph, Ontario, Canada Magnetic Tape project by providing producing circuits that behaved in equipment and technical assistance. unpredictable, but controllable, ways The music produced by Louis and Here, though, I learned that in fact and that followed a natural life cycle Bebe Barron for the 1956 Hollywood Cage had paid them for this work (the period of activity before circuit science-fiction film, Forbidden from a grant he had received, and that components failed) was extremely at- Planet, ranks as one of the important they in essence were his employees tractive. Bebe Barron’s main creative milestones in the history of elec- for a period of about one year. Mr. role, we learn, was to listen to the tronic music for being the first such Wierzbicki notes an often-overlooked many recorded hours of circuitry out- major commercial project to be cre- point, that the Barrons’ tape composi- put to select musically interesting ated entirely from electronic sounds. tion For An Electronic Nervous Sys- moments. The couple would then Furthermore, although many film tem (1954) was one of the creative work on the material using standard scores today are likely to have been outcomes of this project, along with tape manipulation techniques. produced using entirely digital means, Cage’s William Mix (1952), Earle Chapter 3, “Historical and Critical most imitate traditional instruments Brown’s Octet I (1953), and Christian Contexts,” focuses on the film. The at least in part. The music for Forbid- Wolff’s Music for Magnetic Tape author presents the social and aes- den Planet was created from custom- (1952). This chapter also discusses the thetic backgrounds for Forbidden built electronic circuits, and the genesis of the film, how the Barrons Planet and its critical reception over sounds resemble traditional instru- came to be hired to provide the music time. He also discusses the screen- ments or styles not at all. (the studio never intended that they play, including its Freudian psycho- The soundtrack album for Forbid- should score the whole film, appar- logical elements and its resemblance den Planet was released on vinyl in ently), and the aftermath, both with to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. 1977 (and on compact disc in 1989) regard to the film and the Barrons’ ca- Chapter 4 presents a detailed musi- and was reviewed in these pages by reer. One should not (definitely not!) cal analysis of the soundtrack as Curtis Roads in 1983 (CMJ 7:1). The follow a similar path if one is aiming heard on the Forbidden Planet album. music is commonly discussed in his- to make a career doing music in Hol- The recording differs from the music torical accounts of electronic music lywood, but the Barrons’ determina- heard in the film in many ways, and an excerpt of the soundtrack is tion and uncompromising aesthetic which Mr. Wierzbicki carefully included on at least one compilation vision are a joy to read about. notes. Some of the cues are shorter, recording: OHM:The Early Gurus of Chapter 2, “Compositional Tech- some are longer, and of course none Electronic Music. The film itself is niques,” describes the Barrons’ ap- of the dialogue or diegetic sound ef-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 fects are present. The music is pre- Mr. Wierzbicki does not appear to 1950s, one has the impression that it sented on the album in stereo, and be aware of recent work on develop- is ancient history; at the same time, the mix has made use of a range of ing new tools for analyzing electro- it is surprising how contemporary the spatialization and panning effects; acoustic music—that of Pierre ideas from 50 years ago still appear. the music as heard on the film is en- Couprie, Stéphane Roy, or others. I Descriptions of hardware and soft- tirely monophonic. The final track of believe he would have benefited from ware from 50 years ago probably seem the album features music that is not the functional and graphical tech- like cave drawings to most people to- heard in the film at all. Apparently, niques these researchers have pro- day. Although hardware and software the Barrons were concerned that the posed and utilized for analyses of developments were significant from music stand on its own, composition- nontraditional music. That being the 1950s through the 1980s, for ally, and expended much effort in said, this study of Forbidden Planet most practitioners of computer mu- putting together the tracks for the is quite remarkable—clearly written, sic these developments were rela- 1977 album release. The author stud- and highly informative in many tively transparent. The working ies the music in each track, noting ways. I would love to be able to read method and environment of a user salient features, often providing tran- similarly thorough studies of major sitting in front of a teletype, punch- scriptions of important thematic ma- electroacoustic compositions uncon- ing cards, waiting for batch jobs on a terials. His analysis represents an nected with Hollywood films. Scare- large, somewhat non-descript behe- impressive effort, particularly given crow Press ought to launch another moth computer at a university did the absence of cue sheets, scores, or series: the Electroacoustic Music not change much for the lone “eccen- other notes. He has had to come up Guides! tric” from a music department shar- with language to describe unusual ing time with scientific researchers sound effects, and for the most part (who fortunately were sympathetic he has done well in this, even if such James Matthew Bohn: The Music to anyone in the arts even vaguely an effort is doomed to fail (“shim- of American Composer Lejaren interested in computing). mery tone clusters” will no doubt Hiller and an Examination of His For most composers of computer mean quite different things for differ- Early Works Involving music, except for the odd mini- or ent readers/listeners). Particularly Technology micro-computer user or the fortunate useful is the section on motivic rela- few to have worked in “elite” re- tionships, showing the musical con- Hardcover, 2004, ISBN 0-7734-6440- search centers, it has only been in the nections between tracks. The author 9, 307 pages, illustrated, foreword (by past 15 years or so that hardware and provides specific details on the leit- David Rosenboom), discography, software have gone through a major motif aspect of the music, a common sources, notes, index, US$ 119.95; revolution. Some might argue that enough element in many film scores The Edwin Mellen Press, P.O. Box this “revolution” is nothing more but particularly difficult to study 450, Lewiston, New York 14092- than a change of working habits, a with precision in this case due to the 0450, USA; telephone: (+1) 716-754- change on the surface, whereas oth- non-traditional electronic character 2266; fax (+1) 716-754-4056; ers would insist that this overhaul in of the film score. electronic mail imiller@mellenpress the tools of the trade is directly re- In chapter 5, Mr. Wierzbicki charts .com; Web www.mellenpress.com/. lated to artistic creativity in profound an equally careful listening to the In Europe contact The Edwin Mellen ways. Although this discussion of the soundtrack of the film. Here the mu- Press, Ltd., Mellen House, Unit 17, tools and technology is engaging, the sic is set into the context of the Llambed Business Park, Lampeter, fact remains that many of the preva- film’s plot and editing decisions, Ceredigion, Wales SA48 8LT, UK; lent ideas of the 1950s (independent along with the diegetic sounds heard telephone (+44) 1570-423-356; fax of hardware and software) remain alongside the Barrons’ “electronic (+44) 1570-423-775; electronic mail surprisingly relevant today. David tonalities,” as their music was de- [email protected]. Rosenboom, in his heady forward to scribed in the film credits. Given James Bohn’s The Music of American how much the soundtrack album dif- Reviewed by Louis Ferdinand Composer Lejaren Hiller and an Ex- fers from the music in the film, and Meudon, France amination of His Early Works In- how the function of the music differs, volving Technology, recaptures some it is invaluable that the author has Looking back from a technical point of the intellectual adventurousness of taken on this double analysis. of view on computer music from the the pioneer era of computer music:

