The relation of language to materials

Authors

  • Simon Emmerson The City University of London
  • Sérgio Freire Federal University of Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2003.55893

Keywords:

electroacoustic music, twentieth-century music, musical composition, mimesis

Abstract

Instead of the traditional and incomplete opposition between concrete and electronic sounds, the author proposes two focal points to analyze electroacoustic music: one is related to the discourse, and the other, to musical syntax. The discourse may vary between the extremes, characterized as aural and mimetic, depending on the degree of reference to events that occur in reality or are related to more abstract musical values. The syntax, in its turn, may be abstract (imposed upon the materials) or deduced from them (abstracted). The crossing of these two focal points - each one represented by the two extreme positions and an intermediary one-generates nine case studies. At least one important work from the electroacoustic repertory is analyzed in each case.

Author Biographies

  • Simon Emmerson , The City University of London

    he is an electroacoustic composer specializing in live-electronics. He studied music science and education at Cambridge. He joined the City University in 1974, becoming a full-time professor of electroacoustic music in 1978. In 1986, Emmerson edited the book The Language of Electroacoustic Music, which became one of the most important reference texts on the subject. He is the author of works on CD released by the Continuum label and of various publications on contemporary musical issues.

  • Sérgio Freire , Federal University of Minas Gerais

    he is a composer, and his work is particularly dedicated to electroacoustic music and its interactions with instrumental performance. He has been an Assistant Professor at the School of Music at UFMG since 1995. His body of work also includes pieces for soloists and chamber ensembles, as well as original creations for theater, video, and dance.

References

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Published

2003-01-01

Issue

No. 07 (2003): General Topics

Section

Translations

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Copyright (c) 2003 Per Musi

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How to Cite

“The Relation of Language to Materials”. 2003. Per Musi, no. 07 (January): 5-24. https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2003.55893.