A Microtonal Analysis of Igor Stravinsky’s Concept of Pitch and Its Resulting Scale

Composer’s Word

The goal of this paper is to present musical threads in dreams of selected 20th century leading classical music composers. Musical dreams may come during the period of writing the piece, affecting its shape (Edgar Varese, Igor Stravinsky), or appear totally unexpectedly, giving an impetus to compose a new work (Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel). Dreams are a potential answer to the concerns of composer (Threni) or a source of inspiration for a short fragment of musical material (Arcana, Histoire du soldat), instrumentation (Octet), some specific features of the piece (The Rite of Spring, Musik im Bauch, Tierkreis, Helikopter-Streichquartett, Himmels-Tur), or even a course of the whole composition (Trans,Match). It is also interesting to observe the occurrence of musical dreams featuring intensive colours. The examples are referred to the current state of research on links between music and dreams. The studies of a group of scholars from the University of Florence, working under Valeria Uga, or Irving Massey, American working in neuroaesthetics, present the statements of composers concerning the pieces inspired by the music heard in a dream in new light. These results provide further evidence that making use of this alternative source of work is possible.

The interview focuses on some aspects of the composer’s work with electronics. Palmer, described by the critics as «undoubtedly the most visionary composer of his generation» speaks about the composers and musical works that have had a major impact on him. He also mentions the friendship with John Cage, his numerous travels – with particular emphasis on Japan – and the influence of Eastern culture on his musical mind. The composer discusses the notion of causality explored in Renge-Kyo , the meditative nature of Transient and Inwards, and spirituality as the central theme of both acousmatic works In the Temple and I Am. The electronic medium is also por- trayed as a mirror of an intense and vivid preoccupation for intimacy and perpetual search for timbral qualities that by now characterize most of his music. Another important aspect of Palmer’s work mentioned in the interview is the collaboration with some established performers and its importance for the realization of a musical work.

December 01 2005 Foundations of a Visual Music Brian Evans Brian Evans University of Alabama, Department of Art and Art History, 103 Garland Hall, Box 870270, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487 USA, brian.evans@ua.edu Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Brian Evans University of Alabama, Department of Art and Art History, 103 Garland Hall, Box 870270, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487 USA, brian.evans@ua.edu Online Issn: 1531-5169 Print Issn: 0148-9267 © 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology2005 Computer Music Journal (2005) 29 (4): 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1162/014892605775179955 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Search Site Citation Brian Evans; Foundations of a Visual Music. Computer Music Journal 2005; 29 (4): 11–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/014892605775179955 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsComputer Music Journal Search Advanced Search This content is only available as a PDF. © 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology2005 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Since 1945, the development of serialism had influenced Western music after World War II. At that time, almost all composers devoted themselves to the creation of serialism. Serialism composition techniques gradually evolved with time, including works in complete control of pitch, rhythm, strength and other factors, as well as the way of thinking. When expressing their creative ideas, some composers became conscious of the alienation with the audiences and limitations of their music. In addition to the composition techniques in serialism, other techniques and thoughts on music included: chance music, electronic music, minimalist music emerged along with serialism; the collage, which through the combination of heterogeneous raw material and techniques spread out the new art form, furthermore via the diverse musical quotations and the juxtaposition of style or texture formed the technique and idea of composition, also used by many composers and prevalence, as well as produced a large number of compositions, especially during the 1960s. This thesis discusses issues from the perspective of collage. First, the author will examine the meaning and application of collage and then explore the historical relationship between collage and visual and music art of twentieth century. Then, to trace the development of collage on the twentieth century music, an analysis on why 1960s composers began to quote past compositions and what factors affecting and causing them to do so is presented. Among collage compositions in music, this thesis uses the third movement of Luciano Berio(1925-2003)’s Sinfonia(1968-69) and the first act of George Rochberg(1918-2005)’s Music for the Magic Theater(1965) as music instances of the collage compositions in music. Not only works of those two contemporary composers who lived in 1960s but in different regions can be used as a typical presentation of collage on the experimental work in music but also their works demonstrate common and different characteristics in term of using Mahler and Mozart as carrier (support, bearer) in music and the idea for the use of collage. Those subtle similarities and differences are of the reason why author select these two music compositions as case study. Finally, this thesis will bring up some reflections on using the technique and idea of collage in music compositions.

