a musical notation is a language which determines what you can...

of 48http://rhoadley.net /sonicart rhoadley.net/presentations 1

Richard Hoadley2007-11

v0.3110309

Notation as Art

"A musical notation is a language which determines what you can say;what you want to say determines your language." Cornelius Cardew 1961

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Note

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Ant

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antorinus ad

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rum Instructio

nem (1540)


of 48http://rhoadley.net /sonicart rhoadley.net/presentations

Robert Fludd (1574-1637)

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Robert Fludd (1574-1637). Opera, [Francofurti : Goudae], Oppenhemii,J. Th. de Bry et haeredes, C. F. et G. Fitzer, P. Pammazenius, 1617-1638.

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Etude: Expérimentale d’Acoustique Musicale (1920)

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Art

Gab

riel S

izes



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Ran

dy R

aine

-Reu

schLeaves 2 (1993)

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“This score can be performed aurally, visually, kinesthetically,synaesthetically, interactively, literally, symbolically, or philosophically.”



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dy R

aine

-Reu

schInside the Wind for Chorus (2003)

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itsuStudy for Vibration (from Corona for Pianists) (1962)

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"The performance may start at any point of the perimeter no matter clockwise or counterclockwise."



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Mur

ray

Sch

aferDivan I Shams I Tabriz for Orchestra, seven singers and electronic sounds

(1977)

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Bar

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uyB

ird G

ong

Gam

e (1990)



Treatise (detail, with audio) (1967)

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Notation as Art Cornelius Cardew

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Card

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Treatise (detail) (1967)

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Treatise - Performed by Seven Guitars




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[6:31]


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http://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/pages/anim.htmlhttp://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/pages/anim.htmlhttp://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/pages/anim.htmlhttp://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/pages/anim.htmlhttp://rhoadley.nethttp://rhoadley.nethttp://rhoadley.net/sonicarthttp://rhoadley.net/sonicarthttp://rhoadley.net/presentations/http://rhoadley.net/presentations/


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rtG

eorge Crum

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akroko

smo

s I - 12. Sp

iral Galaxy

[Sym

bol] Aquarius (1973)

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Elizabeth Harington The Art of Fugue bookart

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Elizabeth Harington The Art of Fugue bookart

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A literary use or response to the fugue can be found in Joyce's 11th episode in Ulysses ('Sirens') in which the wording and chapter structure attempted - with some poetic license - to mimic or work within the rules of the fugue. Unsurprisingly, a quick search on 'Sirens' revealed that John Cage, a leading musical experimentalist and graphic score 'artist' names James Joyce as an influence (also see Cage’s Roratorio).

See: 'James Joyce and Avant Garde Music', Scott W. Klein 2004 at the Contemporary Music Centre.

James Joyce and Avant Garde Music

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Kerry John Andrews For Andrea section 4 [detail]

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Screen capture from See Music Project: Kircher/Monteverdi

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rt Two versions of musical notations from China

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As you can see from these examples, notation is more than just a particular view of a particular musical idea - it will soon become apparent that musical notation has a profound effect on the nature of the ideas themselves, as well as indicating to us the musical priorities of the culture that invented them.

As you can imagine, these notations have a significant effect on what can be described and how it can be described. Virtually any piece of western classical music would be difficult to read or write using this system. What does this tell us about notation in general?



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rt Hugo Cole Signs and Symbols

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Above is a table from Hugo Cole's book Signs and Symbols, showing examples of two primary types of musical symbols used throughout the world. As you can see, this division also applies to other symbols we use, including our written languages. Symbols either describe their meaning by graphical similarity (pictograms) or through less obvious, more abstract associations (although these may well have once been graphical too), (ideograms).



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Also taken from Hugo Cole's book. Take a very simple human verbal response and, through a variety of processes of varying complexity, investigate the varieties of notation appropriate.



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rt Notation in the Twentieth Century

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Since the early days of western notation, certain elements have become more and more explicitly governed by notation and at the same time, the complexity of the musical grammar of these ideas has also become more complex as composers have sought to achieve ever more original ideas. The first two examples, both from Stockhausen show one aspect of this problem, specifically here with the complexity of dynamic information making both the reading and performance of such material very difficult:



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rt Methods with which composers have attempted to overcome problems of over-complexity in notation

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Boulez Le Marteau Sans Maitre original



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• There follow a variety of examples of different forms of notation.

• See how well you think they communicate. • Why have none of these, or, for that matter, any of the

other examples of these really come into use? Or have they?

• Can you think of any examples which might have done?

• Why do you think these composers felt the need to experiment in these ways?



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rtEarle Brown Available Forms 2

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rtRobert Moran Four Visions No.2

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rtCornelius Cardew Octet '61

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rtText Pieces: Stockhausen From the Seven Days Right Durations (1968)

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Play a soundPlay it for so long

until you feelthat you should stop

Again play a soundPlay it for so long

until you feelthat you should stop

and so on

Stopwhen you feel

that you should stop

But whether you play or stop:keep listening to the others

At best playwhen people are listening

Do not rehearse



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rtEpilogue...

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rtBibliography

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http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2006/07/visual-context-of-music.html

http://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/

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Other Presentations

44

Notation as Art

http://rhoadley.net/presentations

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a musical notation is a language which determines what you can...

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