1. Contemporary Composition Seminar Fall 2012 Instructor: Prof. SIGMAN Thursday 14:00-16:00 Lecture III

2. 0. Administrata 3 favourite pieces submission? Assignment I (Stockhausen + Xenakis): posted to course website: www.lxsigman.com/cmsfall2013/index.htm www.lxsigman.com/cmsfall2013/index.htm Assignment submission: download DropBox!: www.dropbox.com (FREE VERSION!) www.dropbox.com

3. Xenakis: From Metastaseis to Palimpsest

4. I. Music/Architecture ( 음 악 / 건 죽 술 )

5. A. Le Corbusier Atelier

6. 1. The Modulor Scale and proportion measuring device Relationships between different levels of scale in a structure

7. 2. Le Couvent de la Tourette (1960)

8. B. Philips Pavilion (1958)

9. 1. Design Designed for the Brussels Expo 1958 Le Corbusier took credit, but Xenakis primarily designed the structure Design based upon the score to Metastaseis (1953-54) Destroyed after ca. 1 week (end of Expo) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3cKxLxq- Xw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3cKxLxq- Xw

10. 2. Design Principles Hyperbolic paraboloid shape Regulating lines in 2 dimensions Curvature ( 곡 도 ) and shifting volume Lines parallel ( 평 행 한 ) to common plane, but not to each other Sense of movement in 3 dimensions Abstract geometry and dynamic unfolding in time

11. 3. Plans

12. 4. Use Multi-media presentation Light show (designed by Le Corbusier) Concret PH (Xenakis) Poème électronique (Varèse): music and video Multichannel projection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEG5y7ul qlY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEG5y7ul qlY

13. C. Alloys ( 합 금 )

14. 1. Art/Science In 1976, Xenakis wrote a thesis for his Doctorat d’état entitled: Arts/Sciences: Alloys Connections between abstract thought and concrete representation (in the arts and sciences) Connections between artistic and scientific/mathematical pursuits

15. 2. Alloy physical properties Defects in crystal microstructure = hardening of macrostructure Different microstructure and macrostructure tensile forces No single melting point: can be solid ( 고 제 ㅇㅢ ) and liquid ( 액제 ) at the same time!

16. II. Composer Influences

17. A. Messiaen

18. B. Varèse “When new instruments will allow me to write music as I conceive it, the movement of sound-masses, of shifting planes, will be clearly perceived in my work, taking the place of the linear counterpoint. When these sound-masses collide, the phenomena of penetration or repulsion will seem to occur. Certain transmutations taking place on certain planes will seem to be projected onto other planes, moving at different speeds and at different angles. There will no longer be the old conception of melody or interplay of melodies. The entire work will be a melodic totality. The entire work will flow as a river flows. We have actually three dimensions in music: horizontal, vertical, and dynamic swelling or decreasing. I shall add a fourth, sound projection-that feeling that sound is leaving us with no hope of being reflected back, a feeling akin to that aroused by beams of light sent forth by a powerful searchlight-for the ear as for the eye, that sense of projection, of a journey into space. “

19. II. Metastaseis (1953-54) For orchestra Sound masses: sculpted sounds Global shapes and movement, articulated by local detail High level control of individual events Similar tendencies to Ligeti and Penderecki

20. Metastaseis Sketches Used as blueprint for Philips Pavilion

21. III. Formalised Music

22. A. Formalized Music Book describes mathematical ( 수 학 의 ) basis for several works

23. B. Hors-temps vs. en-temps structures Xenakis distinguishes between hors-temps (out of time) and en-temps (in-time) structures Hors-temps structures are abstract, and do not unfold in time (e.g., algorithms) En-temps structures are concrete, and unfold in time as processes (e.g., shifts in dynamics or register)

24. Hors temps/En-temps example A scale or mode is an hors-temps structure: A chord or melody is an en-temps structure

25. C. Stochastic Music Influence of information theory (Meyer- Eppler) Use of Markov chains to determine probabilities of pitch, rhythm, and dynamic sequences Hors-temps (outside-time) algorithms ( 연 산 법 ) large amounts of data ( 데 이 터 )

26. D. Symbolic Music Organisation of musical materials into sets ( 세 트 ) Operation on and combination of sets using logical ( 논 리 학 ) processes Derived from set theory, logic and abstract algebra Hors-temps processes Used to filter pitches and rhythms Used to generate non-octave equivalent scales

27. Symbolic Music Examples

28. IV. Synthesis: Eonta (1963-64) For piano, 2 trumpets, and 3 trombones Use of stochastic music (piano) and symbolic music (brass) (hors-temps) Brass player movement: rotate instrument, change position on stage, and play into piano (en-temps movement)

29. Eonta: Score and Live Performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzUPAMY2 A8k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzUPAMY2 A8k

30. V. Arborescences

31. A. Arborescences Tree structures ( 가 게 도 ) Control branching and proliferation ( 금 증 ) of material Contrasting shapes ( 무 양 ) and growth-rates

32. B. Evryali (1973) For piano Uses arborescence models Impossible to perform as written!

33. C. UPIC System Computer hardware and compositional environment (software) developed by Xenakis in 1977 Graphical user interface (GUI) Sine waves “drawn” directly by composer Easy to learn: used to teach composition to students of all ages (children and adults) Used by several composers since the 1970s

34. [UPIC]

35. D. Mycenae Alpha (1978) Electronic piece Realised on UPIC Direct transcription ( 음 역 )) of arborescences as sine wave collections http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztoaNa kKok http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztoaNa kKok

36. V. Palimpsest (1979) For ensemble

37. A. What is a palimpsest??

38. Palimpsest Defined Manuscript page, on which original writing has been scraped New writing (or images) applied on same page Interaction ( 소 동 ) between original and new text or images

39. C. Palimpsest Techniques Arborescences Symbolic music: organisation of pitches into sets Rhythmic acceleration and deceleration processes (en-temps process)

40. D. Palimpsest: New Directions Verticality ( 수 직 면 ): Layers of similar material at different speeds Blocks of homogeneous ( 동 종 의 ) sound Importance of harmony