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Compositional Procedures in Electronic Music and the Emergence of Time Continuum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2020

Danilo Rossetti ,
Micael Antunes  and
Jônatas Manzolli
Danilo Rossetti*
Affiliation:
Department of Arts, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá-MT, Brazil NICS (Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Sound Communication), University of Campinas, Brazil
Micael Antunes*
Affiliation:
NICS (Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Sound Communication), University of Campinas, Brazil
Jônatas Manzolli*
Affiliation:
NICS (Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Sound Communication), University of Campinas, Brazil
*
Emails: d.a.a.rossetti@gmail.com;
micael.antunes@nics.unicamp.br;
jonatas@nics.unicamp.br
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Abstract

We introduce an analytical methodology to approach the perception of time in the electronic works Thema: Omaggio a Joyce (1958), by Luciano Berio, and Gesang der Jünglinge (1955–6), by Karlheinz Stockhausen. Such works have already been widely analysed and discussed. Moreover, similarities between them have been pointed out, such as the use of the voice as their main compositional material and the search for a continuum between the voice and electronic sounds. Despite their similarities, we argue that the perception of time in those works is significantly different. For that purpose, we bring theoretical references such as time concepts related to complex dynamic systems, and the perception of time according to the Gestalt theory. We discuss segmentation and texture evolution in time of both works employing graphical representations based on perceptual audio descriptors such as the mel scale and the volume. In addition, aiming to find recurrences, repetitions and variations of the spectral material in time, we apply phase space graphs addressing the values of the descriptors employed in the analysis. The features found will lead to conclusions on the emergence of time perception in which the continuity depends on the presence of similar events, periodicities and pregnancies, while discontinuity is given by the presence of more variation, instability and saliences. We emphasise the differences of form perception in those pieces, arguing that they are the result of the manipulation of sound materials and organisation in time by the composers.

Type
Articles
Information
Organised Sound , Volume 25 , Issue 2: Time in Electroacoustic Music , August 2020 , pp. 156 - 167
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press, 2020

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