Documenting acousmatic music interpretation : a developmental framework based on cross self-confrontations

The investigation of acousmatic music interpretation as a distinct activity from composition calls for the investigation of appropriate documentation frameworks. This paper investigates the relevance of cross self-confrontations to capture all dimensions of interpretation of acousmatic music from a dialogical and developmental perspective. This study is the second phase of the project Interpretation Spatiale des Musiques Electroacoustiques (ISME), following a theoretical investigation of acousmatic music interpretation. It is based on the automated re-enactment of several performances conducted during an acousmatic interpretation workshop and masterclass at LaBRISCRIME in 2015. The analysis presents the practical and theoretical relevance of the framework in relation to the dimensions of acousmatic interpretations conceptualized during the first phase of the project based on semi-structured interviews

Documenting acousmatic music interpretation : profiles of discourse across multiple dimensions

Purpose : Extending documentation and analysis frameworks for acousmatic music to performance/interpretation, from an information science point of view, will benefit the transmission and preservation of a repertoire with an idiosyncratic relation to performance and technology. This paper presents the outcome of a qualitative research aiming at providing a conceptual model theorizing the intricate relationships between the multiple dimensions of acousmatic music interpretation. • Design/methodology/approach : The methodology relies on grounded theory. 12 Interviews were conducted over a period of 3 years in France, Québec and Belgium, grounded in theoretical sampling. • Findings : The analysis outcome describes eight dimensions in acousmatic performance, namely: musical; technical; anthropological; psychological; social; cultural; linguistic; and ontological. Discourse profiles are provided in relation to each participant. Theory development led to the distinction between documentation of interpretation as an expertise and as a profession. • Research limitations/implications : Data collection is limited to French-speaking experts, for historical and methodological reasons. • Practical implications : The model stemming from the analysis provides a framework for documentation which will benefit practitioners and organizations dedicated to the dissemination of acousmatic music. The model also provides this community with a tool for characterizing expert discourses about acousmatic performance and identifying content areas to further investigate. From a research point of view, the theorization leads to the specification of new directions and the identification of relevant epistemological frameworks. • Originality/value : This research brings a new vision of acousmatic interpretation, extending the literature on this repertoire’s performance with a more holistic perspective

Seguindo os rastros da música espectral: análise genética dos modelos compositivos em Périodes, de Gérard Grisey