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 Hiller’s contributions to proce- where do we go from there? Or even most recent opera has a two-minute dural thinking . . . he employed better, where does algorithmic music electronic introduction which is serial techniques and under- fit into contemporary computer mu- noise, not music. It is inferred that stood them as a subset . . . inside sic society? Algorithmic composition this electronic introduction was cre- combinatorial mathematics . . . using digital computers was on an ated by a sound designer and not by He introduced the idea of the in- equal footing with digital synthesis the composer himself. Just because terval row . . . developed a mea- 50 years ago. Using proceedings of synthesis techniques have more ca- sure of linear angularity . . . the International Computer Music chet in the computer music literature dissonance measures . . . weight- Conference as a yardstick, one could today, we should not lull ourselves ing schemes for parametric be- argue that the discipline has become into thinking that computer sounds haviors . . . geometry and a backwater in a long slow fadeout. I are favored over algorithmic compo- topological ideas . . . as descrip- found this rather disgruntled com- sition techniques by “mainstream” tors of forms . . . pseudo-random ment in one of the Google hits: composers.) numbers, Monte Carlo–like “There are those that in agreeing Although Mr. Bohn’s book has the generate-and-test loops, moving- with Xenakis’ statement that ‘music, air of a published thesis, the print window filters on stochastic by its very abstract nature is the first quality and photo reprint quality is cannons . . . notions of formal of the arts to have attempted the con- low, and it contains a number of ty- and perceptual hierarchy . . . ciliation of artistic creation with sci- pographical errors, it is a hugely sig- rhythmic hierarchies . . . entific thought’ wonder why nificant book. There is a serious lack Markov transition probabilities computer music conferences are of publications on algorithmic music . . . systems and information filled with engineers dedicated to in general and on Hiller in particular. theory (pp. vii–x) cutting-edge technologies, speaking This first in-depth evaluation of favorably about conservative and em- Hiller’s contributions to contempo- Add a couple of popular terms like bryonic ideas of music composition, rary music should be forgiven its “chaos theory” and “genetic algo- if they even mention music composi- cosmetic faults. The book has intro- rithms” to the mix, and one has a tion.” Are there still composers both- ductory chapters on Hiller’s life and reasonable list of much of today’s in- ered by the question of whether or works, and his computer music out- tellectual fodder. not a computer should be involved put. While Hiller studied music in a If only Hiller could have done a in the composing process? As Mr. traditional academic setting with computer search of the terms “algo- Rosenboom states in his introduction Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt rithmic music” and “computer gen- to Mr. Bohn’s book: “The term, algo- during his undergraduate days at erated music” 50 years ago! The rithm, is already off-putting to many. Princeton, and while he presented other day, Google returned about The components of intuitionism, val- himself as researcher, he clearly be- 38,000 (in 0.07 seconds) and 51,300 ued as a part of humanistic music longs to the American experimental (in 0.11 seconds) hits, respectively, making, are presumed to be absent tradition of Charles Ives, Henry Cow- for these terms. What would be dif- from algorithms” (p. vi). Has algorith- ell, and John Cage. His compositions, ferent today without his decision to mic music become a dirty little se- both computer-assisted and non- abandon chemistry to pursue a career cret of the computer music field: does computer-assisted, are grounded in in music? What is his historical im- everyone do it while no one admits the experimental tradition. portance, and what are his major con- it, or else do very few composers ac- Some will be surprised to read that tributions to the field of computer tually employ algorithms in their he composed a fairly large number of music? Any serious study of algorith- music? What is your algorithm? piano sonatas, string quartets, cham- mic music must begin with Hiller’s A recent article about a very ber pieces, incidental music, and or- seminal work Experimental Music, prominent American composer chestral works, well before the published in 1959. (Iannis Xenakis’s stated that the composer used the famous ILLIAC Suite of 1957. (Of his Formalized Music from 1963 makes computer to solve certain musical 75 listed works, only a fifth of his up the other half of seminal publica- problems using a variety of composi- output employed computer-assisted tions in the field from that period.) tion software. The reader could infer techniques, and less than two-fifths The most striking thing about Ex- that this was not the composer’s employed electronic or computer- perimental Music are the musical “normal” way of working. (To be fair, generated sounds.) Mr. Bohn states questions that Hiller poses. But the same article mentions that his that since his “work will investigate

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 four of Hiller’s compositions whose style. The composer’s comment that by Hiller himself to draw on, Mr. creation involved technology . . . a “this American experimental tradi- Bohn combines information from fair portion of this text is devoted to tion exists . . . its central attribute is two or three documents by Hiller the technology itself” (p. 18). The its emphasis on the empirical and with his own original analysis of the technology used for the four compo- practical rather than on the specula- work. Here, Hiller’s fascination with sitions includes the ILLIAC I and II tive and theoretical” (p. 118) illus- information theory is integral to the computers, the IBM 7090 computer, trates his own sense of self, and composition and to Mr. Bohn’s anal- the CSX computer, and the Experi- contradicts some of the mythology ysis. The final chapter of the book mental Music Studio (EMS) founded about him. Ives, jazz, music theater, covers HPSCHD, composed in 1968. by Hiller at the University of Illinois environmental soundscapes, collages, Mr. Bohn makes heavy use of the in- in Urbana-Champaign. A chapter is world music, the “half-baked” musi- depth interview “John Cage and Le- devoted to each of the four comput- cal concept serialism, stylistic par- jaren Hiller: HPSCHD” by Larry ers and to analog equipment in the ody, micro-tonality, and numerical Austin in the now-classic Source EMS. The history, development, and schemes all found their way into his magazine, as well as significant use operation of the computers are de- music. We need more traces like this, of Hiller’s article “Programming the scribed in great detail. (It might be of the origins of our post-modern pe- I-Ching Oracle.” (This chapter con- unexpected for some to learn that riod, to counter the simplistic notion tains an excellent explanation of the Hiller made use of computers for al- that post-modernism was a heroic re- I-Ching for anyone who has missed gorithmic composition, music print- volt against modernism. out on that tidbit of ancient knowl- ing, and real-time digital audio by the The four detailed chapters on edge.) Mr. Bohn’s contributions to the early 1960s.) Hiller’s early works involving tech- record are significant from a histori- The chapter on the EMS covers vir- nology (a chapter is devoted to each cal perspective. tually every piece of equipment that of them) are first-rate. Anyone who The author makes a striking point: existed in that studio during the late has been confused by Markov chains Hiller apparently had an unusual ego 1950s and early 1960s. These chap- or the Monte Carlo method will no for a composer: He was a collabora- ters will probably be skimmed by longer be, after reading the chapter on tor. Three of the four pieces covered some (they comprise one-third of the the ILLIAC Suite. Although the flow- in the book were co-composed. The book), but will be relished by others. charts are sometimes difficult to read co-composers range from a laboratory They are written with the same at- due to print quality, and the 35-page chemist, to a Ph.D. student in musi- tention to detail as Paul Doorn- description is less detailed than cology, to John Cage. In other works, busch’s marvelous tome The Music Hiller’s own explanation in Experi- he collaborated with a composition of CSIRAC (reviewed elsewhere in mental Music, less patient readers student, a performer, and the mathe- this issue), which describes Aus- might prefer Mr. Bohn’s accurate dis- matician John Myhill. Mr. Bohn’s dis- tralia’s first computer music from the tillation to Hiller’s extremely de- cussion of the music as works of art early 1950s. Anyone who enjoys read- tailed analysis. The next chapter on is positive, but ambiguous. This am- ing about the mercury acoustic delay the 1963 composition Computer biguity is refreshing. We are not line-based memory of the CSIRAC Cantata makes much use of Robert treated to the word “masterpiece.” computer and how this unusual tech- A. Baker and Hiller’s 1964 article Perhaps this very issue should have nology influenced the music made, “Computer Cantata: A Study in been discussed. will find these chapters in Mr. Bohn’s Compositional Method” from Per- In the book Collapse: How Soci- book fascinating reading. Mr. Bohn spectives of New Music, but Mr. eties Choose to Fail or Succeed, Jared understands that a detailed explana- Bohn has some novel things to say Diamond writes: “The values to tion of the tools and techniques that about the piece. Hiller’’s harmonic which people cling most stubbornly make up a particular technology con- and linear dissonance concepts are under inappropriate conditions are tribute to an understanding of what clearly explained and the discussion those values that were previously the was created with the technology. of form is original. source of their greatest triumphs over Following these chapters, Mr. After this, we step into less well- adversity.” Replace the word values Bohn has a general chapter entitled charted waters with the chapter on with ideas, and perhaps one could ar- “Common Stylistic Traits of Hiller’s the 1964 composition Machine Mu- gue that Hiller clung too tightly to Oeuvre.” Hiller was eclectic and di- sic for Piano, Percussion, and Tape. the idea of music as an expression of verse in both his influences and his With less thorough documentation information theory and form as an