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate some considerations about the musical issue from the poetic-hermeneutic ontology started by Heidegger. It has for support, among others, the essay ‘Der Ursprung des Kunstwerkes’ (The Origin of the Work of Art), but during our discussion, other works and authors will appear as possibilities of dialogue from the necessities of the path. Under the musical perspective, the paper takes on principle the thesis which affirms the music in a pre-representational condition as original poetic responding to the primordial question that starts all philosophy. Having it in focus, we structure the text in three main pillars of inquiry based on the musical happening: a) the reference between music and musical works; b) the role of the musicians and the audience-listeners; c) the musical knowledge. Guided by both, thesis and principles, we structure four parts interrelated whose titles are: 1) work and sound/sonority; 2) music and musical creation; 3) work, musical performing interpretation, and musical composition; 4) knowledge [coda]. The present way of organization has the intention of merging the issues proposed by the titles in order for them to be thought from the own perspectives of each section.

This paper revisits an old question that neither I nor anyone has been able to answer very well, namely, why is it that nineteenth century composers, who had fairly easy access to nonwestern musics in notation, rarely quoted them? But by the early twentieth century, such quotations became quite common. This article argues that the rise of finance capital, as theorized by Rudolf Hilferding in the early twentieth century, marked the ascendance of exchange value over use value. As a rise of the ideologies accompanying finance capital, composers, and everyone else, began to regard other musics, other sounds— other objects—as something that could be exchanged. This process is exceptionally clear in works by Igor Stravinsky such as Le Sacre du printemps, which, while drawing on nineteenth century nationalistic impulses, also shows a relationship to other musics, appropriated as raw material. The new ideology of exchangeability introduced by the rise of finance capital continued through musique concrete in the 1940s and into the rise of digital sampling in the 1980s and after.

The legendary Ottoman siege of the Sigeth Fortress in 1566 – in spite of its tragic end and the death of the majority of its defenders, including the commander Nikola Subic Zrinski (1508-66) – stopped the Ottoman military campaign towards Vienna. In the 19th century the saga inspired works of literature, libretto production and music. Up to now six musical stage works based on this theme have been identified, inspired by the drama, written in 1812 by the German Theodor Korner. The common topic – Zrinski's defending his country against the Ottoman aggressor – was applied to various situations: in the struggle of the Austrians against Napoleon (Korner – Kleinheinz) or any other aggression (Weill?), and for confirmation of the national idea when it was endangered (Glaser, Adelburg, Zajc, probably also Vleeshouwer). Music for three of them has been preserved. Their composers are: Franz Glaser, the Austrian composer of Czech origins ; August Abramovic-Adelburg, violinist and composer of Italian-Croatian origins born in Turkey ; and Ivan Zajc, Croatian composer of Czech origins, musically educated in Milan. The composers were of different nationalities, their works were composed for various theatres, but their common theme always intended to provoke strong national enthusiasm. Their works underscore the inspiring topic that touched their authors, and for them, it provided an opportunity to fulfil the pressing demands of their respective political climates. But, beyond this social function, they express the compositional attitudes of their authors (primarily of Adelburg and Zajc). The enthusiasm that greeted the performances in the majority of cases showed that Zrinski's battle against the Turks had been elevated to a higher level – to the level of a principle, as an ideal of bravery and self-sacrifice for a common idea. But, in spite of all patriotic emotions in the concrete operatic pieces, their absolute musical and dramatic worth must be clearly articulated without forgetting their primary ideas of historical importance.

Music composition may be used as a tool for the development of creative thinking; it can be considered an “exercise of imagination,” and it can offer new operative ways to develop interdisciplinary processes and to promote communicative, cognitive, cultural, aesthetic, and emotional functions. The author of this chapter introduces a report of educational experiences of music composition with pupils in Primary School where, through socio-constructivist learning, the students acquire new ways of reading and writing music and begin to elaborate a different score for new and original musical compositions, written, composed, and performed directly by children. This musical experience has the goal of using a “creative” teaching/learning process that contributes to the individual’s global education. This musical work on music composition is considered an appealing open project because of its formative nature and various applications: it develops a creative pedagogy which doesn’t transmit a static culture, but rather provides new thinking processes and new interaction modalities.