Traduction en Portugais par Michelle Agnes Magalhães de l'article: "Sur les traces de la musique spectrale : analyse génétique des modèles compositionnels dans Périodes (1974) de Gérard Grisey", Revue de musicologie, vol. 96 no. 2, 2010, pp. 411-443.International audienceFirst developed in the mid-1970s, spectral music represents one of the main currents of contemporary French music. In Périodes (1974) for 7 instruments,Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) sets the foundations of this new approach to musical composition, which explores both the acoustical properties of sound and specific features of the auditory system. The Gérard Grisey archives at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel contain, amongst other things, musical manuscripts (sketches, autograph notes, drawings, etc.) of each of the composer’s works, as well as manuscripts of his writings, lesson notes, and books from his library. The examination of these documents, in addition to information gained from interviews with some of the composer’s close friends, allow us to better understand how Grisey imagined, developed, and brought to fruition his spectral approach to composition. In this paper, we begin by describing the composer’s education and explore his private investigation of musical acoustics from 1972 and 1974 by studying the work of Émile Leipp and Fritz Winckel. We then look closely at the two models (the respiratory cycle and the harmonic spectrum built on E1 fundamental) that lie at the heart of the piece and underscore both their structural and auditory influence. Finally, after offering a close analysis of the last section of the piece in which Grisey uses instruments to recreate a sound’s spectrum, we challenge the existence of a trombone’s spectrogram that the composer himself claims to have used as a model. Through this genetic study of Périodes, we seek more generally to document the construction of the cycle entitled Les espaces acoustiques (1974-1985), which is considered emblematic of the spectral aesthetic.La musique spectrale représente l’un des principaux courants de la création musicale contemporaine en France depuis le milieu des années 1970. Dans Périodes (1974) pour 7 instruments, Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) pose les fondements de cette nouvelle approche de la composition qui tire profit des propriétés acoustiques du son et des modalités remarquables de l’audition. La collection Gérard Grisey de la Fondation Paul Sacher à Bâle comprend, entre autres, les avant-textes (esquisses, notes manuscrites, schémas…) relatifs à chaque œuvre du compositeur, les manuscrits de ses écrits, ses notes de cours et une partie de sa bibliothèque. L’étude de ces documents et les informations recueillies au cours des quelques entretiens réalisés avec les proches du compositeur a permis d’appréhender la manière dont Grisey a imaginé, développé et concrétisé musicalement son approche spectrale de la composition. Dans cet article, nous revenons tout d’abord sur les années de formation du compositeur et montrons que celui-ci s’est familiarisé de manière autodidacte avec l’acoustique musicale entre 1972 et 1974 en lisant des ouvrages scientifiques d’Émile Leipp et de Fritz Winckel. Nous nous intéressons alors à la mise en place des deux modèles (le cycle respiratoire et le spectre harmonique de fondamentale mi 0) qui sont au cœur de l’œuvre en soulignant leur impact tant du point du vue structurel que sonore. Enfin, après avoir proposé une analyse détaillée de la dernière section de l’œuvre dans laquelle Grisey restitue instrumentalement le spectre d’un son, nous remettons en question l’existence du sonagramme de son de trombone qui, selon le compositeur, aurait servi de modèle. À travers cette étude génétique de Périodes, nous documentons plus généralement l’élaboration du cycle Les espaces acoustiques (1974-1985) considéré comme l’un des emblèmes de l’esthétique spectrale.Elaborada inicialmente na metade dos anos 1970, a música espectral representa uma das principais correntes da música francesa. Em Périodes (1974), para 7 instrumentos, Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) define as bases desta nova abordagem da composição musical que explora tanto as propriedades acústicas do som, quanto as características específicas do sistema auditivo. Os arquivos Gérard Grisey da fundação Paul Sacher, situados na Basileia, contém, entre outros documentos, manuscritos musicais (rascunhos, notas autografas, desenhos etc.) de cada uma das obras do compositor, assim como manuscritos de seus escritos, notas de aula e livros da sua biblioteca. O exame destes documentos, além da informação coletada por meio de entrevistas de amigos próximos do compositor, permite-nos compreender como Grisey imaginou, desenvolveu e concretizou sua abordagem espectral da composição. Neste artigo, iniciamos por descrever a formação do compositor e explorar sua pesquisa particular da acústica a partir de 1972 e 1974, por meio do estudo da obra de Émile Leipp e Fritz Winckel. Em seguida, analisamos de perto estes dois modelos (o ciclo respiratório e o espectro harmônico construído a partir da fundamental Mi1), que se encontram no coração da obra e marcam tanto sua influência estrutural quanto auditiva. Finalmente, depois de fazemos uma análise detalhada da última seção da peça, na qual Grisey utiliza instrumentos para recriar o espectro sonoro, questionamos a existência do espectrograma de trombone, que o próprio compositor alega ter utilizado como modelo. Por meio deste estudo genético de Périodes, buscamos, de maneira mais geral, documentar a construção do ciclo intitulado Les espaces acoustiques (1974-1985), que é considerado emblemático da estética espectral

Gérard Grisey : première section de Partiels (1975)

Partiels a été composé en 1975 par Gérard Grisey (1946-1998) et créé le 4 mars 1976 à Paris par l’ensemble l’Itinéraire sous la direction de Boris de Vinogradov. Cette œuvre emblématique de la musique « spectrale » puise une partie de son inspiration dans les connaissances acoustiques sur le spectre sonore. Aborder la genèse de Partiels ne peut se faire sans évoquer Périodes (1974) pour sept instrumentistes car, dans la dernière section de cette partition, Grisey fait jouer par l’ensemble des..

