basic questions does music exist in time or does time exist in music? how does music structure...
TRANSCRIPT
Basic questions
Does music exist in time or does time exist in music?
How does music structure time, and how does time structure music?
What different types of time are experienced during the listening process?
Is the temporal structure in the music, in the performance, or in the listening?
Types of time
Absolute timeAbsolute time real time of the perfomancereal time of the perfomance clock time of a soundfileclock time of a soundfile social time of concertssocial time of concerts biological time of the listenerbiological time of the listener
Musical timeMusical time directed time: goal-orienteddirected time: goal-oriented gestural time: upbeats, endings and beginingsgestural time: upbeats, endings and beginings Durational time: proportions and perceived lengthDurational time: proportions and perceived length Vertical time: the extended nowVertical time: the extended now
For most of us, there is only the unattended
Moment, the moment of in and out of time.
The distraction fit, lost in a shaft of sunlight,
The wild thyme unseen, or the winter
lightning
Or the waterfall, or music heard so deeply
That it is not heard at all, but you are the
music
While the music lasts.
T.S.Elliot
Soundbytes
Arve Henriksen: White Gravel (2’12)Arve Henriksen: White Gravel (2’12) Olivier Messiaen: Regard XVIOlivier Messiaen: Regard XVI
How do we experience time in these excerpts? How do we experience time in these excerpts? What forces contribute to our sense of time What forces contribute to our sense of time
here?here? What is characteristic about the development What is characteristic about the development
of each piece?of each piece?
Ingredients of Musical Time
DirectivityDirectivity expectation, fulfilment, predictability; achievement, deferral or expectation, fulfilment, predictability; achievement, deferral or
denial of goalsdenial of goals
ContinuityContinuity succession and interruption of the order of events; discontinuitysuccession and interruption of the order of events; discontinuity
Linear time Linear time created when earlier events imply later ones, and later ones are created when earlier events imply later ones, and later ones are
consequences of earlier ones. Linear time is processive.consequences of earlier ones. Linear time is processive.
Nonlinear time Nonlinear time represents the consistent and immutable principles in any piece represents the consistent and immutable principles in any piece
or section, which may be revealed gradually, but do not develop or section, which may be revealed gradually, but do not develop from earlier events or from earlier events or tendencies. Nonlinear time is tendencies. Nonlinear time is nonprocessive.nonprocessive.
Linearity• progression• motion and change• time becomes• timing of events is
crucial• left brain hears
sequences• horizontal listening
Nonlinearity• consistency• stasis and persistence• time is• presence is more
important than position
• right brain creates patterns
• cumulative listening
Research project
“Improvisation – Interaction – Composition: exploring feedback-systems as a
compositional model”.
research models that describe the interaction between
improvisers and composers
develop techniques for the creative exploration of this
interaction
apply this knowledge to artistic co-operations, resulting in
musical works.
Peter Tornquist