Timbrenauts: Creative Explorations in Timbre Space
“Timbrenauts” is a cross-institutional collaborative student research-creation project. We employed experimental designs from timbre perception research to generate data models that will inform the creation of new musical compositions for an atypical instrumental duo of cello and trombone, while leveraging extended techniques rarely explored in traditional musical repertoire. In this TOR module, we discuss our motivations, data collection process, similarity judgment experiment, and the resulting data we want musicians to use as a basis for their creative output.
Space as Timbre (SAT) Research-Creation Project Report
The primary objective of the Space As Timbre (SAT) project is to conduct meticulous experiments on orchestration solutions and playing techniques, to achieve timbral effects that closely approximate the perceptual characteristics of diverse acoustical spaces. To this end, SAT endeavors to illuminate the intricate interplay between the spectral content of a sound, its resynthesis through orchestration, and the resulting perception of the quality of the acoustical space where the sound seems to have been produced.
Ulezo: Mapping Acoustic Attributes to Timbre Descriptors in Zambian Luvale Drum Tuning
How do Luvale musicians tune their drums with heat and tuning paste? How does this tuning process change a drum’s timbre? How do practitioners describe these timbres? And what acoustic properties are encoded in these semantic, descriptive terms? In this collaborative and interdisciplinary module, we address these questions through the case study of a two-step tuning process among Luvale drummers in Zambia.
Professor Bad Trip: Lesson III — Fausto Romitelli
Professor Bad Trip: Lesson III (2000) is a piece for small ensemble composed by Fausto Romitelli, constituting the last part of his Professor Bad Trip triptych (1998–2000). As suggested by the title, Romitelli sought an aesthetic that evokes hallucination, plunging the listener into a state of illusion and bewilderment.
Orchestrational narrative in Gustav Holst’s The Planets
In this Dialogue, New discusss the unique instrumental combinations and timbres that Holst employs to evoke the distinct characteristics of each movement. She delves into the challenges of balancing the various sections of the orchestra, crafting effective phrasing, and interpreting the composer's intentions to create a cohesive and compelling performance.
On Shaping Sound and Expressivity
Tianyi Lu shares her approach to conducting and the role of timbre and orchestration in evoking emotions and immersing audiences in the musical experience, offering a unique perspective on the art of conducting.
Timbre, Style, and Musical Expression
In this interview, Kent Nagano, then Artistic Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), shared his thoughts on the essential role of timbre in music, the power of imagination in interpreting scores, and the art of communicating musical ideas to the orchestra.
Psychological constraints on form-bearing dimensions in music
In raising the question of form-bearing dimensions in music, we are trying to understand the possibilities and limits of the apprehension of musical form in terms of the psychological mechanisms that operate on a received acoustic structure.
The Composite Timbre of Luigi Dallapiccola’s Vocal and Instrumental Works Since the Sex Carmina Alcei
In the aftermath of World War Two, Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-1975) was famous for a few major works that conveyed a humanist message, particularly the Canti di Prigionia (1938-1941) and the opera Il Prigioniero (1944-1948), which rank among his better-known works to this day. The composer’s personality should, however, not be reduced to this one aspect of his output. Likewise, we should not merely see him as a practitioner of twelve-tone techniques inherited from Schoenberg and Webern, a facet that has been extensively explored by theoreticians and historians of music.
Orchestration of Sonorities in Renaissance Polyphony
We might think about how a single voice part within a composition expresses a mode (one of the prevailing systems governing the organization of pitch in this period), or how multiple voice parts move against one another (counterpoint, from the Latin contrapunctus—literally means note-against-note), creating successions of intervals. This essay focuses on the amazing moments ensconced in those intervals: the way they are arranged, the spaces between them, and ultimately, the sonorities they create.
Exploring the Alchemy of Orchestration: A Conversation
Roger Reynolds is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of music composition at the University of California, San Diego. In 1989, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for the string orchestra composition, Whispers Out of Time. His more than 150 compositions have been exclusively published by Edition Peters New York for over five decades.