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 expression of symmetry. These were rithmic music has become a less dis- certainly two of the most significant tinct discipline. He might even be ideas running through his music. I disappointed at composing-by- am not ready to make sweeping aes- numbers software that offers algo- thetic judgments about Hiller. It is rithmic presets. After all, Hiller was true that his music is not performed interested in using the computer to much today. He is remembered for explore essential musical issues. As the ILLIAC Suite, which many con- he pointed out on page 1 of Experi- sider an interesting “experiment”; he mental Music, composing using a is thought of as the person who digital computer “immediately raises helped Cage realize HPSCHD (rather fundamental questions concerning than as co-composer); and he still suf- the nature of musical communica- fers from the reputation that plagued tion and its relation to formal musi- him all of his life: scientist first, com- cal structures.” poser second. Possibly this book will contribute to a more intelligent re- evaluation of Hiller the composer. Charles Madden: FIB and PHI in Do we still need to have discus- Music: The Golden Proportion in sions about algorithmic composi- Musical Form tion? No one would dispute the fact that algorithmic thinking has always Hardcover, 2005, ISBN 0-967172764, been an integral part of the act of High Art Press InMusic, No. 4; 384 composition. Is it solely the fact that pages, illustrated, bibliography, in- computers are used to realize algo- dex; High Art Press, P.O. Box 58661, rithmic processes that has caused Salt Lake City, Utah 84158-0661, . . . it seems clear that [the composer] controversy? Do architects, artists, USA; telephone (+1) 801-582-5056; was not an important user of phi pro- filmmakers, and others in the arts electronic mail [email protected]. portions” (pp. 206–207). It seems that use computers without the fears the writer has focused more on dis- mentioned by Mr. Rosenboom? Per- Reviewed by alcides lanza cussing examples where the propor- haps music suffers from the fact that Montreal, Quebec, Canada tions were not used, or even not it was in the vanguard of computer approximated. Why bother? use for artistic pursuits? Perhaps it is FIB and PHI in Music: The Golden There are some contradictions in no longer a separate category in the Proportion in Musical Form is a the book. On page 247, the conclu- discipline of computer music? Have promising book by Charles Madden, sion to the all-important Romantic computers been absorbed into the act a well-presented edition, hardcover, chapter, one can read that “in the of composition, as they have been ab- from High Art Press, the fourth vol- symphony the golden proportion was sorbed into much of modern life? Is it ume of its InMusic series. found in several movements of [Felix] possible that technology’s trans- The initial pages of the book are Mendelssohn.” Then, referring to the parency and ease of use, the “revolu- the most engaging, providing inter- pages devoted to this composer, Mr. tion” that has put the computer on esting historical data on PHI and its Madden starts with the Songs With- our desk next to the musical key- uses by the Egyptians and the Greeks, out Words, finding that a few were board and the pencil as just one more and touching on Fibonacci numbers “close to [Golden Section]” (GS). extension of our tools, have finally from the year 1200 on. Almost imme- However, on the same page we read: freed the term “algorithmic” to be diately, the reader encounters innu- “Some of these pieces are not close to absorbed into the larger concept of merable charts and tables where the phi and percentages are often poor . . . composition? If there is no longer a majority of the cases under discussion Nonetheless, it is hard to refrain from need to qualify composition with this are defined. To take one example: thinking that he must have had some label, then perhaps we are all forever “Phi remains elusive in this music awareness of phi.” Then follows a not in Hiller’s debt. But, then again, he . . . as seen in tables 5.13 to 5.15 there very convincing chart concerning might be surprised to see how algo- is little evidence of Phi proportions these songs, where only a few are

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 noted as close enough to be placed is actually an “area” and not just a amples, comparisons, suggestions, under the subheading “At GS or “point”—this GS zone then, could be even denials. GS2” (p. 236), with the majority of defined as comprising bars 16 and 17. these many songs included under the An analytical mind should consider subheading “Too far [from GS].” Ar- it important that Chopin had inten- Paul Doornbusch: The Music of riving at the paragraph concerning tionally put into this GS zone (1) the CSIRAC: Australia’s First the symphonies, Mr. Madden criti- only grupetto and stretto indications Computer Music cizes another author—Michael of the whole piece; (2) the loudest and Richard Adkins—in reference to the only forte dynamic indication (bar Softcover, 2005, ISBN 186335569-3, Symphony No. 3 by Mendelssohn: 17); (3) the highest and lowest sounds 101 pages, illustrated, sources, index, “our results were far from his.” He in the piece (excepting the Coda); (4) AU$ 25; CD-ROM with sound and proceeds to chart his own figures and the first octave duplication on the video examples; Common Ground concludes with “Not GS.” In all fair- left hand; (5) the first—exceptional Publishing, P.O. Box 463, Seaholme, ness, Mr. Madden finally finds GS (or and brief—use of four-note chords Victoria 3018, Australia; telephone very near it) in two movements of the (making a total of five notes heard si- (+61) 3-9398-8000; fax (+61) 3-9398- Symphony No. 3 and the same in the multaneously once the melodic note 8088; electronic mail gus@ Symphony No. 4. However, he re- is included); and I must stop here. commonground.com.au; Web peatedly classifies all other move- When I listen to this prelude, I thehumanities.cgpublisher.com/ ments as “Not GS.” sense that the composer has brought product/pub.61/prod.10. Nevertheless, the author provides all attention to the high drama of a résumé of all Mendelssohn sym- this moment (at the GS zone), a dra- Reviewed by James Harley phonies on Table 6.7, apparently with matic departure from the calm and Guelph, Ontario, Canada a fewer number of movements found tender beginning, before returning to to be GS. It is obvious that the greater a possible reprise with a surprising Readers of Computer Music Journal number of movements in that classi- ending. will likely be aware of Paul Doorn- fication are “Too far from GS.” Mr. Another composer that deserves busch’s work on early computer mu- Madden asserts that based on the further research in connection to the sic in Australia (see his Spring 2004 above tables “it seems that Men- topic of this publication is Anton We- article, “Computer Sound Synthesis delssohn must have known about bern. Feeble references to two of his in 1951: The Music of CSIRAC,” phi.” Hmm . . . not convincing at all. works appear in this book, and these 28(1): 10–25). For many, it was a reve- Furthermore, it is baffling how are less than enlightening. Charts lation to realize that music was being anyone can dismiss Frédéric Chopin’s listing possible usage by Webern are produced “down under” as early as Prelude No. 4, in E minor, in one contradictory and confusing. On my 1951, several years before Max Math- short sentence, saying “[Michael own I have found Webern’s Piano ews and his colleagues were produc- Richard Rogers] said that the dra- Variations rather intriguing: the first ing digital sounds at Bell Labs in New matic peak of Pr. #4 occurred at mea- and third movements respond to GS Jersey (but at just about the same sure 16 of 25. This is correct, for the analysis beautifully; the middle one, time that the Ferranti Mark I com- leap from a#1 to g2 is after beat 62, sadly, is too symmetrical to be part of puter in the UK was also producing which is GS. He also correctly stated that family. simple musical examples). The Music that the piece was structurally not The series of questions put forward of CSIRAC: Australia’s First Com- phi, as shown in fig. 6.4.” in the book’s Preface, on pages xi and puter Music presents a fuller account Mr. Madden misses the opportu- xii, are excellent. Unfortunately, this of Mr. Doornbusch’s research into nity of “re-enforcing” the notion that book has failed to answer those ques- the music-making capabilities of the Chopin may have actually effectively tions, a big disappointment for the CSIRAC computer in Sydney and used GS by adding that, (1) this prel- reader. Melbourne and his efforts to recon- ude can be “perceived” as being The final section, Conclusions, is struct the sounds that had been pro- slightly longer: there is the anacrusis too brief and poorly argued. This part duced there more than 50 years ago. on bar zero that should be accounted of the book should have had many Although a few of the recorded sound for, then fermatas on bars 23 and 25; more conclusions and should have examples were included on the CMJ and (2) there is the possibility that GS been enriched with musical ex- DVD Vol. 28, this publication comes

