The Line: An etude of juxtaposed timbral approaches
The Line:
An etude of juxtaposed timbral approaches
Individual Project Report
On the CORE/EROC Round I Project at Université de Montreal
Author
Joshua Bucchi (Université de Montréal)
Published: May 21st, 2025
Introduction
Between September of 2019 and spring of 2020, while pursuing a doctoral program in composition at the University of Montreal (UdeM), I participated as a composer in the first iteration of the ACTOR Project’s Contemporary Orchestration Research Ensemble (CORE). This research-creation project was conducted in parallel in several academic institutions such as Université de Montréal, McGill University, University of British Columbia, or the University of California in San Diego. It consisted of pairing a chamber quartet with composers from the various participating institutions. Each composer would produce a composition for the ensemble with a series of collaborative work sessions planned out with the performers. The choice of instruments was predetermined by ACTOR researchers to be “timbrally heterogenous”, and included a violin, a bass clarinet, a trombone and a vibraphone (with optional small percussive additions). The process would be documented not only by the participants themselves but also by different ACTOR members serving both as mentors and observers. The participants would also be given various lectures and presentations to support their creative and performative work. The conclusion of this process would be a series of concerts in each institution, but these were unfortunately postponed, if not cancelled and replaced by recordings[1], due to the COVID19 related shutdowns. It is in this context that I composed a short timbral and stylistic étude: The Line.
In Montreal, the proximity of UdeM and McGill allowed for a certain amount of crossover between institutions. Whereas a total of five three-hour work sessions had been planned at UdeM, McGill was conducting a full seminar based on the CORE project during the autumn trimester. UdeM composers where therefore invited to attend the McGill seminar and participate in its research activities. In this context I attended a series of preliminary conferences on various topics such as timbre perception, research-creation processes or Aural Sonology. At this time participants were also interviewed to assess their work strategies and objectives, while other questions focused on how one would approach different hypothetical timbral configurations. Following this, several experimentation sessions with the performers took place. These were based on brief sketches, were followed by immediate discussion between participants and observers. The sketches were then readjusted for the next experimentation session. At the end of this three-month phase, following the production of a progress report, the final composing phase began. It was in the context of these preliminary stages that certain essential concepts emerged as constitutional elements of my upcoming work.
Early Stages
Developing a symbolic notation for experimentation
For the early experimentation sessions, the strategy was to work with symbols and descriptive techniques derived from the notation system developed in Lasse Thoresen’s Aural Sonology—an analytical method for describing and transcribing “music-as-heard” (Introduction – Aural Sonology, n.d.)—which is based on Pierre Schaeffer’s typomorphology (Thoresen & Hedman, 2007). This system is rooted in the concepts developed by Pierre Schaeffer in Traité des objets musicaux and later systematized by Michel Chion in his Guide des objets sonores (Chion, 1995). It draws on the practice of écoute réduite (Schaeffer, 2002), which focuses on listening to sound in itself, independent of its source or meaning. Aural sonology builds on this approach by identifying more complex perceptual elements, such as patterns and emergent forms. In this context, a set of symbols has been developed to notate music as it is perceived, without reference to historical formal conventions but rather as an emergent musical form (Introduction – Aural Sonology, n.d.). Despite this technique being originally intended for the purpose of analysis, it also offers a novel approach to creative work by focusing on elements such as movement, internal activity and timbral characteristics. In my case it was adopted to develop a first sketch, a phrase intended to be played by all four musicians, that could be subjected to different treatments and manipulations. In hindsight I also noted the influence of works such as Bach’s Musical offering or Claude Vivier’s Palau Dewata in this approach.
Figure 1. First sketch “Pre-Line”.
It rapidly became clear that this sketch could be interpreted in various ways and each different approach would reveal something notable about the instrument performing it. This comparative approach of testing various iterations of a same object inspired the way in which this first sketch was revised and augmented. The subsequent version added two variations of the original phrase: one in regular notation and one in a hybridisation of both notational systems.
Figure 2. Expanded version in three notations
Several approaches were proposed to interpret the line in its three formats such as:
playing solo, in smaller combinations or as a tutti
comfortable vs. extreme registers
as a choral or a canon
reverse and/or retrograde
etc.
Although the potential combinations in this process appeared endless, my interest was drawn towards the attempts that combined the different timbres in unexpected ways to form new and unexpected sounds. With this idea in mind, the third version of the line in regular notation was placed in a pitch range that allowed a specific timbral exploration through unison to take place.
Unison and common space
These exercises involved playing in unison several long tones shared by all four instruments at varying dynamic levels. At intervals, individual instruments were temporarily silenced in order to observe how their absence affected the overall timbre. This proved particularly insightful, as it revealed not only the specific timbral contributions of each instrument but also how these influenced the perceived spatial distribution of the sound[2].