Colour and Folklore in Tailleferre’s Petite Suite
Nicolas Ellis is Music Director of the Orchestre National de Bretagne, Principal Guest Conductor of Les Violons du Roy, as well as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orchestre de l’Agora, which he founded in Montreal in 2013. Known for his versatility in a vast repertoire, Nicolas has distinguished himself with the Orchestre de l’Agora by the conception of concerts with a dramaturgical approach.
The History and Future of the Tuba Family: Material-, Resonance-, and Performance-Based Perspectives
This paper proposes an examination of the intersections of materiality, acoustics, and musical performance practice through the prism of instruments of the tuba family. Investigation into the symbiotic relationship between instrumental evolution and performance practice is a crucial facet of any study of timbre and orchestration.
A Quick Start Guide for Combining Electronic and Instrumental Orchestration
This module offers a streamlined resource for emerging composers seeking to introduce live electronics into their instrumental orchestration practice. Accessible and user-friendly software and hardware platforms offer a pathway for emerging or (technologically curious expert) composers to experiment with electronics in a low risk, low-cost context.
Online Guide to Room Acoustics for Musicians
This project spurred the development of an internet-based guide for musicians that describes, in layperson terms, the fundamentals of acoustic features of musical instruments, stages, and performance/rehearsal rooms using visual and auditory examples. The guide also aims to explain what and how parameters can be assessed along with the audio recordings to document a musical performance.
Dance and Timbral Exploration (DaTE)
The DaTE project investigated the use of dance tracking to control electroacoustic processing of acoustic timbres. To this end, the project involved a composer/ programmer, a dancer, a flautist, and a cellist, and used the UBC-developed Kinect Controlled Artistic Sensing System (KiCASS) to track the dancer and generate movement/position data. T
The Timbre in Popular Song (TiPS) Corpus
This project analyzes the understudied parameters of timbre and texture and their interactions with musical form in a new popular-music corpus, Timbre in Popular Song (TiPS). This study addresses two problems in popular-music scholarship: lack of research on timbre and texture, and underrepresentation of non-male and non-white artists in both popular music and its scholarship.
Klangfarbenmelodie
A compositional technique where a musical line or melody is split between several instruments, rather than being played by a single instrument. Each instrument plays a note or a short succession of notes, creating a continuous melody with a constantly changing timbre or "tone colour.”
Masking
Suppose you enter a restaurant with a friend, mid-conversation. As you enter, you are greeted by the background noise of other patrons’ conversations. You and your friend begin to speak louder so you can hear one another. You’ve just experienced masking, a very familiar yet fascinating phenomenon that many of us encounter every day without even noticing.
Spectral Envelope
In the process of analyzing the spectrum of a sound, it is sometimes useful to describe its spectral properties in terms of energy distribution rather than individually mapping all its components. In so doing, we invoke the concept of spectral envelope, a curve that can be obtained by successively connecting the peaks of the partials shown in the frequency representation of the sound (i.e., with frequency on the x-axis and energy or amplitude on the y-axis). Spectral envelopes are important factors in timbre perception. They reflect the acoustic properties of an object that produces sound in terms of the energy distribution across the frequency spectrum.
Spectrogram
Just as a frequency spectrum makes it possible to analyze the partials and noise components that make up a sound, a spectrogram can be used to visualize the evolution of these components of a sound over time. The first modern device able to produce such a representation of sound was the “sound spectrograph,” developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1940s [1]. A spectrogram has a very intuitive way of displaying its parameters. Just as in a musical score, time is represented on the x-axis, frequency on the y-axis, and energy/amplitude is determined by the intensity/hue of the colors.
