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Contemporary Composition Seminar - Fall 2012 Overview

This document outlines the Contemporary Composition Seminar conducted in Fall 2012 by Prof. Sigman. The course focuses on important dates, including class cancellations, final project presentations, and written assignments. Students are tasked with analyzing specific musical pieces, such as Tristan Murail's "Treize Couleurs du Soleil Couchant" and the works of Brian Ferneyhough. Key concepts covered include electroacoustic techniques, instrumental techniques, and compositional influences. This seminar fosters an understanding of modern composition through hands-on analysis and creative exploration.

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Contemporary Composition Seminar - Fall 2012 Overview

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

  2. 0.0 Important Dates • 11/29: NO CLASS • 12/13: FINAL PRESENTATIONS • 12/20: FINAL EXAM (시험)

  3. 0.1 Written Assignment (due NOW) • Write 1 paragraph (4-5 sentences) about the Carter piece that you listened to 질문: • What did you find interesting? • Was there anything similar to the pieces discussed in class? • Anything similar to other pieces that you know?

  4. 0.2 Final Project Proposal • Due 11/22: in class or via email

  5. I. Tristan Murail

  6. A. Bio • (b. 1947) • Studied with Messiaen • Also studied Arabic (아랍이) and Political Science • Worked at IRCAM • Taught in at the Paris Conservatoire, IRCAM, Columbia University (New York), and the Salzburg Mozarteum (Salzburg)

  7. B. Treize Couleurs du Soleil Couchant (1978) • Title = “13 colours of the setting sun” • For flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and live electronics

  8. 1. Electroacoustic Technique: Ring Modulation • Generating interval: 1 Carrier + 1 Modulator • Ring modulation = Carrier (C) X Modulator (M) • sidebands: +/- tones produced by adding and subtracting Carrier and Modulator • If Carrier and/or Modulator contain partials: pairs of partials added and subtracted, as well as fundamental frequencies

  9. [RM demo] • 2 sine waves • 2 square waves • Voice (carrier) and sine wave (modulator)

  10. 2. Structure and Process • 13 sections • 1 “colour”/section • 1 colour =1 interval (Carrier + Modulator); pitches resulting from Ring Modulation • Harmonicity-> Inharmonicity-> Noise (as in Partiels)

  11. “Tristan” Chord

  12. 3. Electronics • Reverb: (thickens ensemble sound) • Echo: (short delays on piano) • Ring modulation: (flute and clarinet) • Controlled live

  13. 4. Instrumental Techniques • Clarinet and flute multiphonics • Vln and Cello: bow pressure and finger pressure changes

  14. 4. 13 Couleurs: Score/Recording • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEW6rfj7DLk • Durational notation (in seconds)

  15. And now…. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRU6tQdyYqQ

  16. II. Brian Ferneyhough

  17. A. Why is this Lecture Going to be Different? • Because I studied with Ferneyhough, and have known him since 2002! • Stanford, Darmstadt, Centre Acanthes, Royaumont…

  18. B. Bio • (b. 1943, Coventry, UK) • Working class background • Studied in Birmingham (UK), London, Amsterdam, and (most importantly) in Basel and Freiburg with Klaus Huber • Has taught in Freiburg (1973—86), University of California San Diego (1986-1999), and Stanford (1999-present) • Has lectured at Darmstadt since 1978

  19. Bio, cont’d • Worked at IRCAM in the 1980s: developed Patchwork, a computer-aided composition software (now called Open Music) • Also a conductor, flautist, and trumpet player • Known as founder of “New Complexity” (he does not like this term!)

  20. C. Influences • Varèse • Stockhausen • Webern • Schönberg • Henry Purcell • Thomas Tallis • Various polyphonic Medieval/Renaissance composers

  21. D. Collected Writings • Collection of essays, analyses, interviews, and original poetry (시) • On the music of Ferneyhough, Michael Finnissy, Webern, and other composers • Difficult to read

  22. E. Similarities to Composers of his Generation (세대) Like Lachenmann (b. 1935), Grisey (1946-1998), and Murail (b.1947), Ferneyhough has been interested in: • the physicality of sound and instruments (sound as ORGANISM, not just INFORMATION) • performance process and energy as an expressive parameter • a post-1950s Darmstadt approach to composition • new sonic possibilities and resources • Temporality (시간의) • Microtonality

  23. F. Differences from Lachenmann Ferneyhough’s music is: • Not directly political • Does not use (obvious) historical quotations • Uses—and transforms—conventional playing techniques and figuration

  24. G. Differences from Grisey + Murail Ferneyhough’s music: • is not concerned with natural/organic processes • avoids linear narrative • uses serial procedures • operates on many different time-scales: some extremely fast, others quite slow

  25. H. “New Complexity” Features • “nested” tuplets and irrational rhythmic divisions • Extreme dynamic changes • Extreme gradation of playing techniques • Frequent meter and tempo changes • Dense polyphony • Many parallel actions for a single instrument

  26. While Spectral composers view the world through a telescope (망원경)

  27. …Ferneyhough views the world through a microscope (현미경)…

  28. …and creates musical universes in which every element is in flux all the time!

  29. J. Unity Capsule (1976)

  30. 1. Flute Repertoire since 1945 • (Too) many pieces for solo flute! • Why? Large expressive range and agility • Decorative, trivial, and virtuosic nonsense • Ferneyhough wanted to approach the instrument differently

  31. 2. Ferneyhough Flute Repertoire • Cassandra’s Dream Song (1970) • Unity Capsule (1976) • Carceri d’invenzione cycle(1982-86): piccolo, C flute, alto flute, bass flute solo and concerto pieces • Sisyphus Redux (2011) (alto flute)

  32. 3. How is Unity Capsule Different? • Polyphony: breath, key action, and voice controlled independently and in parallel—fused together into an instrumental unity • Instability of sounding result: • the polyphonic layers control physical actions, which are inherently unstable • the integration of these layers varies with each performance • Engages physicality of instrument and performer

  33. 4. Pitch/Noise/Action • Instrument de-tuned and re-tuned • Ending: performer continues fingering actions once out of breath • Theatrical dimension of performance: begins after 15” of silence, ends with abruptly expelled breath and release of instrument

  34. 5. Unity Capsule Score and Recording • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y71cx8Vj15Q

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