UCSD Seminar Syllabus
SYLLABUS: Music 206 FQ 2019
Thursday, 2:00 – 4:50, CPMC 231
R Reynolds, Instructor
Over the course of a 2-Quarter sequence, composers and performers will work together collaboratively and interactively to conceive of and address orchestration-related issues for a specified acoustic ensemble of violin, bass clarinet, trombone, vibraphone with small percussion instruments. The term “orchestration” is taken in a broad sense: the informed selection, combination and juxtaposition of sounds to achieve a specific sonic goal.
The Fall Quarter is creatively preparatory, the Winter Quarter (with Professor Steiger) focused on ”problem-solving”, realization, and documentation of the composed etudes.
Fall Meetings:
26 September
Discussion of ACTOR project goals (including preliminary consideration of composer and performer questionnaires); discussion of individual aims of each seminar participant; presentation of a list of terms adopted by the ACTOR project to facilitate clarity and commonality; discussion of analytic “reference model” compositions by selected 20th and 21st century composers (including seminar participants).
NB: In order to better align with the ACTOR project [see Appendix A], we will not only be looking at non-traditional, “extended” behaviors, but also at the “normative behaviors” and instrumental characters out of which valuable extensions have been and still can be developed.
Readings:
Limits imposed by the neural coding of sound (S. McAdams) *
Loudness; Masking vs Fusion (S. McAdams)*
3 October
Psychoacoustic Issues, Session 1: Concerning blending/fusing, segregation/stratification, grouping (concurrent, sequential, and segmental), masking, spectrographic display of the behavior of spectral character and its dynamic evolution, impact of register, etc.
As an already documented instance of timbral analysis, we will discuss Reynolds’s The Angel of Death as explored in the assigned article.
Reading: “Perceptual Facets of Orchestration in The Angel of Death by Roger Reynolds: Timbre and Auditory Grouping” by Moe Touizrar and Stephen McAdams
Discussion of “reference work” candidates for later discussion. Agreement upon designated presentation teams. [See Appendix B]
10 October
Psychoacoustic Issues, Session 2: Continuation of 3 October meeting in regard to psychoacoustic phenomena that influence both solo and ensemble use of instrumental resources.
Readings:
Timbre (S. McAdams) *
Pitch (S. McAdams)*
Space (S. McAdams)*
17 October
“Reference Works”, Session 1: Discussion of relevant psychoacoustic / timbral features of works selected from an agreed-upon list of “Reference Models”. [See Appendix C] Each work will have an agreed-upon pair of presenters to lead the associated discussion.
24 October
Presentation and initial discussion of individual proposals for the composition of 8 – 10 minute timbre etudes.
26 October
“Reference Works”, Session 2: Discussion of relevant psychoacoustic / timbral features of works selected from an agreed-upon list of “Reference Models”. [See Appendix C] Each work will have an agreed-upon pair of presenters to lead the relevant discussion.
7 November
Presentation and Discussion of individual etude projects.
14 November
Continuing discussion of individual etude projects Members of WQ 206 ACTOR CORE Ensemble also participate.
21 November
Continuing discussion of individual etude projects
5 December
Continuing discussion of individual etude projects
* These “preludes” or compact “primers” on psychoacoustic issues were prepared by McGill Professor Stephen McAdams for a 2017 “Science and Music” Seminar that he co-taught with Steiger and Reynolds at UC San Diego.