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 was done by mathematicians, physi- tension, melodies. The computer was cists, and engineers. never able to produce more than one The Council for Scientific and In- pitch at a time, and the waveform dustrial Research (CSIR) developed was fixed, as a by-product of the one of the world’s first stored- pulse-signal process. But, durations, program electronic digital computers. frequencies, and overall amplitudes The CSIR Mk1 ran its first program were controllable. in November 1949. In 1955, the com- Mr. Doornbusch’s dedication to puter was moved to the University of this project and the thoroughness Melbourne, renamed the CSIRAC, with which he pursued the explica- and held in service until 1964. The tion of this historic computer music computer has been preserved rela- technology, along with his determi- tively intact (although not opera- nation to reproduce the sounds of the tional) at the Museum Victoria, CSIRAC, are admirable. The history where Mr. Doornbusch was able to of computer music is one to be con- access it (along with much related structed from a great variety of materials, such as program tapes, sources, and this hitherto little- documentation, etc.) in order to re- known Australian contribution from construct the historical procedures the very early days represents a valu- and technology developed by the able addition to our knowledge of early Australian researchers for pro- the field. ducing sound. One of his aims was to A few words about the book itself. reproduce the instructions for the The main part of the text is organized with a CD-ROM containing a larger music programs through the same in 11 short sections. We are given an collection of the music produced on process as would have been carried introduction to the CSIRAC and to the CSIRAC. out originally, output through the the computer (and music) technol- As Paul Berg points out in his in- same loudspeaker driver that was in- ogy current at that time, including troduction to the book, “the path stalled as part of the computer. This discussion of the Ferranti Mark I that led to [computer music] is the re- work involved much effort trying to computer in Manchester, which ap- sult of many very small steps. Steps decode the sometimes ad hoc instruc- parently produced musical tones in a that were neither coordinated nor tions, and trying to understand how similar fashion. We then learn about goal-oriented. Steps that were not la- the programs were run and how the the “hooter” speaker and how it beled merely scientific, consumer- sounds were created. could be driven by pulse signals. Mr. oriented, or artistic” (p. ix). At Bell The CSIRAC did not contain a Doornbusch documents the evidence Labs they were researching the trans- digital-to-analog converter; such surrounding the chronology of music mission of speech signals for telecom- technology was nonexistent when produced on the CSIRAC over the munications systems; Lejaren Hiller the computer was built in 1948– period of its operation, and includes was a researcher in chemistry with 1949. Instead, program instructions many references to interviews with a access to the ILLIAC computer at the could be routed to the loudspeaker on number of the principle people in- University of Illinois, Urbana- the data bus as a series of pulses, volved. He goes on to describe the Champaign; Iannis Xenakis was channeled through an amplifier. Ini- process of reconstructing the music trained as a civil engineer. There tially, the loudspeaker was intended (none of it had been recorded to any was no research agenda for develop- to provide an audible signal that the audio storage format). Some of the ing the field of computer music, and computer was functioning correctly tapes of the computer programs used little direct communication between (or incorrectly). But, it quickly be- to produce music do still exist, so a the people carrying out pioneering came apparent that by sending multi- tape reader was fashioned in order to work in different places (between Illi- ple pulse instructions or by looping capture the data, and logic circuitry nois and New Jersey, let alone be- them a continuous tone could be pro- was built to recreate the pulse signals tween Australia and the USA). In duced. From there, the engineers that were sent to the hooter. A valve Australia, the innovative work on worked to develop methods for gener- amplifier and original speaker driver creating programs to produce music ating different frequencies, and by ex- were used to create the actual sounds.

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 All of this is illustrated with numer- 518-434-0308; electronic mail cde@ ous photographs of the technology, emf.org; Web www.cdemusic.org/. both original and as re-constructed. From there, the author devotes con- Reviewed by Richard Barrett siderable attention to analysis of the Berlin, Germany sounds, and explication of the limita- tions of the particular technology Paul Doornbusch, born in Mel- that created problems for achieving bourne, Australia, in 1959, produced consistent tuning and tone quality the pieces on this CD in The Nether- (relating to the serial architecture and lands, where he was resident during cycle speed of the computer). The ap- the 1990s and where he had the op- pendices provide examples of news- portunity to engage in extended and paper reports on the CSIRAC, further fruitful collaborations with all of the details of the pulse curves and cir- gifted musicians featured there. The cuitry used to produce them, and five works of this collection are rep- a listing of the contents on the resentative of Mr. Doornbusch’s out- CD-ROM (in addition to recorded put in combining acoustic measure of how profoundly the prac- examples, there is a slideshow of instrumental parts of challenging in- tice of electronic music has changed photographs, diagrams, etc., and a tricacy with either live electronic as a result of the accelerating devel- video of an interview with one of the processing or prerecorded materials. opment of digital technology. At the main CSIRAC programmers). The Continuity 3 (2002) for percussion same time, the lessons it draws from Sources section includes a bibliogra- and computer uses transformations musique concrète, a music composed phy (print resources as well as rele- both of performing technique and of with magnetic tape and razor blades, vant Web sites) as well as details of the sound itself to explore relation- is witness to the fact that the best of all the interviews conducted by the ships between continuous and dis- that music was in no way restricted author for his research. continuous textures and structures. by what we can now view as rudimen- The Music of CSIRAC presents The use of only three metallic sound- tary and fearsomely time-consuming good solid work on an aspect of com- sources does indeed create a sense of methods, but has, and will no doubt puter music history that deserves to continuity and coherence, whose continue to have, many subtle and be better known. Paul Doornbusch is converse is to be found in the con- sophisticated things to tell us about to be lauded for his dedication to this stantly changing electronic refrac- the art of sound-composition. The project. His book is an important, tions to which the sounds are percussionist Timothy Phillips plays crucial addition to the body of refer- subjected. The overall effect is of an with and against the distorted images ences documenting our field. extension of the idea of resonance, so of his own sounds as if engaged in the that as the metallic bodies are struck almost subliminal interactions of and resonate, they in turn serve to chamber music. “excite” the virtual resonating body Unfortunately, the Malle Symen Recordings in the computer, one which is no recorder quartet has now disbanded. longer tied to rigid physical objects This Amsterdam-based ensemble and natural decays. Both in its adher- was unique in its commitment to ex- ence to a carefully selected vocabu- panding the musical and technical Paul Doornbusch: Corrosion: lary of sounds produced by bodies in potential of the recorder, including Music for Instruments, motion and in its sense of dramatic explorations of microtonality, the- Computers and Electronics timing, Continuity 3 seems to con- atrical modes of presentation, com- tinue the musique concrète tradition bining recorders with electronics, and Compact disc, EMF CD 043, 2002; exemplified most memorably in the commissioning new works from a available from CDeMUSIC/Elec- work of composers like Pierre Henry, wide variety of composers. Mr. tronic Music Foundation, 116 North Bernard Parmegiani, and François Doornbusch’s Continuity 2 (1999) Lake Avenue, Albany, New York Bayle. The fact that it is performed in shows them at their most virtuosic, 12206, USA; telephone (+1) 888-749- real time by a percussionist and a containing as it does virtually no 9998 or (+1) 518-434-4110; fax (+1) computer running Max/MSP is a “traditional” means of sound-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 production, instead disengaging from of pots and pans, a xylophone and a those heard in g4. In comparison with one another the various physical kettledrum), hanging precariously Xenakis’s use of these techniques, components of playing and using a over a large darkened stage, are re- the layers in g4 are less static and multilayered system of notation to leased in turn by the soloist to fall more complex in themselves, and are encode the resulting complex tex- noisily to the floor. The performer also assembled into denser conglom- tures. These notational devices are