Densil Cabrera S o u n d S p a c e a n d E d g a r d V a r è s e ’ s P o è m e E l e c t r o n i q u e Master of Arts 1994 University of Technology, Sydney C E R T I F I C A T E I certify that this thesis has not already been submitted for any degree and is not being submitted as part of candidature for any other degree. I also certify that the thesis has been written by me and that any help that I have received in preparing this thesis, and all sources used, have been acknowledged in this thesis. Signature of Candidate i A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s The author acknowledges the specific assistance of the following people in the preparation of this thesis: Martin Harrison for supervision; Greg Schiemer for support in the early stages of research; Elizabeth Francis and Peter Keller for allowing the use of facilities at the University of New South Wales’ Infant Research Centre for the production of the Appendix; Joe Wolfe and Emery Schubert; Roberta Lukes for her correspondence; Kirsten Harley and Greg Walkerden for proof reading. The author also acknowledges an award from the University of Technology, Sydney Vice- Chancellor’s Postgraduate Student Conference Fund in 1992. ii T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s I n t r o d u c t i o n The Philips Pavilion and Poème Electronique Approaches C h a p t e r 1 - S o u n d i n t h e W a l l s Architecture, Music: A Lineage Music-Architecture: Hyperbolic Paraboloids Crystal Sculpture Domestic Images of Sound in Space Sound, Space, Surface C h a p t e r 2 - H y p e r b o l i c P a r a b o l o i d s A Scientific Imagination Extension and Depth Hyperbolic Visual Space Hyperbolic Paraboloids in Visual Space Hyperbolic Paraboloids and Sound Space iii T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s C h a p t e r 3 - S a l l e P l e y e l a n d P h i l i p s P a v i l i o n Varèse in the Salle Pleyel Varèse’s Sound Space and High Fidelity Ambiophony and Stereophony Sound Detaches in the Salle Pleyel Surrounding Sound and Roundness C h a p t e r 4 - V a r è s e ’ s P o è m e E l e c t r o n i q u e Approaches Poème Electronique: An Electro-acoustic Work A Beginning and an Ending A Dynamic Form Four Beginnings Five Endings Beginning and Ending: Surroundedness and Detachment C h a p t e r 5 - S o u n d S p a c e Perception of Acoustic Space Directionality Depth Perception iv T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s Perception of Musical Space Pitch Space Loudness and Volume Depth and Depths Towards a Sound Space C o n c l u d i n g R e m a r k s A p p e n d i x B i b l i o g r a p h y Selected Discography v L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s Figure 1 Philips Pavilion Exterior: Special Issue: The Brussels Exhibition, Architectural Review, 124 (739), August 1958, p83. Figure 2 Philips Pavilion Exterior: Philips Technical Review, 20 (1), 20 September 1958, p1. Figure 3 Philips Pavilion Exterior (drawing): Iannis Xenakis: Musique. Architecture., p142. Figure 4 Philips Pavilion Model (drawing): Olivier Revault D’Allonnes: Xenakis / Les Polytopes, p11. Figure 5 Philips Pavilion Floor Plan: Philips Technical Review, 20 (2-3), 23 October 1958, p41. Figure 6 Philips Pavilion - behind the balustrade: Philips Technical Review, 20 (2-3), 23 October 1958, p42. Figure 7 Philips Pavilion Interior: Brussels Universal Exhibition 1958, Architectural Design, June 1958, p322. Figure 8 Diagram of a hyperbolic paraboloid: C. G. J. Vreedenburgh: The Hyperbolic- Paraboloidal Shell and its Mechanical Properties, Philips Technical Review, 20 (1), 20 September 1958, p10. Figure 9 Perisphere, Trylon and Helicline (drawing): Trylon, Perisphere, Helicline, Architectural Record, November 1938, p67. Figure 10 Perisphere, Trylon and Helicline: The New York Fair, Architectural Forum, 70, June 1939, p398. Figure 11 Democracity (drawing): Trylon, Perisphere, Helicline, Architectural Record, November 1938, p68. Figure 12 Democracity: The New York Fair, Architectural Forum, 70, June 1939, p401. vi L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s Figure 13 Perisphere Speaker Pit: Arthur W. Schneider: Sound Systems at the Two New York World’s Fairs, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 16 (2), April 1968, p143. Figure 14 Perisphere Speaker Pit (diagram): Arthur W. Schneider: Sound Systems at the Two New York World’s Fairs, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 16 (2), April 1968, p143. Figure 15 Brussels World’s Fair - overview: John Allwood: Great Exhibitions, p156. Figure 16 French Pavilion: A. V. J. Martin: Sound Distribution at the Brussels