Timbre Space
A sound’s timbre can be represented by a point inside a conceptual timbre space, a space where the axes are usually defined by the principal attributes (e.g., spectral centroid, attack time) that one would implicitly use to perceive or conceive any timbre in a given context. Timbre spaces are obtained using a statistical method called multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS), which generates a simplified multidimensional map from a series of perceptual distances between pairs of timbres (as measured in perceptual experiments). The experimenter then deduces the attributes (acoustic descriptors) that best describe the axes obtained. Timbre spaces provide us with complementary information to the neuro-cognitive mechanisms of timbre perception, and can also be a very useful compositional tool.
Path of Miracles - A Multitrack Recording in 3D Audio
In late August of 2022, the rich sonority of the historical Chapelle du Grand Séminaire de Montréal presented the acoustical canvas for a multifaceted choral recording and research project. Under the baton of Andrew Gray, Montreal choir Voces Boreales performed Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles for mixed chorus (2005) and percussion, a musical pilgrimage for 17 voices, inspired by the millennial Camino de Santiago de Compostela.
Icicle — Robert Aitken
Icicle (1977) for solo flute, by Canadian composer, conductor, and flautist Robert Aitken, captures a quintessentially winter soundscape with its highly variable timbral palette. Audible right from the beginning of Nina Assimakopoulos’s 2021 recording, Icicle is saturated with timbres that evoke such cold, wintry imagery as glistening icicles and blowing snow. The wintry timbres in Icicle are created by various extended playing techniques.
Tension and the Cello — Kaija Saariaho’s Petals
Kaija Saariaho’s Petals (1988) transforms the cello into a diverse musical instrument capable of creating countless varying sounds. Her organization of sounds produces two distinct timbral profiles that alter throughout the work, governing its two-part structure. Different music variables, including temporal perception, sound characteristics, spectral density, and attack, are employed by each profile to construct several binaries that either produce a state of tension or relaxation. The superimposition of profiles towards the end of Petals begets the work’s climax by maximizing tension. Saariaho therefore develops a narrative that explores opposing approaches to the creation and dissolution of tension through timbre.
Orchestrating Timbre
This doctoral thesis presents how the orchestration of timbre is in- vestigated from a performer’s perspective as means to “unfold” im- provisational processes. It is grounded in my practice as a pianist in the realm of improvised music, in which I often use preparations and objects as extensions of the instrument.
Death, Sex, and the Semitone in Monteverdi’s “Pur ti miro, pur ti godo”
In this edition of Amazing Moments in Timbre, I will explore the timbral representation of sex (and maybe death) in “Pur ti miro, pur ti godo,” the final love duet between Poppea and Nerone in Monteverdi’s opera (on a libretto by Busenello), L’incoronazzione di Poppea. Martha C. Nussbaum, in Upheavals in Thought (2012), describes the duet as “an extraordinary depiction of lovemaking,” presumably in part because of the tension and release created by the numerous harmonic clashes and resolutions in the piece. Meanwhile, music librarian and blogger Pessimisissimo interprets the dissonance as follows:
Passaggio and Register in the Singing Voice
Passaggio, an Italian word translating to passage or transition, is the bane of many a classical singer and the secret weapon of folk-inspired vocalists like Dolores O’Riordan, Jewel, and Sarah McLachlan. In English we often refer to this as “the break.” One of the main goals of classical vocal technique is smoothing out register breaks. This requires finesse, patience, and perseverance. It is a process that cannot be rushed because singing in the passaggio for extended periods of time can mentally and physically tax even experienced singers, causing serious vocal fatigue.
A Taxonomy of Orchestral Grouping Effects Derived from Principles of Auditory Perception
An analysis of orchestration treatises and musical scores reveals an implicit understanding of auditory grouping principles by which many orchestration techniques give rise to predictable perceptual effects. We present a novel theory formalized in a taxonomy of devices related to auditory grouping principles that appear frequently in Western orchestration practices from a range of historical epochs.