Ecclesiastes et Psychosoma (2015) : deux manuscrits inédits de John Zorn

International audienceCourte introduction à deux manuscrits de John Zorn écrits à l'attention du groupe Simulacru

The emergence of spectra in Gérard Grisey’s compositional process: from Dérives (1973-74) to Les espaces acoustiques (1974-1985)

cote interne IRCAM: Feron11bNone / NoneNational audienceThis article aims to document how spectral models became an essential component of Gérard Grisey’s creative approach at the beginning of the 1970s. In Dérives (1974–75), though the spectral model remains rather broad, it determines both the work’s temporal structure and the choice of harmonic polarities and progressions. In Périodes (1974), which marks the beginning of the cycle Les espaces acoustiques (1974–85), Grisey specifically transcribes the harmonic spectrum of fundamental frequency E1 (41.2 Hz) and uses it to govern most compositional processes, thus laying the foundations of the spectral music. This study highlights the importance of data drawn from the spectral (de)composition of sound in the compositional processes of both works. It also reveals how Grisey establishes a number of complex compositional techniques then used to structure each detail in the piece, and how he consequently defines a musical project quite comparable to that of serial music

Le sonagraphe comme outil de création musicale: les premières analyses spectrographiques de François-Bernard Mâche et Gérard Grisey

International audienc

La Tzadik French Connection : entretiens avec sept artistes français produits par John Zorn

Comment un artiste est-il amené à être produit par John Zorn sur Tzadik ? De quelle manière se déroulent les différentes étapes de production et réalisation de son album ? Quel regard porte-t-il, à travers sa propre expérience, sur le slogan de la maison de disques : « What you hear on Tzadik is the artist’s vision undiluted » ? Pour répondre à ces quelques interrogations, nous avons enquêté auprès de sept musiciens français qui ont publié un ou plusieurs albums sur Tzadik : Jacques Coursil, Maxime Delporte (Stabat Akish), David Konopnicki (AutorYno), Pierre-Yves Macé, Guillaume Perret (Electric Epic), Frédéric Petitprez (Artichaut Orkestra) et Yves Weyh (Zakarya).How does an artist come to have music produced by John Zorn on the Tzadik label? How do the various stages of production and realization of these albums unfold? Through their own experience, how do these artists interpret the label’s slogan, “What you hear on Tzadik is the artist’s vision undiluted”? To answer these questions, we interviewed seven French musicians who have released albums on Tzadik: Jacques Coursil, Maxime Delporte (Stabat Akish), David Konopnicki (AutorYno), Pierre-Yves Macé, Guillaume Perret (Electric Epic), Frédéric Petitprez (Artichaut Orkestra), and Yves Weyh (Zakarya)

Störungen (2011) de David Hudry, ou la confrontation des diapasons à travers l’emploi jumelé d’instruments baroques et modernes

Dans Störungen (2011), le compositeur français David Hudry explore un nouveau genre de mixité instrumentale en réunissant deux instrumentistes baroques et six instrumentistes modernes. Composée dans le cadre de la huitième édition de l’Ensemble Academy Freiburg organisée conjointement par l’ensemble recherche et le Freiburger Barockorchester, cette oeuvre explore l’idée de dysfonctionnement et de dédoublement en confrontant deux types d’instrumentarium, l’un baroque accordé à 415 Hz et l’autre moderne accordé à 440 Hz. Cet article, qui s’articule autour d’un long entretien que le compositeur nous a accordé au début de l’année 2018, revient sur la genèse de l’oeuvre et souligne les enjeux et défis compositionnels propres à ce type d’effectif instrumental.In Störungen (2011), the French composer David Hudry explores a new kind of instrumental mixing by bringing together two musicians on Baroque instruments and six on modern ones. Composed for the eighth edition of the Ensemble Academy Freiburg co-organized by the ensemble recherche and the Freiburger Barockorchester, this work explores the idea of dysfunctionality and duality through a confrontation between two types of ensemble: the Baroque one tuned to 415 Hz and the modern one tuned to 440 Hz. This article, which stems from a long interview with the composer conducted in 2018, traces the genesis of this work and underlines the compositional outcomes and challenges specific to this type of instrumental ensemble