therefore has not only to execute an erate textures. The result is a remark- derived, as the composer acknowl- increasingly “athletic” bassoon part ably individual and absorbing edges, from the recorder notation de- but also repeatedly to sprint back and composition, which forms a worthy veloped by Luciano Berio for his solo forth to where these objects are sus- tribute to the work of Xenakis while piece Gesti. This “discontinuity” pended. The palpably heroic efforts of simultaneously striking out in a di- between the actions of lungs, em- Hamish McKeich, not only a talented rection of its own, giving the impres- bouchure, and fingers is comple- and imaginative bassoonist but also sion that there is indeed a future in mented by a “continuity” between New Zealand’s leading conductor of developing and personalizing this the instruments, in so far as the indi- contemporary music, cannot alto- method of synthesis, even though it vidual players (who all play bass gether dispel the idea that the music is hardly as “general” as its name recorders) are very rarely perceptible appears sometimes to be there more would imply. as such, fusing instead into a single to fill out the overall musical process The final work on the disc, “sound-object” which sounds as if ac- of the composition (whose pitch Strepidus Somnus (1996), for vocal tuated by four mouths. This “instru- range, beginning in a restricted low quartet and electronic sounds, is, at ment” is confronted by an electronic register, gradually opens outwards 27 minutes, considerably longer than part that combines sampled and and upwards) than to breathe life any of the others. The four vocalists processed concrete sounds (princi- into that process. After a striking perform with earpieces, upon which pally but not exclusively bass start, a little too much time is spent each hears and reproduces a track of recorder sounds) with synthetic ma- meandering around modal pitch- precomposed vocal material, ranging terials generated by an implementa- collections which themselves seem from coital gasps to whispering in an tion of Iannis Xenakis’s dynamic dangerously close to being arbitrary. algorithmically fractured English, stochastic synthesis technique. The The music wears its algorithms on its reminiscent (as such things always combination of the recorder ensem- sleeve, so to speak, in distinction to are) of the teasing impenetrability of ble’s dense twitterings and keenings the other works on the disc which James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. This with this often even denser “wall of embody a much more distinctive kind of “audible score” has been sound” is for this listener the least sense of imaginative freedom. This used by several composers previ- successful aspect of Continuity 2, may seem an odd thing to say about a ously, notably in the stage works of which sounds sometimes as if two piece which involves dropping heavy Robert Ashley, but seldom with such self-sufficient pieces are running si- items onto the stage from a height of chaotic abandon as in Mr. Doorn- multaneously and canceling rather several meters, but of course the busch’s piece. Indeed, the composer’s than complementing one another’s comparative neutrality of much of intention here is to give the impres- musical impact. (The electronic part the bassoon’s material is not neces- sion of parallel streams of quasi- does in fact have a separate existence sarily a miscalculation or a disadvan- improvisatory consciousness, whose as Continuity 1.) This is not, how- tage when placed in the context of a occasional synchronized or coordi- ever, to detract from Mr. Doorn- staged performance. nated moments engender a floridly busch’s achievement in eliciting a The electronic composition g4 surrealistic sense of dislocation. The raw kind of musical energy from (1997) was composed exclusively us- use of shortwave-radio-derived elec- these seemingly innocuous instru- ing dynamic stochastic synthesis, tronic sounds, together with vocal ac- ments, to parallel Xenakis’s definitive and its form also is reminiscent of robatics which occasionally congeal denial of the harpsichord’s baroque the abrupt, unpredictable, and aggres- into operatic parody or “realistic” quaintness in Khoai and Naama. sive beginnings and endings of layers weeping or laughing, is often remi- The theatrical component of Act 5 of sound materials in Xenakis’s niscent of Michael Vetter’s tour de (1998) for bassoon and electronics Gendy3. There, however, the resem- force recording of Karlheinz Stock- always threatens to overshadow blance ends, although there are obvi- hausen’s Spiral, and the combina- everything else in the audience’s per- ous family resemblances between tions of vocal hysteria with “pure” ception: three large objects (a cluster some of the sounds in that piece and electronic sounds bring us close to

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 some of Luigi Nono’s works for simi- and location), to performance-based lar resources such as Contrappunto compositions, to tape-based composi- dialettico alla mente. Here, however, tions. As one might expect, much of the emphasis is neither on absorbing, the inspiration for the collection is incorporating, and transcending the John Cage’s infamous work, 4'33" detritus of global communication as (1952). The project also includes ex- in Stockhausen, nor on using radical tensive notes, including no less than musical means to articulate radical three essays. socialist politics as in Nono, but on The introductory essay by Mr. the creation of a nightmarish sonic Collins speaks to the ever-increasing landscape whose inhabitants leer preciousness of silence. It also speaks and convulse like Bosch’s demons. to current interest in lo-fidelity music Strepidus Somnus forms a disturbing production techniques, which may be conclusion to a program which is seen as somewhat of a backlash to the never less than thought-provoking, quasi-fetishistic nature of the world and which deserves to bring Mr. of hi-fidelity. On a more humorous Doornbusch’s work to the attention level, Mr. Collins relates the project Cage and 4'33",” by Larry Solomon, of a wider audience. There are not so to an old lecher’s quip: “a drink be- is somewhat expected. However, the many composers at work, even in the fore and a cigarette after are the three author explores the genesis of Cage’s 21st century, even after the example best things in life.” Several of the piece. In particular, he focuses on an of Xenakis, whose commitment to works in this collection focus on the excerpt from “The Art of Noises” by the technical possibilities afforded by drink and the cigarette, editing out Luigi Russolo (1913), as well as contemporary technology is so what had been the central material. Cage’s mention of this work in a closely matched by a compulsion to Daniel Levitin’s essay, “The Rose 1948 lecture at Vassar College. Many exploit to the full the expressive po- Mary Woods/Nixon Tapes,” is com- writings on this landmark piece deal tential unleashed thereby. pelling in that he makes the case for with the impact of the work on soci- the eighteen-and-a-half-minute gap ety after its premiere. Mr. Solomon’s in a reel-to-reel tape recorded in the essay is refreshing in the way that it Nicholas Collins, Curator: A Call White House during the Nixon ad- looks back to the ideas that led Cage for Silence ministration as the second most fa- to frame silence in the manner that mous silence of recent time. He then he did. Compact disc, 2004; Sonic Arts Net- goes on to attribute the most famous Another trend of the collection is work, The Jerwood Space, 171 Union silence to the essential part of a Jack the number of pieces that reference Street, London SE1 0LN, UK; tele- Benny joke. Here Mr. Levitin identi- Alvin Lucier’s landmark work I am phone (+44) 20-7928-7337; fax (+44) fies (intentionally or unintentionally) sitting in a room. Included are How 20-7928-7338; electronic mail a functional approach to silence. This Many People Are In This Room? by [email protected]; Web approach is a technique which I refer Kapital Band 1, and Richard Beard’s I www.sonicartsnetwork.org/. to as “nothing is funny.” It is the si- Am Not Sitting In a Room. Such ref- lences in Benny’s delivery which in- erences serve to trivialize the works, Reviewed by James Bohn still hilarity. It is the silence that casting them as being derivative, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA follows the trombone solo in Aaron not being able to stand on their own. Copland’s Rodeo that renders the Mr. Lucier himself contributes a A Call for Silence (released in Febru- melody humorous. It is the “noth- subtle work entitled Quiet Coffee, ary of 2004 by the Sonic Arts Net- ing” that Andy Kaufman performs where ambient sounds are recorded work), curated by Nicholas Collins during his infamous “Mighty Mouse” from within Turkish coffee pot. (Chair of the Department of Sound at routine (lip-synching to a recording of Credited to Matt Rogalsky and the Art Institute of Chicago) is a col- the “Mighty Mouse Theme,” but George W. Bush, Two Minutes Fifty lection containing 34 tracks that only on the line “Here I come to save Seconds Silence for the USA uti- range from conceptual pieces to the day”). lizes the President’s address of sound documents (unmanipulated The closing essay of the liner 17 March 2003, where he gave a 48- sounds meant to document a time notes, “The Sounds of Silence: John hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein.

