Inside Computer Music

Cover
Inside Computer Music
Contents
		Acknowledgments
		About the companion website
		Technology and Creativity in Computer Music
	Combining text and software to explore computer music from the inside
	The pursuit of new perspectives in the analysis of electronic and computer music
	Nine case studies from the history of computer music
1 John Chowning: Stria
	Contexts for Stria
		Max Mathews and the beginnings of software for computer music
		Jean-​Claude Risset and timbral synthesis
		John Chowning and the evolution of FM synthesis
	Inside Stria
		The golden ratio
		Timbre and FM synthesis in Stria
		The golden ratio in the context of FM synthesis
		Stria’s synthesis algorithm
		The shape of Stria
	Conclusions
2 Barry Truax: Riverrun
	Contexts for Riverrun
		The birth and early development of granular synthesis
	Inside Riverrun
		Riverrun: Technique, form, and structure
		Granular synthesis in Riverrun and the GSX system
		Tape techniques
		Spatialization in Riverrun
		Sections and streams
	Conclusions
3 Philippe Manoury: Pluton
	Contexts for Pluton
		First steps in the development of technologies for live computer music
		The pioneering contributions of IRCAM
		The development of the IRCAM 4X synthesizer
		Philippe Manoury: The background to the composition of Pluton
	Inside Pluton
		The global form and materials of Pluton
		Constitution of the digital environment for the performance of Pluton
		Mapping the piano performance to the real-​time environment
		The interactions between the piano and the computer through the musical work
	Conclusions
4 Hildegard Westerkamp: Beneath the Forest Floor
	Contexts for Beneath the Forest Floor
		The World Soundscape Project and the evolution of soundscape composition
		New directions in the development of the World Soundscape Project
		Hildegard Westerkamp and her influences on soundscape composition
	Inside Beneath the Forest Floor
		Recording as part of the creative process
		Field recording locations in British Columbia
		The raw materials of Beneath the Forest Floor
		Digitally processing the environmental sources
		Assembling the processed sound files into premixes
		The environmental materials through the structure of Beneath the Forest Floor
	Conclusions
5 Francis Dhomont: Phonurgie
	Contexts for Phonurgie
		Background and early career
		Musique concrète and the birth of Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM)
		New directions for GRM: From analog to digital
		The birth of SYTER
		Dhomont, Quebec, and GRM
		A final homage to musique concrète within Dhomont’s Cycle du son
	Inside Phonurgie
		The materials of Phonurgie
		The sound sources
		Processing the sound sources
		The structure of Phonurgie
	Conclusions
6 Trevor Wishart: Imago
	Contexts for Imago
		The Composers Desktop Project
		The development of Sound Loom as a composing resource
	Inside Imago
		From a single source to a variety of processed sound files
		Successive Sound Loom processes
		Assembling the work
		The Opening of Imago
		The Gamelan section
		The large-​scale structure of Imago
	Conclusions
7 Jonathan Harvey: Fourth String Quartet
	Contexts for the Fourth String Quartet
		First steps exploring the possibilities of electronic and computer music
		The IRCAM dimension
	Inside the Fourth String Quartet
		Inspiration and structure
		Acoustic compositional techniques
		Electroacoustic techniques
		Performing the electroacoustic part of the Fourth String Quartet
		Summary of the integration of acoustic writing and electronics
	Conclusions
8 Cort Lippe: Music for Tuba and Computer
	Inside Music for Tuba and Computer
		General form and materials
		The digital environment for the performance of Music for Tuba and Computer
		Global control of the digital environment
		Instrumental and electronic interactions through Music for Tuba and Computer
	Conclusions
9 Natasha Barrett: Hidden Values—​The Lock
	Contexts for Hidden Values—​The Lock
		The early evolution of spatial technologies
		The development of sound diffusion systems for performance
		John Chowning
		Surround sound techniques
		Ambisonics
		The IRCAM Spatializer (Spat)
		Vector base amplitude panning (VBAP)
		Natasha Barrett and spatial projection
	Inside Hidden Values—​The Lock
		The musical materials of The Lock
		Barrett’s software environment for the playback and spatialization of materials
		Three-​dimensional positioning and movements operated    by IRCAM’s Spatialisateur
		Spatialization and dramatization in the structure    of The Lock
	Conclusions
		Conclusion
		Notes
		Bibliography
Index