Living Electronic Music

"Drawing on recent ideas that explore new environments and the changing situations of composition and performance, Simon Emmerson provides a significant contribution to the study of contemporary music, bridging history, aesthetics and the ideas behind evolving performance practices. Whether created in a studio or performed on stage, how does electronic music reflect what is live and living? What is it to perform 'live' in the age of the laptop? Many performer-composers draw upon a 'library' of materials, some created beforehand in a studio, some coded 'on the fly', others 'plundered' from the widest possible range of sources. But others refuse to abandon traditionally 'created and structured' electroacoustic work. Lying behind this maelstrom of activity is the perennial relationship to 'theory', that is, ideas, principles and practices that somehow lie behind composers' and performers' actions. Some composers claim they just 'respond' to sound and compose 'with their ears', while others use models and analogies of previously 'non-musical' processes. It is evident that in such new musical practices the human body has a new relationship to the sound. There is a historical dimension to this, for since the earliest electroacoustic experiments in 1948 the body has been celebrated or sublimated in a strange 'dance' of forces in which it has never quite gone away but rarely been overtly present. The relationship of the body performing to the spaces around has also undergone a revolution as the source of sound production has shifted to the loudspeaker. Emmerson considers these issues in the framework of our increasingly 'acousmatic' world in which we cannot see the source of the sounds we hear."--Provided by publisher This book is intended for anyone interested in contemporary music, but most especially electroacoustic music. The discussion draws on literature from acoustics and auditory science, psychology of perception, anthropology and the social sciences, as well as references from literature and the fine arts. Drawing on recent ideas that explore new environments and the changing situations of composition and performance, this book provides a significant contribution to the study of contemporary music, bridging history, aesthetics and the ideas behind evolving performance practices. Whether created in a studio or performed on stage, how does electronic music reflect what is live and living? What is it to perform 'live' in the age of the laptop? Many performer-composers draw upon a 'library' of materials, some created beforehand in a studio, some coded 'on the fly', others 'plundered' from the widest possible range of sources. But others refuse to abandon traditionally 'created and structured' electroacoustic work. Lying behind this maelstrom of activity is the perennial relationship to 'theory', that is, ideas, principles and practices that somehow lie behind composers' and performers' actions. Some composers claim they just 'respond' to sound and compose 'with their ears', while others use models and analogies of previously 'nonmusical' processes. It is evident that in such new musical practices the human body has a new relationship to the sound.There is a historical dimension to this, for since the earliest electroacoustic experiments in 1948 the body has been celebrated or sublimated in a strange 'dance' of forces in which it has never quite gone away but rarely been overtly present. The relationship of the body performing to the spaces around has also undergone a revolution as the source of sound production has shifted to the loudspeaker. The author considers these issues in the framework of our increasingly 'acousmatic' world in which we cannot see the source of the sounds we hear Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 8 Note on the Author......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Preface and Introduction: ‘Between Disciplines’......Page 14 1 Living Presence......Page 20 2 The Reanimation of the World: Relocating the ‘Live’......Page 54 3 The Human Body in Electroacoustic Music: Sublimated or Celebrated?......Page 80 4 ‘Playing Space’: Towards an Aesthetics of Live Electronics......Page 108 5 To Input the Live: Microphones and other Human Activity Transducers......Page 136 6 Diffusion-Projection: The Grain of the Loudspeaker......Page 162 References......Page 190 B......Page 206 D......Page 207 H......Page 208 M......Page 209 R......Page 211 S......Page 212 X......Page 213 Z......Page 214 This Book Is Intended For Anyone Interested In Contemporary Music, But Most Especially Electroacoustic Music. The Discussion Draws On Literature From Acoustics And Auditory Science, Psychology Of Perception, Anthropology And The Social Sciences, As Well As References From Literature And The Fine Arts. Living Presence -- The Reanimation Of The World : Relocating The 'live' -- The Human Body In Electroacoustic Music : Sublimated Or Celebrated? -- 'playing Space' : Towards An Aesthetics Of Live Electronics -- To Input The Live : Microphones And Other Human Activity Transducers -- Diffusion-projection : The Grain Of The Loudspeaker. Simon Emmerson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [171]-185) And Index. Contents 6 List of Figures 8 Note on the Author 10 Acknowledgements 12 Preface and Introduction: ‘Between Disciplines’ 14 1 Living Presence 20 2 The Reanimation of the World: Relocating the ‘Live’ 54 3 The Human Body in Electroacoustic Music: Sublimated or Celebrated? 80 4 ‘Playing Space’: Towards an Aesthetics of Live Electronics 108 5 To Input the Live: Microphones and other Human Activity Transducers 136 6 Diffusion-Projection: The Grain of the Loudspeaker 162 References 190 Index 206 A 206 B 206 C 207 D 207 E 208 F 208 G 208 H 208 I 209 J 209 K 209 L 209 M 209 N 211 O 211 P 211 R 211 S 212 T 213 U 213 V 213 W 213 X 213 Z 214 Whether created in a studio or performed on stage, how does electronic music reflect what is living? Drawing on ideas that explore environments and the changing situations of composition and performance, this title offers a contribution to the study of contemporary music, bridging history, aesthetics and the ideas behind performance practices.