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 Originally some 13 minutes in diminish the value of the invoker’s selections in the collection. Mr. Bow- length, Mr. Rogalsky edited the work, rather than give it more cre- ers includes two approaches to creat- words out, leaving reverberation and dence. Cage himself was aware of ing silence: a traditional method, and mouth sounds. The reverberation has this truth, which is evident in the ti- an alternative method for computer a very pitched, percussive flavor that tling of his work Cheap Imitation, users. Due to the nature of the con- is almost melodic. that utilizes the rhythmic structure cept piece, I won’t be a spoiler in the Thomas Joyce uses a similar tech- of Eric Satie’s two-piano version of review, but suffice it to say that it is nique in his work Unspoken Conver- his composition Socrates. very enjoyable. sations. Having edited the words out Track 1 of the collection, Daniel I would be remiss in my duties if I of a recorded conversation, Mr. Joyce Levitin’s Anticipation, is a sound col- didn’t mention the sound documents creates a landscape of vocal percus- lage consisting of various count-offs included in the collection. The col- sive sounds. The use of different gen- of rock ’n roll songs by a variety of lection includes Pastoral Pause by ders of voice lend the sound a greater artists. Also included are various John Levack Drever, A Minutes [sic] sense of variety. sounds of vocalists breathing. The Silence for the Queen Mum, 2002 by A third piece that uses the same work comes off more like a catalog David Hoyland, Apple (Windfall/Fal- technique of cutting out content than a composition. Although the lobst) by Valerian Maly, The Quiet while leaving the detritus between idea behind the piece is a fitting Room by Peter Cusack, Bird Hide by sounds intact is Michael J. Schu- opening track to the collection, it has Adrian Newton, Silence/Silent Land- macher’s The Other Boulez. The vic- little interest beyond enabling the lis- scape by Jens Brand, Bird Song by tim of this editing is an unnamed tener to play “name that countoff.” Lori Talley, Lobby and Lebeg by selection of Mr. Boulez’s piano mu- One of the more compelling tracks David Lloyd, Erster Berliner by Eric sic. This piece has some very nice is S.B.D. by Paul Davis. The work is a Leonardson, and Lullaby by Ted harmonies, but of course that is due “scratch collage” comprised of quiet Collins. These works fit well into to the original composer. Mr. Schu- sounds from a capella cuts on 12-in. the goal of the collection, which is macher’s work doesn’t seem to add singles including pieces by Michael essentially an appreciation of silence. anything, and in fact, it seems to de- Jackson, Bobby Brown, Ginuwine, Each highlights a different location tract from the work. and Lil Kim. The sounds included are or object. Yet a fourth work that uses a simi- not easily attributed, and consist of The sound document that was lar technique follows Mr. Schu- “quiet noises—sniffles or throat most interesting to me is Lobby and macher’s work. Cage Silenced, by clears, bleed from the singer’s head- Lebeg, which was recorded in the Vicki Bennett, utilizes an interview phones of the instrumental, click fourth-level north lobby of the Wash- with John Cage about his mesostic tracks, reverb.” ington State Trade and Convention poetry where only the interviewer’s Another interesting track is an ex- Center. The recording was made near voice is audible. Having four pieces cerpt from a performance of Hum- a hanging sculpture by Ann Gardner. in this collection that use such simi- bucket: aka ’60 Cycles of Jubilation’ The soft mechanical sounds of the lar techniques seems tiresome and by Dan Evans Farkas. The piece con- sculpture, and the outside traffic are 1 uncreative. This is particularly unfor- sists of holding a ⁄4-in. patch cord readily audible. Following this contri- tunate in a collection that seems to which has been modified so both tip bution was the collection’s most want to present creative approaches and ground are “hot.” This signal is vainglorious contribution, Erster to sound. Furthermore, this piece, then fed through a variety of guitar Berliner by Eric Leonardson (a col- like Mr. Schumacher’s work, and the effects boxes. The work itself is an ef- league of Mr. Collins at the Art Insti- two works that reference I am Sitting fective homage to distortion and tute of Chicago), a recording of an in a Room, is guilty of the sin of in- ground hum. audience waiting for Mr. Leonardson vocation. The sin of invocation often The liner notes include some con- to perform. functions to connect the invoker’s ceptual pieces to frame the collection. Ultimately, A Call for Silence in- name with the name of the more fa- Christian Marclay’s contribution cludes some great contributions, and mous, better renowned invoked. This “Unused Space” doesn’t really neces- many sound documents (which are is a dangerous process, as it often sitate any further attention. John comparatively rare in the market- begs the audience to compare the in- Bowers’ Do It Yourself Silence, how- place). However, in a collection that voker’s work with that of the in- ever, is clever and humorous, and is is outwardly nostalgic of the creative voked, and this may ultimately perhaps one of the best, most suitable contributions of composers like John

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 Cage and Alvin Lucier, it is some- a more obviously political impact: All of this makes Story Without what depressing in terms of the num- visual juxtapositions seem to jar End a welcome and rare addition to ber of works that lack originality, more directly. the lively world of the cut-up. Ms. some of which are self-consciously Into this dynamic steps the singu- Bennett’s films offer much more derivative. I would like to think that lar art of People Like Us. At the con- than this, however. After all, as the silence has more to offer. trols is artist Vicki Bennett, a narrator of The Remote Controller masterful and prolific sound-collagist tells us, “mixing is so simple, a child whose works in video have been re- could do it.” cently released by the Sonic Arts Directing the artist’s deft and pa- Multimedia Network on DVD. Where traditional tient hand at the mouse is a very spe- montage makes us choose between cific sort of curiosity, and a particular one cut or another, Ms. Bennett’s approach to human creation and ac- meticulous work relies on composit- tion. These films are the result of People Like Us: Story Without ing, masks, and mattes to create a vi- countless hours of sifting through the End (and Three Other Films) sual simultaneity every bit as dense archives of various digital and physi- as what we hear in her music. cal collections. Specifically named in DVD (NTSC), 2005; Sonic Arts Net- Through four works, completed be- the credits are the collections of Rick work, The Jerwood Space, 171 Union tween 2002 and 2005, Ms. Bennett Prelinger at The Internet Archive Street, London SE1 0LN, UK; tele- has extracted various subjects from (www.archive.org), Skip Elsheimer’s phone (+44) 20-7928-7337; fax (+44) their backgrounds, and backgrounds avgeeks.com, and London’s Lux col- 20-7928-7338; electronic mail from their contexts. Recombined, lection of avant-garde film. Except for [email protected]; Web these artifacts occasionally grow some footage of Ms. Bennett’s own www.sonicartsnetwork.org/. synchronous with sound, but always screen desktop in We Edit Life, none stand out in contrast to each other. of her source material appears to be Reviewed by Kevin Hamilton As in some of the more jarring mash- self-generated. She even borrows Urbana, Illinois, USA ups one might encounter on Ms. from herself, recycling audio or video Bennett’s radio shows for WFMU, from old works in new. Music videos for mash-ups are rarely the seams are far from hidden. A boy The result is a very specific kind of as enjoyable as the audio originals— sets a toy house down upon a giant collection. Though individual ele- the pleasure of the sound collage is circuit board; later, we see him again ments within a frame are composited the simultaneity