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Exploration of Contemporary Composition Techniques in Seminar with Prof. Sigman

This seminar, led by Prof. Sigman, delves into contemporary composition techniques from 1900-1950. Key topics include Stockhausen’s seminal works, such as "Kreuzspiel" and "Elektronische Studie II," highlighting innovations in pitch, rhythm, and sound organization. The course explores the influence of information theory on music, particularly through Meyer-Eppler's contributions. Students will analyze significant pieces, learn about noise-tone continuum, and examine distinct envelope types in orchestration. Join us on Thursdays from 14:00 to 16:00 for a profound exploration of modern music.

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Exploration of Contemporary Composition Techniques in Seminar with Prof. Sigman

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  1. Contemporary Composition SeminarFall 2012 Instructor: Prof. SIGMAN Thursday 14:00-16:00 Lecture II

  2. 0. Assignments • Submission? • [3 favourite pieces, `1900-1950]

  3. Stockhausen: Points/Groups/Moments

  4. 0. Messiaen’s Influence

  5. Mode de valeurs et d’intensités (1949-50) Pitch, rhythmic, dynamic, and articulation organisation: • 3 pitch modes (not series!), fixed in register and overlapping • 3 overlapping additive rhythmic series • 12 attacks • 7 dynamics (ppp-fff) • Full range of piano used • Parallel, disjunct layers (leaps)

  6. I. Kreuzspiel(1951) • First post-student piece by Stockhausen • For oboe, bass clarinet, piano, and 3 percussion

  7. Kreuzspiel: Pitch and Rhythmic Organisation • 1 pitch series • Multiple additive rhythmic series

  8. Kreuzspiel: Form and Process • Title: literally, “cross-play” • Introduction (mm. 1- 13): statement of series in trichords; redistribution across 7 octaves • Phase I: (mm. 14-91): extreme registers-> equal distribution -> extreme registers • Phase II (mm. 92-140): middle register -> equal distribution -> middle register • Phase III (mm. 141-end): Phase I and Phase II processes, juxtaposed

  9. Kreuzspiel: Sign-Posts • 1) Changes in tempo • 2) Changes in percussion (toms/tumba impulses to cymbals) = decreasing importance of durational series; noise dislocated from piano to percussion • 3) percussion attacks on each pitched in new register

  10. Related Piece: Boulez, Polyphonie X (1950-51) for 18 soloists

  11. Polyphonie X Parallels • Overlapping, disjunct pitch series • Controlled by independent rhythmic series • Klangfarbenmelodie • Vertical and horizontal density control

  12. II. The WDR and Information Theory

  13. A. Werner Meyer-Eppler (1913-1960)

  14. Meyer-Eppler and Information Theory • Phonetician, physicist, acoustician • Inventor of electronic instruments • Stockhausen, König, and Eimert attended his classes • Influential articles: • 1) “Statistic and Psychological Problems of Sound” • 2) “Musical Communication as a Problem of Information Theory”

  15. Information Theory Principles • 1. Noise-Tone Continuum: statistical properties of sound should be embraced, not avoided in music (e.g., via filtered noise) • 2. Information Entropy: behaviour of local events in a larger, closed system; sound-events do not exist in isolation! • 3. Markov-Chain Models: predictive, weighted models at all levels of scale

  16. Markov Chain Example

  17. Information Theory Applications • Voice synthesis • Electronic music • Speech perception • Digital Signal Processing (DSP) • Computer Science

  18. B. Stockhausen, Elektronische Studie II (1954) • Introduction of noise/impurities to sound material • Amplitude and frequency controlled via globalenvelopes/shapes, rather than individually • = statistical approach to structuring sound • Noise-tone scale • Amplitude scale • Rhythmic density scale

  19. Voice Synthesis in Studie II • source-filter model 2) study of transients (noise components) in speech 3) Speech resemblance gradient

  20. Studie II Score Example

  21. C. Gruppen (1955-57) • For 3 orchestras (3 conductors)

  22. Meyer-Eppler Influence • Noise-tone continuum: orchestra divided into: 1) sound-groups (winds, strings, brass); 2) noise-groups (percussion); 3) transitional groups (piano, celeste, bells) • “Formants”: divisive, NOT additive rhythm • Contours/Shapes: applied to pitch/rhythmic events, and position in space • Material organised into groups/events, NOT as points!

  23. 4 Types of Envelopes • 1) acceleration -> upper formants-> slow pulsation (ex) reh. 1 + 2, orch. 1) • 2) statistical, dense attack -> periodic reverberation (ex) reh. 113-115, orch. 2) • 3) swell/accumulation/crescendo -> fusion across orchestras (ex) 117-119) • 4) periodic or aperiodic iterative internal structure (like a drum-roll)

  24. Extension of Serialism

  25. Control Parameters • Proportions (section durations) • Position in space • Pitch –events • Rhythmic density (formants)

  26. III. Kontakte: From Groups to Moments

  27. A. Kontakte (1958-60) • For 4-channel electronics and (optional) piano and percussion • Percussion: point of “contact” between abstract (electronic) and familiar (instrumental) sound • Realised at Westdeutcher Rundfunk (West German Radio) Cologne

  28. Experiment • Listen to these 2 sections, played in 2 different orders. Which section is longer?

  29. Moment-Form • Higher-level, coherent, and unchangeable structured units • Diverse durations (from ca. 10 seconds to 2+ minutes) • Order of moments may be shifted/permuted (as for a pitch series) in a piece • Kontakte, Mikrophonie I, Carré, Momente

  30. Control Parameters • Continuum: Pulse-> Rhythm-> Pitch (pulse-train synthesis • 7-octave scale • Duration scale • Structural proportion scale • Amplitude envelopes • Position in space • “it’s about ‘6’” • “it’s about pitch”

  31. Equipment • Potentiometers • Band-pass filters • Reverberator • Pulse/square-wave generators • Sine-tone generators • Tape recorders (for looping and delay) • Ring modulator • Rotation table (for spatialisation)

  32. Score Excerpt

  33. IV. Gottfried Michael König (b. 1926)

  34. A. König vs. Stockhausen • Colleagues @ WDR Köln studio in the 1950s • Compared to Stockhausen, König took a more “purist” approach to the use of electronics • Compositional process and techniques generally more important for König than musical surface • Radical and rigorous approach to analog technology • Continued to use studio several years longer than Stockhausen

  35. B. Terminus I (1962) • One of 2 final pieces realised in WDR studio by König • Source material: bank of sine waves • Applies serial principles to electronics derivation chain • “family tree” structure • Order of events in piece does not reflect order of their production

  36. For Next Week: • Listen to Gruppenwith the score • I will post the score and recording to: www.lxsigman.com/courses/cmsfall2012/index.htm

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