Electronic and Experimental Music: Foundations of New Music and New Listening (Media and Popularculture)

Electronic and Experimental Music is a second edition of a well-known text on the history of electronic music. Holmes' original book, first published in 1985, was a beginner's introduction both to the theories of sound and sound production and to the history of some of the earliest experiments in instrument building and composition. In this new edition, the author thoroughly updates and enlarges the theoretical and historical sections. He also presents new material on using home computers and the many software and Internet resources available. This book covers the history of electronic music throughout the world, and the people who created it. Beginning with the theory of sound production, the book proceeds through the decades, outlining key composers and instrument designers who pioneered electronic music. Beginning with early instrument designers like Thaddeus Cahill and Leon Theremin, the book proceeds through Pierre Henry's and Pierre Schaeffer's early experiments with tape composition; Robert Moog and the birth of the synthesizer; John Cage and his experiments in a number of different electronic media; LaMonte Young and "live" electronic performance; Robert Ashley and Gordon Mumma and the pioneering ONCE festivals; the San Francisco school, including Pauline Oliveros and Morton Subotnik; through today's ambient music composers (like Brian Eno) and experimenters in turntablism (DJ Spooky) and electronic music revivalists (like Sonic Youth). The reader is exposed to a variety of approaches to electronic composition, generation, and performance that will inspire further experimentation. The second edition of a classic text on the history of electronic music, this book has been thoroughly updated to present material on home computers and the Internet, as well as enlarged sections on history and theoretical issues Part I. Early History -- Predecessors And Pioneers (1874 To 1960) -- 1. Electronic Music Before 1945 -- 2. Early Electronic Music In Europe -- 3. Early Electronic Music In The United States -- 4. Early Electronic Music In Japan -- Part Ii. Analog Synthesis And Instruments -- 5. Tape Composition And Fundamental Concepts Of Electronic Music -- 6. Early Synthesizers And Experimenters -- 7. Principles Of Analog Synthesis And Voltage Control -- 8. The Voltage-controlled Synthesizer -- 9. The Evolution Of Analog Synthesizers -- Part Iii. Digital Synthesis And Computer Music -- 10. Early Computer Music (1953-85) -- 11. The Microprocessor Revolution (1975-90) -- 12. The Principles Of Computer Music -- 13. The Evolution Of Computer Musical Instruments And Software -- Part Iv. The Music -- 14. Classical And Experimental Music -- 15. Live Electronic Music And Ambient Music -- 16. Rock, Space Age Pop, And Turntablism -- Pioneering Works Of Electronic Music. Thomas B. Holmes. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 299-312) And Index. Includes Discography (p. 281-297) Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 11 INTRODUCTION: NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW MUSIC, NEW LISTENING......Page 14 WHAT IS ELECTRONIC MUSIC?......Page 18 ELECTRONIC MUSIC RESOURCES......Page 26 MUSICAL PRECEDENTS TO ELECTRONIC MUSIC: ORIGINS OF THE AVANT-GARDE......Page 42 ELECTRONIC PIONEERS: CAHILL, THEREMIN, MARTENOT, TRAUTWEIN, AND HAMMOND......Page 54 MUSIQUE CONCRTE AND THE ANCIENT ART OF TAPE COMPOSITION......Page 86 THREE PIONEERS: JOHN CAGE, EDGARD VARSE, AND KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN......Page 120 A RENAISSANCE OF INVENTING: THE 1950s......Page 152 RORERT MOOG, WENDY CARLOS, AND THE BIRTH OF THE COMMERCIAL SYNTHESIZER......Page 164 ONCE AND FUTURE INNOVATORS: ROBERT ASHLEY AND GORDON MUMMA......Page 188 MUSIC FROM MAINFRAMES: THE ORIGINS OF COMPUTER MUSIC......Page 210 INSIDE ELECTRONIC MUSIC......Page 236 ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN THE MAINSTREAM: A LOSS OF HISTORY......Page 270 APPENDIX......Page 276 NOTES......Page 304 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 318 INDEX......Page 320 Arts, Language and Literature Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11 INTRODUCTION: NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW MUSIC, NEW LISTENING 14 WHAT IS ELECTRONIC MUSIC? 18 ELECTRONIC MUSIC RESOURCES 26 MUSICAL PRECEDENTS TO ELECTRONIC MUSIC: ORIGINS OF THE AVANT-GARDE 42 ELECTRONIC PIONEERS: CAHILL, THEREMIN, MARTENOT, TRAUTWEIN, AND HAMMOND 54 MUSIQUE CONCRTE AND THE ANCIENT ART OF TAPE COMPOSITION 86 THREE PIONEERS: JOHN CAGE, EDGARD VARSE, AND KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN 120 A RENAISSANCE OF INVENTING: THE 1950s 152 RORERT MOOG, WENDY CARLOS, AND THE BIRTH OF THE COMMERCIAL SYNTHESIZER 164 ONCE AND FUTURE INNOVATORS: ROBERT ASHLEY AND GORDON MUMMA 188 MUSIC FROM MAINFRAMES: THE ORIGINS OF COMPUTER MUSIC 210 INSIDE ELECTRONIC MUSIC 236 ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN THE MAINSTREAM: A LOSS OF HISTORY 270 APPENDIX 276 NOTES 304 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 318 INDEX 320 The field of music is full of uninformative labels and categories. Previous ed.: New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1985.