of clashing spaces, laying out his little town on a pump- to remain estranged from one an- where visual montage makes us kin patch. other, the ingredients add up to a choose between one space or another Opacities and edges blur to give whole that’s from a particular palette, through sequence. The Web is awash way to various cohabiting characters: a specific time and place. In all four in video cut-ups today; giddy editors a man peers into a screen to reveal of these works, we see and hear hope- take advantage of bountiful source another composited world, even as ful proponents of techno-marvels material in online archives, easy he’s oblivious to the third one above from modernity’s golden age. Men desktop editing software, and mostly him, or the beetles crawling over the and women hunch over vintage free distribution through video.google screen on yet a fourth layer. Narrators screens and typewriters, monitoring, or youtube.com. Surrealist film stand above it all, promising all sorts tweaking, and enjoying new-found technique is the stuff of late-night of things to come. Ms. Bennett intro- power through perfect analog connec- television comedy, as each day’s pres- duces each new element as she would tions. Telephone operators, orchestra idential speeches are cut up and re- a new loop in her sonic compositions, conductors, audio engineers, and city arranged for comedic effect. and lets us hold it all in our head for a planners listen to the spaces on the This explosion of montage only moment (or sometimes far longer— other side of an edit, command our highlights the differences between she loves repetition) before moving attention, or carry out plans through sound collage and video pastiche. on to something else. It’s a happy remote operation. Multi-track recorders, turntables, marriage of pastiche in sound and We see an artist and an engineer samplers, and sequencers give us video that helps demonstrate the mu- negotiate a new collaboration; we are densities no film editor could dream sicality of vision—the work is more transferred by a series of attractive of. Yet sometimes film collage carries Dziga Vertov than Sergei Eisenstein. switchboard operators from Chicago

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 to Wabash. Maps and radar, puppet Products new programs for soundfile transfor- strings and monitors mediate the re- mation and speech processing, sup- lations between distant actors. port for the 24-bit/96-kHz sampling Throughout it all, Ms. Bennett plays rate (DVD quality), expanded docu- an equally magical role, creating new Composers’ Desktop Project mentation, and revision of the iconic seamless spaces through edits, as her Version 5.0.1 Sound Loom interface. Notably (and subjects create spaces through telep- finally!), CDP and Sound Loom now resent connections. These hopeful Composers’ Desktop Project 5.0.1, exist in a port for Mac OS X. In this operators and technicians are people from US$ 300 (various options are review, I demonstrate some of the ad- like us, twiddling knobs at a remote, available, depnding on platform, GUI vantages of this new version from an if enamored, distance. By revealing choices, and site licensing); available actual work session; I shall also men- her own hand, the artist identifies from Composers’ Desktop Project, 12 tion a few peculiarities unique to herself with the films’ optimistic Goodwood Way, Cepen Park South, CDP. I am assuming the reader has subjects, who, according to their nar- Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0SY, some familiarity with CDP and the rators, “merely push a button and let UK; telephone (+44) 124-946-1361; Sound Loom interface, as a detailed something else do the work.” An- electronic mail archer@trans4um discussion of each procedure used other narrator adds, “the result is .demon.co.uk; Web www.bath.ac.uk/ would be prohibitive in the present breathtaking beauty, and lasting ~masjpf/CDP/CDP.htm. context. good taste.” I am using the new Mac OS X port Like Craig Baldwin in Spectres of Reviewed by Jon Forshee of Composers’ Desktop Project, with the Spectrum, Ms. Bennett tells a Paris, France the Sound Loom interface, version story of hope about technology, using 9.2b, with the new color scheme by the artifacts of a more hopeful age. We make only the music we are able Dale Perkins of Leeds University. Her films marry medium to message to make. As we choose our music- [Note: during the writing of this re- to reveal the folly of such hope, yet making environments it is often the view Sound Loom version 9.7.3 was without resorting to irony. Refresh- case that we seek an environment released by Trevor Wishart, and is ingly gentle and humble, the work re- that imposes the least restrictions available from his Web site (www lies on humor, awkwardness, and upon our music-making activity; or, .trevorwishart.co.uk/).] My current empathy to produce skepticism with- expressed another way, we may seek musical work concerns an electro- out cynicism. If through her reliance an environment that enables us as acoustic composition, in four chan- on found materials Ms. Bennett lacks agents of our self-determined compo- nels, which uses recordings of the faith of scientist-magicians who sitional guidelines. readings by poet Charles Stein as create something from nothing, she The release of version 5.0.1 of source material. I have a general out- shares their joy at seeing push- Composers’ Desktop Project (CDP) line, sketched beforehand, of the mu- buttons produce results. realizes the latest installment of just sical terrain of this composition, In the tradition of modernist re- such a music-making environment. including some of the ways in which flexivity, Ms. Bennett relies on the Initiated in 1986, the Composers’ the piece will highlight unique prop- stutter, the scratch, or the pause to Desktop Project is a cooperatively de- erties of Mr. Stein’s voice. call attention to her own hand. Im- veloped software system, based in the portantly though, she reminds us UK, “designed specifically to trans- The Soundfile Editor that stutters and burps are also hu- form existing sound samples for mu- man, and funny. Laughter is likely to sical purposes, mostly via off-line My source samples exist as large files be one’s first and lasting reaction to processing.” Sound sample transfor- containing entire readings; I intend to this artist’s work in sound and video, mation is achieved through a broad work with smaller portions of the so much so that perhaps this act of diversity of more than 500 command- sources, so I select one of the record- analysis might seem absurd. Close line programs, and CDP includes two ings and set the target directory con- examination of the works of Story Graphic User Interfaces (GUIs): taining the file in Sound Loom. Once Without End yield rich results, how- Sound Loom and Soundshaper. Sound Loom has loaded the directory, ever, and make me grateful for Ms. Version 5.0.1 provides powerful ad- I “grab” the file and add it to the Bennett’s generous and labored mar- ditions to CDP’s gamut of functions workspace portion of the interface. riage of humor and criticism. and utilities, including more than 40 When the file is listed in the work-