This approach can also be understood as analogous to the use of stops on an organ or oscillators in a synthesizer. The full extent of the pitch zone ranged from G3 to F5, with F# 4 serving as a central axis. While this selection may appear somewhat arbitrary, it was informed by personal experience in previous compositions and supported through consultation and comparison of various orchestration references—notably The Study of Orchestration (Adler, 2002) and The Cambridge Guide to Orchestration (Sevsay, 2013).
Orchestrating tibral effects
Another approach, inspired by Schaefferian ideas, was to imitate certain typical electroacoustic processes in the instrumental domain. Among the early sketches was an attempt to create timbral illusions by creating an artificial resonance effect. The vibraphone would play an accentuated staccato chord of which individual tones would be extended by the other instruments, as if it was still resonating[3].
Figure 3. First sketch of timbral effect aka For Stephen
After having been tested and revised with the performers, this section was expanded and became section a full section (Sec. D) of the composition.
Figure 4. Expansion into Section D of The Line
Balancing different performance techniques
Throughout these early stages, I became increasingly preoccupied by the amount of attention that extended instrumental techniques were receiving overall during the experimentation sessions when compared to the more common and familiar ways of playing. These techniques appear frequently in my compositions, and I certainly intended to use them in this case but was nonetheless concerned that the originality of the quartet’s instrumental combination, and the manners in which individual timbres can be layered and blended, may be attenuated if the familiar signature sound of each instrument was not sufficiently present. Whether this concern was truly justified is open to discussion, but it seems valuable to acknowledge, in hindsight, the impact this had on the strategy I adopted to attempt to balance the use of traditional and extended techniques throughout the composition. This is apparent in the choice of the composition’s overall structure.
Formal Conception
Formal clarity is an important parameter in my compositional approach, and I value the idea that this aspect of the work is easily perceptible to the listener rather than being a more subtle, if not secondary, dimension. In the context of CORE, the research component of the project further encouraged me to focus on this approach, as it seemed desirable for analytical and comparative purposes that different ideas be easily perceptible and identifiable. This composition can therefore be divided quite simply into sections or blocks[4].
3.1. Expansion of sketches
Various sketches that had been used in the exploration sessions with the musicians were expanded to become independent blocks each of which explores a specific timbral effect (as was shown previously in the example at section 2.4). At this stage, the ordering of these segments or blocks was not yet determined, but they all derived from and developed elements of the original unison line that had emerged in the experimentation phase. This initial phrase therefore officially became The Line and was deemed to be a block (if not The block) in itself.
3.2 Reverse Theme and Variation
By juxtaposing contrasting sections—each derived from an initial phrase or melodic segment performed using specific techniques—it became apparent that the resulting structure resembled a form of theme and variation. The original version of the theme was however chosen to be presented last, as a sort of revelation of what had been undertaken throughout the composition. The overall form which is divided in nine sections can therefore be simply represented as follows: a2, a3, a4, a5, a6, a7, a8, a.
3.3 Stylistic references
It also became increasingly apparent a referential element was emerging in this block approach. What clearly distinguishes the different blocks is the specific technique used to modify the initial material. While some of these techniques are inspired by electroacoustic methods, others can be loosely linked to the style of a famous composer. I certainly do not claim to have explored in depth the language of all these illustrious artists, I consider this approach as a respectful caricature that exaggerates typical traits and activates them as a guitarist may do with an effect pedal.
The following chart lists each section, the technique explored and the composer it was evocating:
| Section | Technique | In the Manner of: |
|---|---|---|
| A | Klangfarbenmelodie> | Webern |
| B | On one note | Scelsi |
| C | Granulation | n/a |
| D | Cut attack/Closed groove | Schaeffer |
| E | Choral | Bach |
| F | Minimalism | Reich |
| G | Arpeggiator | n/a |
| H | Saturationnism | Cendo |
| I | Original theme in unison |
Notes on individual blocks
Due to the cancellation of the public performance, the effects and styles I hoped to recreate have not been evaluated by an audience. It is therefore unclear at this stage to what extent the compositional intention is truly perceptible. It seemed nonetheless valuable to succinctly present the underlying ideas of individual blocks.
4.1 I - Unison
As mentioned previously, although this section appears last in the composition, it presents the material upon which all other sections are derived. This rests largely on the fact that the central frequency F#, around which this section in constructed, is played last. It is notated throughout with the imaginary dynamic m, which is intended to be a neutral intermediary state although this is automatically varied by the register of the melody.
Derived from the initial sketch in Lasse Thorensen’s style of notation (Thoresen & Hedman, 2007), this phrase can be divided in 4 segments of varying length, separated by a silence and a fermata. The first is the longest, the second is the shortest, the third is once again long but less than the first and the final one is short but longer than the second. The structure of the composition is also loosely inspired by this morphology as the first four sections (A, B, C and D) are played sequentially after which section E stands alone. F, G, and H are then played sequentially and finally section I stands alone.
