Emergent Form Through Timbre in a Contemporary Aleatoric Composition

Title: Emergent Form Through Timbre in a Contemporary Aleatoric Composition
Authors: Yuval Adler
Source URL: https://www.timbreandorchestration.org/tor/modules/video-series/symposiums-workshops/y2/adler

Abstract:

I will demonstrate how timbre and auditory scene analysis act as a central element in the emergence of musical form in a contemporary aleatoric composition with open instrumentation: all voices are heard (2015) by James Saunders. My analysis is based on the score and various recordings provided by the composer, together with a simplified computer model used to generate further simulated performances. In a typical performance, each performer individually chooses the order of some predetermined sonic elements to sound out. These ‘lists’ are repeated throughout the piece, with performers free to change their internal order, attempting to reach a consensus. When consensus is reached the piece ends. The initially different lists typically lead to an auditory scene which is too complex, resulting in a fusion of the different voices into one sound mass. As groups of voices converge, they split from the sound mass into separate, distinct auditory streams such that the listener can begin to perceive the tension between the sub-groups. The process culminates in the final iteration heard as a single, unified group. While the materials used change between performances, the emergent form of the piece can be perceived clearly and consistently. This composition is a compelling case for analysis, with its minimal design still creating the conditions for a diverse set of perceptual phenomena we find at the base of orchestration, while at the same time testing the boundary of what is traditionally considered orchestration by eschewing details about which instruments are involved in its performance.