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 space window, I invoke Sound Text Poetry,” which, at first hearing, first two parameters, and I set the Loom’s new Soundfile Editor by - sounds a little like speaking in length of time-stretching (that is, the clicking on the file. Sound Loom’s tongues, or riffing in what may sound “extending”), in the third parameter. Soundfile Editor offers all the basic like Italian or Hindi. My first sample Additionally, I set the anticipated functions of a graphic soundfile edi- is a terrific instance of “sound-text- number of iterative segments, the tor, plus features for superimposing speech” in “Italian,” and features the range, in octaves, of the segments to and editing amplitude and pan break- poet peppering his speech with rolled be found, as well as the maximum points. I quickly locate the passage I r’s. I intend to isolate Mr. Stein’s r’s, number of adjacent occurences (over- want to trim and select the area by and dramatically extend the rolling lap?) of any segment. In a spirit of shift-selecting the region with the while preserving the flow of his play, I adjust, but don’t think too mouse. Selecting regions draws a sound-text speech. much about, the last two parameters, solid block around the region, obscur- Among the many new features of amplitude scatter and pitch scatter. ing the graphic representation of the version 5.0.1 are a host of programs The final option in the list offers the soundfile behind it. Saving the trim geared toward speech processing; one possibility of keeping the extended it- involves giving the file a new name of these, R_EXTEND, in the GRAIN eration only. I opt to keep the ex- and pressing “Savesnd.” group, is designed for extending itera- tended iteration within the flow of Throughout this process some dif- tive sounds. Specifically, R_EXTEND Mr. Stein’s speech. ferences between the Windows- and can pick out iterative sounds in a I execute the function and, as I ex- Macintosh-platform versions of sample and extend the iteration. The pected, am a little off in my guess- Sound Loom become evident. For ex- iteration, in this case Mr. Stein’s work. The extended iteration and ample, the layout of the Soundfile Ed- rolled r’s, can either be slightly ex- timestretching occur just a little after itor is the same, but to accommodate tended within the sample, thereby the actual rolled r’s in the sample, so the familiar feel and style of the Mac- drawing more attention to them, or I return to the parameters page and, intosh OS, the button text is abbrevi- the rolling can be extended beyond after a few more attempts, nail the ated: where the PC Sound Loom recognizability, perhaps creating an rolled r’s, producing the desired meta- reads “Save Sound,” the text in the occasion for morphing with another linguistic speech sequence. During Macintosh-platform Sound Loom is sample later on. the guesswork, if I enter a value for a abbreviated to “Savesnd.” Similar ab- parameter that contradicts another breviations appear throughout the R_EXTEND, ASSESS The R_EX- parameter’s setting, I will receive an Mac interface, and for those who are TEND function is invoked in the error message in the Run window, familiar with Sound Loom on the GRAIN group, and comes in two fla- telling me which parameter needs PC it may take a moment to re-orient vors, one for manually specifying the adjusting. to the Macintosh version, even location of iteration, and one which A useful function in conjunction though the layout is identical in all finds iterative locations based upon with R_EXTEND is another new ad- other respects. user-adjusted parameters. I start with dition to the GRAIN group, ASSESS, Before I can proceed, my trimmed the first flavor because I have a par- or as it appears in the menu, “assess sample should be normalized, accom- ticular sound in mind, and do not max. number of grains.” This handy plished quickly enough by entering wish to be led too far afield by inter- utility scans the soundfile and re- “Chosen Files” mode in the Sound esting accidents just yet. ports amplitude and window size Loom Workspace, moving the file I As with all the programs included that will result in the greatest num- created to the “Chosen Files” win- in CDP, the parameters for R_EX- ber of grains. This is a useful feature dow, hitting “Process,” choosing the TEND are comprehensive, and may when using any of CDP’s granular group LOUDNESS, and selecting not seem intuitive at first; however, synthesis functions, and I also use Normalize from the menu. I save the what the parameters do becomes evi- this utility with good results when file, return to the workspace, and am dent with use, and I find that a little searching soundfiles for suggestive now ready to audition the sample. fidgeting with parameters I don’t un- regions amenable to morphing. derstand is revealing. To simplify my After experimenting back and first attempt, I re-trim the soundfile forth with these two utilities I am Speech Processing to include just one instance of rolled able to achieve one segment of a One of Mr. Stein’s unique vocal abili- r’s. I set, by estimate, the start and larger gesture which, overall, was ties is what he refers to as “Sound- end of the iterative section with the suggested by the content of the

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Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2006.30.3.78 by guest on 25 September 2021 sample and which fit in with my pre- the present piece might involve cut- micro-to-macro method of develop- compositional sketches. There is ting a longish phrase by Mr. Stein ing the material. So much is this the more work to be done with these new into 8, 12, or 16 parts, each of which case that I choose to sequence functions, yet my personal work is later assigned to one of the four sculpted passages created in CDP in a habits engender a degree of play, so I channels, possibly affording the per- third-party track-based software se- proceed with shorter experiments ception of a single, connected utter- quencer, as opposed to CDP’s in- with a few other additions to this ver- ance dispersed throughout the house sound object assembly sion of CDP. quadraphonic space. sequencer. This is only a personal preference, however, and one needs SHUDDER, SPACEFORM, ENVEL only to listen to recent compositions Assessment TIMEGRID SHUDDER applies a of Trevor Wishart to hear just how time-variable amplitude modulation I have used CDP throughout as an en- flexible CDP’s non-track-based se- to a soundfile, creating a “shaking” vironment in which to reify my quencer is. effect. I found good use of this utility imagined musical profiles, and I have Through the cooperative effort of by sculpting an accelerando in the had success with the functions I Composers’ Desktop Project, CDP modulation which “leads” to an out- chose; moreover, in my trial and error and Sound Loom are developing burst of thickly layered timbral approach to these new functions I quickly; a glance at the “Potential polyphony, a section which includes have encountered possibilities I did Project Page” of the CDP Web site re- several layers of Mr. Stein’s speech not envision, which may yet prove veals enticing possibilities for the styles. fertile ground for further develop- near future. However, the Mac OS X Similarly, SPACEFORM provides ment. There are many more new port still takes a little effort to in- parameters for a “sinusoidal distribu- functions in version 5.0.1 than I have stall. In order to successfully install tion” within the stereo field, in which discussed. In particular, the new join- Composers’ Desktop Project and a soundfile or portion of a soundfile ing and sequencing programs, JOIN- Sound Loom on a Macintosh com- may be swung between two channels. SEQ, JOINDYN, SEQUENCY, and puter, it is vital to read Mr. Wishart’s A first run of this function reminds SEQUENCE2 deserve attention for installation instructions (found at me of a “spatial” form of amplitude those who have used CDP’s non- www.trevorwishart.co.uk/slfull.html). modulation, so I engineer an ac- track-based assembly routines. As the present context does not celerando between left and right With respect to the functions I did allow for a full anatomization of channels similar to what I achieved use, a little poking around was in or- CDP’s many new (and upcoming) fea- with SHUDDER, and this particular der to achieve what I wanted, and de- tures, visit the Composers’ Desktop realization is put aside for later use. spite the revisions (and port to Mac Project home page (www.bath.ac.uk/ ENVEL TIMEGRID parses a OS X), the Sound Loom interface re- ~masjpf/CDP/index.html), where soundfile into sections separated by mains a little obtuse at first use. Ad- much more is offered, including slices of silence; the space between ditionally, it is apparent that with new tutorials and, most important, chunks is variable, as are chunk CDP and Sound Loom I work best information on how to purchase the lengths. An immediate application in on small sections, creating for me a system.

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