Exhibition, Audio, February 1959, p28. Figure 17 1958 Brussels World’s Fair logo: John Allwood: Great Exhibitions, p153. Figure 18 Civil Engineering Pavilion: Special Issue: The Brussels Exhibition, Architectural Review, 124 (739), August 1958, p80. Figure 19 Civil Engineering Pavilion: Special Issue: The Brussels Exhibition, Architectural Review, 124 (739), August 1958, p80. Figure 20 Civil Engineering Pavilion: Special Issue: The Brussels Exhibition, Architectural Review, 124 (739), August 1958, p74. Figure 21 Civil Engineering Pavilion: Special Issue: The Brussels Exhibition, Architectural Review, 124 (739), August 1958, p74. Figure 22 Flying Beak Sculpture: The Best at Brussels, Architectural Forum, 108, June 1958, p78. Figure 23 String Glissandi in Metastasis: Iannis Xenakis: Musique. Architecture., p8. Figure 24 String Glissandi in Metastasis: Iannis Xenakis: Formalized Music, p3. Figure 25 Xenakis - Polytope de Montréal - sketch: Olivier Revault D’Allonnes: Xenakis / Les Polytopes, p119. vii L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s Figure 26 Xenakis - Polytope de Montréal: Olivier Revault D’Allonnes: Xenakis / Les Polytopes, p29. Figure 27 Gabo - Constructed Head No. 1: Herbert Read & Leslie Martin: Gabo, plate 1. Figure 28 Gabo - Project for a Color Lithograph: Steven A. Nash & Jörn Merkert: Naum Gabo: Sixty Years of Constructivism, p183. Figure 29 Gabo - Kinetic Construction (reconstruction): Steven A. Nash & Jörn Merkert: Naum Gabo: Sixty Years of Constructivism, p98. Figure 30 Gabo - Design for Kinetic Construction: Herbert Read & Leslie Martin: Gabo, plate 16. Figure 31 Gabo - Construction in Space - Crystal: Steven A. Nash & Jörn Merkert: Naum Gabo: Sixty Years of Constructivism, p115. Figure 32 Gabo - Bronze Spheric Theme (variation): Steven A. Nash & Jörn Merkert: Naum Gabo: Sixty Years of Constructivism, p143. Figure 33 Gabo - Linear Construction in Space No. 2: Steven A. Nash & Jörn Merkert: Naum Gabo: Sixty Years of Constructivism, p123. Figure34 Ampex Stereo Advertisement: High Fidelity, September 1957, p105; Audio, September 1957, p83. Figure 35 Tandberg Stereo Advertisement (extract): High Fidelity, May 1958, p118. Figure 36 Tandberg Stereo Advertisement (extract): High Fidelity, January 1958, p93. Figure 37 ‘Ampex Stereophonic Sound’: Audio, May 1956, p11. Figure 38 ‘Stereo Fidelity’: High Fidelity, October 1958, p67. Figure 39 Capital Stereo Advertisement (extract): High Fidelity, December 1958, p61. Figure 40 Fortissimo Advertisement: Audio, April 1961, p61. viii L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s Figure 41 Electro-Sonic Laboratories Pick-up Advertisement: Audio, October 1955, p77. Figure 42 Binaural Magnecorder Advertisement: High Fidelity, May/June 1953, p17. Figure 43 Grommes Stereo Advertisement: Audio, March 1959, p79. Figure 44 University TMS-2 Advertisement: Audio, June 1959, p59. Figure 45 Chess-board pattern: Herman von Helmholtz: Helmholtz’s Treatise on Physiological Optics, p181. Figure 46 Columbia 360 Advertisement: High Fidelity, March/April 1953, p8. Figure 47 Columbia 360 X-D Advertisement: High Fidelity, January/February 1954, p19. Figure 48 Salle Pleyel Interior (seen from the stage): E. N. Da C. Andrade: The Salle Pleyel, Paris, and Architectural Acoustics, Nature, 130 (3279), 3 September 1932, p332. Figure 49 Salle Pleyel Interior (seen from the middle of the parterre): E. N. Da C. Andrade: The Salle Pleyel, Paris, and Architectural Acoustics, Nature, 130 (3279), 3 September 1932, p332. Figure 50 Salle Pleyel Longitudinal Section: Vern O. Knudsen: Architectural Acoustics, p543. Figure 51 Salle Pleyel Floor Plan: Vern O. Knudsen: Architectural Acoustics, p542. Figure 52 Varèse’s working sketch of the end of Poème électronique: Fernand Ouellette: Edgard Varèse, figure 17. Figure 53 Poème électronique illustration. ix A b s t r a c t The Poème électronique in the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair was an event and site where many late Modernist ideas of sound space converged. This thesis explores the notion of sound space through this convergence; especially the ideas of the composer Edgard Varèse, but also associated ideas of the engineer, architect and composer Iannis Xenakis, and contemporaneous ideas in sound reproduction. In a certain sense, the thesis is not about Poème électronique: it is merely taken by the thesis as a starting point and structure for a discussion of sound space. Poème électronique involved architecture, music, acoustics, electro-acoustics, and by implication, sculpture in a complex synthesis, providing a number of vocabularies or metaphors for exploring sound space.