Spectral music

The spectral music ( Musique spectrale ) has emerged in the 1970s in Paris in the context of the Ensemble l' Itinéraire. The most important representatives of this style of music composers Gérard Grisey are, Tristan Murail, Georg Friedrich Haas, Philippe Manoury, Michaël Levinas and Hugues Dufourt. The spectral music is not influenced by the mathematical sequence of (sound) parameters of serial music or the free construction of atonal music, but based on the overtones of sounds. Precursor composition of this method are Giacinto Scelsi, Ravel and Messiaen. The name " L' Itinéraire " (French: The Way ) shows that the group made ​​her way to get from extra-musical influences back to the sound. The physico- acoustic characteristics of the sound alone were scientifically studied and the basis for a new composing, which was based mainly on fine modifications of tone colors. This is " a tone for tone, a chord to Spektralkomplex and a rhythm to a wave of unpredictable lives " ( Gérard Grisey after ).

Types of spectra

We distinguish between two types of spectra: harmonic and inharmonic spectra. A harmonic spectrum is based on the overtone series. Under an inharmonic spectrum refers to all types of spectra that are, for example, noise based. An example of the composition of a harmonic spectrum is the beginning of the work " Partiels " by Gerard Grisey or the work " In Vain " by Georg Friedrich Haas. A inharmonisches spectrum can be for example a computer analysis with Audiosculpt or Spear of a noise. An example of inharmonic spectra is the work of "Winter Fragments" by Tristan Murail. In this TamTam a stroke and is synthesized via MIDI keyboard accessed as a sample and instrumented. This spectrum can be analyzed, for example, then harmonized or synthesized, that is playable both by an ensemble or orchestra, as well as a synthesizer. Generally use Spektralkomponisten approaches to the spectrum in which they record quarter or eighth notes. In the field of string instruments tunings ( " Scordatura " ) are often used to achieve these moods. Another principle of spectral music is the transfer of the principles of acoustic physics to instrumental music. These include, for example, the dubbing of Shepard scales or the instrument of harmonic spectra. Using Shepard scales goes back to the French composer Jean-Claude Risset. But the use of principles from the electronic studio as tape loops ( " Memoire, erosion " ) finds its application in spectral music. A famous work of the second generation of spectral music is the work of "Deus Cantando (God, singing )" by the Austrian composer Peter Ablinger. Here, a gesteurtes from computer piano is approximated the sound spectrum of the human voice.

Stretched time

An important feature of the spectral music is the aspect of " expanded time ". This is not understood as pitch and chord in time, but, as in the electro-acoustic music as the ratio of frequency to time a sound. The pitches are so frequencies and must be treated like this, this one uses the micro tonality and approach to quarters, eighths tones and other subdivisions. A whole sound frequency process in relation to time is analyzed with the help of computers and fast Fourier analysis. This frequency structures are rasterized which they are playable on conventional musical instruments, for example, an ensemble or a symphony orchestra. As an orchestra can never cover the entire spectrum of a sound file on the computer is the end result, only a limited approach. Through a synthesis with Csound example, it is possible to replicate the real sound with synthetic sounds. The end result is therefore closer to the spectrum of the original sound as an instrumented spectral analysis. Spektralkomponisten have not only orchestrated but also edited musical material by conventional methods ( motif sequence variation ). Generally speaking Spektralkomponisten not of pitch but of frequencies. Often patterns of sounds are graphically structured, comparable to the study 2 of Karlheinz Stockhausen, where the ratio of frequency to time is shown graphically. These steps could be a structure diagram of a spectral look:

Computer programs for Fourier analysis and evaluation

Composers of spectral music (selection)

Tristan Murail, Gerard Grisey, Philippe Hurel, Jean Luc Hervé, Michael Levinas, Hugues Dufourt, Fabien Lévy, Franck Bedrossian

Jonathan Harvey

Georg Friedrich Haas, Peter Ablinger

Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho

Horaţiu Rădulescu

Joshua Fineberg, Carl Christian Bettendorf, Aaron Einbond

Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Ligeti

Important works of spectral music

  • Peter Ablinger, Deus Cantando
  • Tristan Murail, Gondwana
  • Tristan Murail, Winter Fragments
  • Tristan Murail, disintegration
  • Tristan Murail, Le Lac
  • Gerard Grisey, Prologue
  • Gerard Grisey, Partiels
  • Gerard Grisey, PERIODES
  • Gerard Grisey, modulation
  • Gerard Grisey, Transitoires
  • Gerard Grisey, Epilogue
  • Jonathan Harvey, Speakings
  • Georg Friedrich Haas, In Vain
  • Georg Friedrich Haas, Natures Mortes
  • Georg Friedrich Haas, Limited Approximations
  • Magnus Lindberg, power
  • Philippe Manoury, Jupiter
  • Horatiu Radulescu, String Quartet No.5
  • Kaija Saariaho, Nymphea
Atonality
588516
de