The Alchemical Wedding — Liza Lim
In The Alchemical Wedding (1996), for large ensemble, Australian composer Liza Lim seeks contact points between “seemingly disparate musical entities” (1996)—a pursuit reflected in the work’s title. This virtual contact is evidenced by the work’s peculiar instrumentation, where the Chinese Er-hu and Indonesian Angklung are pitted against a large Western ensemble. Reflecting the cultural fusion of composer’s upbringing between Australia and various Asian countries, The Alchemical Wedding represents a marriage of musical possibilities through the collision of Asian and Western instruments and aesthetics.
Timbral Progression in Rebecca Saunders’ dichroic seventeen
Abstract: This short essay will investigate how Rebecca Saunders uses several orchestration techniques to create a timbral progression in her work dichroic seventeen in order to emulate the visual phenomenon of dichroism.
Pour l’image — Philippe Hurel
The opening section of the ensemble piece Pour l’image by Philippe Hurel is underpinned by a series of orchestration approaches that work in concert to generate large-scale musical transition. The first prominent transition happens in the first 15 measures, traversing from a complex timbral agglomerate to a transparent polyphonic texture. The second transition happens in mm. 22-45 where a harmonically and timbrally dissonant texture gradually condenses into a passage of consonant chordal echoes.
Musicians Auditory Perception (MAP) Interactive Project Report
The purpose of the Musician’s Auditory Perception (MAP) project is to collect qualitative data via sonic ethnography in order to promote and analyze, both literally and metaphorically, (a) sonic collaboration between auditory learners, (b) modes of sound information gathering, and (c) the creative expression of musicians, while disrupting common pedagogic methods that reinforce hierarchical education practices.
Masque de Fer: Extended Drum Kit Techniques Module
"Masque de fer" (Iron Mask) is a module for exploring extended techniques on the drum kit, created by Gabriel Couturier and Martin Daigle who were awarded the ACTOR Project’s Collaborative Student Project Grant. The recording session generated an open-access extended technique resource that includes a stereo mix, the entire recording session, and the stems in 96 kHz or in 48 kHz. This session was filmed from the first-person point of view to allow researchers and composers to step into the world of the drum kit performer. This tool will allow composers to familiarize themselves with the sound possibilities which are presented in the research.
The many facets of musical listening: Auditory perception mechanisms and learned experiences
Composers make use of their knowledge of different orchestration techniques in creating certain effects and sonic outcomes. These effects may be comprehended by listeners to a greater or lesser extent depending on the amount of shared understanding with the musical tradition, style of music, and other factors. In this project, we look at how the success of these effects depends on both prior knowledge and experience, and how they are perceivable by listeners. Successful orchestration is built upon the fact that regardless of the instruments used or the musical or cultural connotations of the music, they adhere to universal mechanisms of auditory perception and cognition.
Vibrato
Sound is vibration! Repeated, continuous vibration of the air creates sustained sounds. Within sustained sounds, vibration modulations are a natural component of both vocal and instrumental music. Patterns of vibration modulations are perceived by the human ear, and we call them vibrato. Vibrato is commonly accepted to be a distinctive feature of musical sound, inextricably tied to artistic expression and timbre.
Timbre as an Impassioned Argument: Maconchy’s String Quartet No. 10
In a brief article from 1971, British composer Elizabeth Maconchy (1907–94) stated that the string quartet is “above all best suited to the expression of the kind of music I want to write – music as an impassioned argument.” Maconchy’s highly dissonant String Quartet No. 10 (1972) exemplifies this compositional philosophy.
Lovin’ You — Minnie Riperton
The 1975 live version of Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” sets itself apart from her 1974 album, Perfect Angel, not just because of its extended length but also because of Riperton’s whistle register ad-lib in the middle of modal register singing.
Bound to You — Christina Aguilera
In a moment of vocal, narrative, and timbral intensity, Christina Aguilera’s performance as the character Ali in the 2010 film Burlesque shatters the viewers’ expectations.