Figure 5. Section I of The Line: bass melodi in unison
4.2. A- Timbral melodification
This section presents the melody from the final passage, expanded across a broader frequency range. It is structured as a long crescendo that culminates by raising the final F♯ to a G♯ at its peak. As the intensity builds, internal activity increases, and the timbre gradually shifts—from relatively simple and “pure” tones, such as bowed vibraphone, to more complex and distorted sounds produced by techniques like trombone singing and playing, or multiphonics on the bass clarinet.
4.3 B- Freezing the F#
Section B focuses on the F#, with playing techniques in constant flux. The aim is to reveal the timbral potential of the “heterogeneous” ensemble through a single unifying pitch. While the idea nods to Scelsi’s work, the approach draws more from electroacoustic thinking—treating the sustained tone as a field in which parameters shift continuously over time.
4.4 C – Expansion into grains
To move beyond the one-note framework, Section C introduces new pitches as if they were spectral variants or pitch-shifted variations of the original note. The alternation of playing techniques continues, but the notes become shorter and more scattered, more clearly evoking granulation, another technique from electroacoustic music, which shaped the composition of this section. Dynamics are organised to let certain elements emerge unpredictably, occasionally evoking the impression of reversed playback.
4.5 D – Swaying cluster
Section D abruptly halts the granular process with a vibraphone cluster. The individual tones of this impulse are sustained by the other instruments (as described in 2.4) using bisbigliando-derived techniques. The cluster returns to the vibraphone and is left to resonate, while the ensemble reenters with microtonal inflections that augment its resonance. A third cluster interrupts the process, though the microtones persist in fragmented form. The cluster appears once more as a vibraphone crescendo tremolo, after which the microtones slide outward, expanding the harmony into an augmented triad. This set is then symmetrically extended by a tritone and a major seventh. The sequence of blocks ends in silence.
4.6 E – Vocal inspiration
Section E is a Bach-inspired chorale based on the second half of Section I. It harmonizes the melodic contour in homorhythm and incorporates pseudo-typical elements such as harmonic progressions, voice crossovers, and imitative writing. The aim was to have each instrument play more simply, within a comfortable register and using common dynamics, in order to explore whether a timbrally uniform mass could emerge despite the quartet’s intended heterogeneity.
4.7 F – Fading oscillations
The next section deconstructs the created sound mass and dissociates timbres by attempting to make them emerge from one another. This is done through repetitive overlapping cells that fade in and out of each other while an arpeggiated element begins to appear in parallel. Although this section attempts to reuse the very effective simplicity of Steve Reich’s notation of fades, the choice of notes, registers and timbres used here may affect the intended limpidity of this effect.
4.8 G – Ascension
Section G, which follows without interruption, focuses and develops the arpeggiated cell which began appearing in the previous block. Its character is inspired by the progressive modulation of parameters of the arpeggiator of a synthesiser. In a sequence of ascending and descending movements, or melodic waves, the central F# is presented in progressively higher octaves until its culmination on a single crotale, the only expansion of the vibraphone used in this composition, which is the starting point of the following section.
4.9 H – Impact and Decomposition
This penultimate section serves as the climax of the composition and features its most extreme dynamics. The crotale punctuates the texture irregularly, with each iteration orchestrated differently. Initially, it is expected to nearly saturate the sound through extreme volume, but the intensity gradually dissolves. The rough extended techniques that color each punctuation—such as bow overpressure—evolve progressively into more delicate gestures, including key clicks and, eventually, sustained tones.
Discussion
The segmented and stylistic approach chosen for this project was the direct result of the research-creation strategy of CORE itself. The intentional etude-type nature of this work aims to encourage the observation of individual sections of the composition, but it also was the source of a certain amount of creative freedom. The slightly caricatural, if not humoristic, nature of certain passages of The Line, can be seen as an emergent property of a very literal approach conceived to evaluate various timbral events by hyper-focusing on specific compositional techniques, such as unison. This results in a general formal conception that pays homage to an established historical musical form, through the juxtaposition of varied stylistic evocations. In other words, the form emerges from a succession of timbral approaches.
Score and Recording
Josua Bucchi - The Line - For Violin, Bass Clarinet, Trombone and Percussion
Bibliography
Adler, S. (2002). The study of orchestration (3rd ed). W.W. Norton.
Chion, M. (1995). Guide des objets sonores: Pierre Schaeffer et la recherche musicale. Buchet-Chastel Institut national de la communication audiovisuelle.
Introduction – Aural Sonology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.auralsonology.com/introduction/
Schaeffer, P. (2002). Traité des objets musicaux: Essai interdisciplines (Nouv. éd). Seuil.
Sevsay, E. (2013). The Cambridge guide to orchestration. Cambridge University Press.
Thoresen, L., & Hedman, A. (2007). Spectromorphological analysis of sound objects: An adaptation of Pierre Schaeffer’s typomorphology. Organised Sound, 12(2), 129–141. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355771807001793