FPA 147 00-1   Listening List

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Ionisation

Edgar Varèse (1885-1965)

1930-31

 "What we want is an instrument that will give us continuous sound at any pitch. The composer and electrician will have to labour together to get it... Speed and synthesis are characteristics of our own epoch. (Varèse, 1922). Ionization is scored entirely for percussion instruments and uses hand-cranked sirens to achieve glissandi. Without the electronic means to synthesize sounds directly, Varèse used the acoustic means at hand to create a music which had no a priori restrictions on the choice or use of sounds.

82M 3.1 V35 E4 B68

 Symphonie pour un Homme Seul Pierre Schaeffer (1910-95) & Pierre Henri (1927-)

1949

 Early musique concrèt work in 12 movements by two of the pioneers of this influential form.

80M1473 S294 S9 S35

 Gesang der Junglinge Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-)

1955/56

 Using the techniques of additive synthesis and musique concrèt, this seminal work uses serialism as its primary organizing principle

M3S77v.3c.1

 Dripsody: Hugh LeCaine, Compositions and Demonstrations 1948-72 Hugh LeCaine (1914-1977)

1955

 Generated through "classical" tape manipulation from a recording of a single drop of water, this work also is a demonstration piece for LeCaine's Special Purpose Tape Recorder. This loop player allowed the composer to make precise speed changes in th eplayback of multiple tape loops.

80M 1473 L4 H8

 Poème Électronique Edgar Varèse (1885-1965)

1958

 Created for the Philips pavilion at the Brussels world fair, this tape work was presented through approximately 400 loudspeakers in a building conceived and executed for the architect Le Courbusier by Iannis Xenakis

80M 3.1 V35 M85 C73 v.1

 Omaggio Á Joyce: Electronic Music III Luciano Berio (1925-1990)

1959

 Using text based on James Joyce's Ulysses, this is a musique concrèt work based on a reading by Cathy Berberian as its sole source material.

80M 1473 I583 B454

 Cartridge Music: John Cage & Christian Wolff John Cage (1912-)

1960

 Both phonograph cartridges and contact microphones are used as transducers: various objects are rubbed, hit, etc. By controlling the amplification and tone controls through aleatoric processes, Cage and his long-time collaborator David Tudor are the performers in this early "live electronic work".

80M1470 C25 C3 C25

 Collage #1, Analog #1, Noise Study James Tenney

1961

 Early electroacoustic work by one of the pioneers of computer and electroacoustic music.

82M173T453S4

 Come Out: Steve Reich - Early Works Steve Reich (1936-)

1966

 The second work by Reich using tape loops slowly moving out of phase.

82M 1473 R45 E34 R45

 Silver Apples of the Moon Morton Subotnick (1933-)

1968

 The first electroacoustic work composed expressly for the phonograph medium, it is realized on a voltage control synthesizer designed and built by Don Bucla.

80M1473S836S55S835

 I am Sitting in a Room Alvin Lucier (1931-)

1970/1990

 This work explores the acoustic characteristics of a conventional living room through 32 iterations of a short speech which is recorded in the room and then played back through speakers. A new recording is made of the previous playback which itself is then played back and recorded.

82M 1473 L83 I2
80M 1473 L83 I2

 Dream Song Michael McNabb (1952-)

1978

 Using computer synthesis and sampling, Dream Song is a very accessible and lyrical work. It is included here to demonstrate the wide range of expression possible in "computer music".

82M 1473 M137 C6

 The Blind Man Barry Truax (1949-)

1979

 A musique concrèt work based on text by Vancouver poet Norbert Rubesaat. The Blind Man is an excellent compendium of various "classical tape studio" techniques and was produced at the Communications Department Sonic Research Studio.

82M 1473 T77 D5

 Phoné John Chowning

1981

 An early work by the noted developer of digital frequency modulation (FM) synthesis and the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. Originally in 4 discrete channels, the work was mixed to stereo for its CD release.

82M 1473 C58 T8

 Jardin Secret I Kaija Sarriaho

1984/85

 Sarriaho is a well known European composer whose work is characterized by haunting beauty and evocative timbres.

82M1473 A1 C66 no. 5

 The Arrival of Sir John Franklin in Paradise: Pythagoras’ Ghost Martin Bartlett (1939-1993)

1988

 Martin was a Professor in the School for the Contemporary Arts until his untimely death. Known for his pioneering work in live electronic and interactive computer music systems, this track exemplifies his fascination with tuning systems, his classical education and his unique voice while capturing a little of the feel of the original live performance.

82M1473B368P9

 Lion’s Tail: CDCM vol. 7 Pauline Oliveros

1989

 This piece uses a gamelan-like structure of complex patterns, which repeat at rates of almost 1800 per minute. The samples are of the Berkeley gamelan.

82M1473A1C35V7

 Night Traffic: Home Brew Paul Lansky

1992

 This work makes use of the dynamic envelopes of traffic and the synthesis/resynthesis technique known as linear predictive coding to create an evocation of the highway at night.

82M1473L367H6

 "U" The Cormorant: ICMC ‘92 Mari Kimura

1992

 Playing a MIDI violin, virtuoso Mari Kimura controls the processing of violin timbres through her performance using software written in the computer language "Max".

82M1473A1I68 1992