The qualitative research method is used in this study. The objectives were to: 1) investigate Yao Henglu's artistic developments. 2) Examine the influence of Chinese contemporary music. This study selects six music works composed by Professor Yao Henglu, using the literature research method and the field investigation method. The method is then used to sort out Yao Henglu's music composition developments and the formation of music composition thought. The results of the research are as follows: 1) Yao Henglu's six musical works are created by combining traditional Chinese music elements with modern western composition techniques. particularly the theory and practice of three-pitch arrangements as well as the connotation of latent tonality in tonal music. 2) Through analysis, the influence of Yao Henglu's music works on modern Chinese music creation aids musicians in understanding modern music and promotes the development of modern western composition techniques in China. Yao has developed musical talents and created the foundation for music analysis through composition practice. Yao preserves his academic vitality and influence, drives curriculum reform, and promotes the development of modern music analysis systems and the development of modern music creation.

Musical work creation using deep learning models has gained significant attention in recent years as advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have allowed for new approaches to music composition, synthesis, and analysis. The creation of musical work using deep learning models requires specialized techniques that can learn complex patterns from large datasets of musical compositions, enabling the generation of original pieces that reflect the intricacies of musical theory and creativity. This research explores the application of deep learning models, particularly stacked artificial neural networks (ANNs), for generating musical compositions. By leveraging vast collections of MIDI data, the authors demonstrate how these models can learn hierarchical patterns of melody, harmony, rhythm, and structure. The study highlights the importance of data augmentation, particularly temporal and pitch transposition, in enhancing the diversity and complexity of the generated musical work.

”Invisible Temple,” a composition for chorus and orchestra by Professor Ma Shui-Long, having the title derived from a poem of Taiwanese poet Li Kuei-Hsien's and including musical materials of the Tsou and Bunun, two of Taiwanese Aboriginal groups, is aimed to depict the impacts and thoughts resulted from the composer's Mountain Jade hiking. This work is neither simply an interpretation of Li's poem, nor an arrangement based on Aboriginal music, for the composer presents what he saw and thought by piecing together existing materials mixed with his own musical language. However, listeners may wonder: if this piece is not aimed to transform Li's poem into a musical presentation, then what are the relationships between the poem and the musical work? If this work is not an arrangement based on Aboriginal music, then what are the relationships between this work and the Aboriginal songs the composer borrows? By analyzing the work, this paper explore these questions and explain how the composer seeks a balance between creativity and the borrowing of the poem as well as Aboriginal music.

The previous issues of the journal featured publications of lectures about such outstanding 20th century Russian composers as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofi ev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian. This series is continued with a lecture about the music of Georgy Sviridov. After a general characterization of his musical legacy (in the preamble), the respective sections of the fi rst part of the lecture (The Musical Oeuvres of Sviridov in the Mid-20th Century, The Musical Oeuvres of Sviridov in the 1960s and 1970s, the Late Oeuvres of Sviridov) examines the foundational principles of the composer’s vivid individual style and evaluates the signifi cance of his contribution to the treasury of Russian art of the middle and second half of the 20th century. During the exposition of the lecture fragments of his musical compositions are presented for analysis in performances recommended by the author, in their sum, providing a perspective of the most substantial aspects of Sviridov’s musical legacy.

Igor Stravinsky is regarded as a highly important composer in musical modernism. His monumental work ”The Rite of Spring” is considered one of the representative works of musical modernism on the basis of its ”stasis,” which is often associated with the qualities of discontinuity and fragmentation. Yet is stasis truly a major quality of ”The Rite”? Some scholars have pointed out how Stravinsky's other works exhibit continuity or progression, and some even indicate that in ”The Rite” ”ideas do develop,” that it pushes forward and thus displays progression. Nevertheless, there is as yet no solid music analysis indicating how ”The Rite” progresses and pushes forward. This study tries to present just such an analysis. It is found that movements of the work progress primarily through recurrences and changes in cellular groupings and rhythmic and metric organizations. With this finding, it is hoped that the relationship between musical modernism and the quality of ”stasis” be reconsidered.

This paper aims at constructing a music composition system that composes music by the interaction between human and a computer. Even users without special musical knowledge can compose 16-bar musical works with one melody part and some backing parts using this system. The interactive Genetic Algorithm is introduced to music composition so that users' feeling toward music is reflected in the composed music. One chromosome corresponds to 4-bar musical work information. Users participate in music composition by evaluating composed works after GA operators such as crossover mutation virus infection are applied to chromosomes based on the evaluation results. From the experimental results, it is found that the users evaluation values become high over the progress of generations. That is the system can compose 16-bar musical works reflecting users feeling.