Cinq danses profanes et sacrées — Henri Tomasi
The sound of today’s bassoon far exceeds the range and intensity of its ancestors, and recent music written for the bassoon has increased in variety and complexity accordingly. Extended techniques for bassoon, including multiphonics and timbral trills, create entirely new and almost uncharacteristic timbres, ones that listeners cannot even identify as bassoon sounds. Thus, the timbral lexicon for bassoon could use some updates.
Cellophane — FKA twigs
A tragic ode to perseverance and rebirth, “Cellophane” tackles the intense emotions of a public celebrity romance scrutinized by online critics. In “Cellophane,” repetitive lyrical content such as “didn’t I do it for you?” express twigs’s disbelief in her own crumbling relationship while other lyrics (e.g., “they want to see us, want to see us apart”) relate to the taxing nature of online comments.
Blood, Glass, and a Cannibal’s Beating Heart — Brian Reitzell
Much of the piece’s effect is accomplished by Reitzell’s intentional manipulation of timbral signifiers. Most attacks have been removed in a kind of electronic vivisection – a commingling of the known and the unknown that creates ambiguity in the sonic space.
Subwhistle — Brian Jacobs
I am standing on a rainforest floor. Surrounding me, but in my aural periphery, a million insects murmur, forming a sonic haze as impenetrable as the thick vegetation. My focus is drawn towards the canopy, where a few birds converse, hidden from view.
Musical collaborations, timbre, and recorded sound
The piano sound that we hear on a recording is a combination of the pianist’s performance, the characteristic sounds of the instrument, and the context of the space where it is recorded, to which the pianist is constantly reacting. The recording philosophy that is applied is an additional factor that contributes to the overall impression.
Technology and Timbre
Moving Sources explores the relationship between instrumental orchestration and electronics primarily through the means of spectral analysis and subsequent electronic-informed timbre-blending techniques such as filtering, reverberation, granular synthesis, pitch freezing, envelope generators, noise, delays and spatialization.
Exploring the Virtual Orchestra through Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Part I
This article outlines my first attempt at making a virtual orchestration from one of my compositions, Récitatif, chant et danse. In addition, it provides some background on virtual orchestration and discusses the different elements involved in creating one.
Koan — James Tenney
In 1971, American composer James Tenney wrote the solo violin piece Koan as part of his Postal Pieces. The score is contained entirely on a postcard consisting of only seven measures. A string quartet arrangement of Koan, written by Tenney in 1984, retains the original violin line but adds a further harmonic context in the remaining three instruments.
The "Paradoxical Complexity" of Sound Masses
Beginning with simple elements of sound, composers can use their expertise to craft compositional systems that may be enormously complex and far beyond the comprehension of most listeners. But by the end, I think it is a magical thing if it comes around to become perceptually simple again: a musical organism with processes, gestures, and gestalts that are readily appreciated and comprehended.
different forms of phosphorus — Karola Obermüller
Jaqueline Leclair’s album Music for English Horn Alone, released in October 2020, represents a landmark for the versatile—but often underestimated—English horn. In particular, the album showcases the colorful timbral palette of the instrument through both traditional modes of playing and extended techniques. This is the first part of two blogs addressing pieces on Leclair’s new album.
Instrumental synthesis
Instrumental synthesis is a technique for composition and orchestration first developed in the 1970s. It is a founding principle of French spectral music, represented at that time mainly by the composers Tristan Murail, Hugues Dufourt, and Gérard Grisey. This type of compositional process could not have existed without the technological progress in musical acoustics made in the previous decades…
La synthèse instrumentale est une technique d’écriture et d’orchestration développée principalement dans les années 1970-1980. C’est le principe fondateur du courant de la musique spectrale, né en France et principalement représenté par les compositeurs Tristan Murail, Hugues Dufourt et Gérard Grisey à cette époque. Ce procédé compositionnel n’aurait pas pu exister sans les progrès technologiques en acoustique des dernières décennies.