Treatise on Musical Objects: An Essay across Disciplines (California Studies in 20th-Century Music)

The Treatise on Musical Objects is regarded as Pierre Schaeffer's most important work on music and its relationship with technology. Schaeffer expands his earlier research in musique concrète to suggest a methodology of working with sounds based on his experiences in radio broadcasting and the recording studio. Drawing on acoustics, physics, and physiology, but also on philosophy and the relationship between subject and object, Schaeffer's essay summarizes his theoretical and practical work in music composition. Translators Christine North and John Dack present an important book in the history of ideas in Europe that will resonate far beyond electroacoustic music. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 10 The Treatise on Musical Objects and the GRM......Page 18 Translators' Introduction......Page 24 Pierre Schaeffer's Treatise on Musical Objects and Music Theory......Page 32 Acknowledgments......Page 38 Preface......Page 40 Need for a Reappraisal......Page 46 Three New Phenomena......Page 47 The Three Dead Ends of Musicology......Page 49 A Priori Music......Page 50 Musique Concrète......Page 52 Experimental Music......Page 53 No-Man's-Land......Page 55 Divergence of Disciplines......Page 56 Music as Interdiscipline......Page 57 Resources for Musical Experimentation......Page 59 The Aims of Musical Experimentation: Objects, Structures, Languages......Page 60 Musical Research......Page 62 BOOK ONE. MAKING MUSIC......Page 66 1. Homo Faber or Homo Sapiens......Page 68 3. The Instrumental Paradox: The Birth of Music......Page 69 4. From the Instrument to the Work......Page 70 5. From the Instrument to the Musical Domain: Musical Civilizations......Page 71 6. Concrete and Abstract in Music......Page 72 7. Registers and Musical Domains......Page 73 8. Limitations of "Musical Catechisms"......Page 75 1. Definition of an Instrument......Page 76 2. Composition of Instruments......Page 77 3. Simple or Multiple Instruments......Page 78 4. Instrumental Analysis......Page 79 5. Triple Nature of the Instrument......Page 80 6. The Electronic Instrument......Page 81 7. Musique Concrète......Page 83 8. Confusion over Instruments......Page 84 9. Critique of the Electronic Instrument......Page 85 10. Critique of "Musique Concrète"......Page 87 11. Faults Common to Both Musics......Page 88 12. Concept of the Pseudo-instrument......Page 90 1. The Paradox of Discovery......Page 91 2. Mystery of the Cylinder and Powers of the Ear......Page 92 3. The Historical Contribution of Radio Broadcasting......Page 93 4. The Myth of Sound Reproduction......Page 94 6. The Physical Object in the Transformation......Page 95 7. Transformations in the Sound Field......Page 97 8. Properties of Recorded Sound......Page 99 9. Fidelity......Page 100 11. The Sound Recordist as Interpreter......Page 102 12. Musicians Have No Ear......Page 103 13. Prose Composition and Translation......Page 104 14. "Radiogenicity"......Page 105 15. Advice from an Elder......Page 106 16. Nothing New under the Sun......Page 107 1. Relevance of an Ancient Experiment......Page 109 3. The Acousmatic Field......Page 110 4. On the Sound Object: What It Is Not......Page 112 5. Originality of the Acousmatic Approach......Page 114 BOOK TWO. HEARING......Page 116 1. To Hear (Entendre) According to Littré......Page 118 2. To Perceive Aurally (Ouïr)......Page 119 3. To Listen (Écouter)......Page 120 4. To Hear (Entendre)......Page 121 5. To Understand (Comprendre)......Page 123 1. The Functional Aspect of the Ear......Page 125 2. Littré (Cont.): The Communication Circuit......Page 126 3. The Individual and Objects: Perceptual Intentions......Page 127 4. Stages and Outcomes of Listening: Diversity and Complementarity......Page 129 5. Two Pairs: Subjective-Objective and Concrete-Abstract......Page 130 6. Two Pairs of Listening Modes: Natural and Cultural, Ordinary and Specialized......Page 131 7. Exclusives of Specialized Listening......Page 133 8. Comparison between Specialized Modes of Listening......Page 136 1. The Prestige of Logic......Page 139 2. Practice: Musical Communication......Page 140 3. An Option for Music: A Language in Itself......Page 141 4. Another Option: Synthetic Music......Page 142 5. From Physics to Music......Page 143 6. The System......Page 144 7. Ambitions and Inadequacies of Physics......Page 145 8. Possible Musical Experimentation......Page 146 1. Pleonasm......Page 148 2. The Two Pathways......Page 149 3. The Hearing Intention from a Scientific Point of View......Page 150 4. The Stumbling Block......Page 152 5. Correlations......Page 153 6. The Hearing Intention from a Philosophical Point of View......Page 154 7. On Some Musical Hearing Intentions......Page 155 8. Musical Listening Modes......Page 156 9. Final Summary of Intentions......Page 158 BOOK THREE. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL SIGNAL AND THE MUSICAL OBJECT......Page 162 2. Sight and Hearing......Page 164 3. The "Theory of Theories"......Page 166 4. Traditional Doctrine: Acoustic Basis of Music......Page 168 5. The Acoustics of Music......Page 169 6. Psychoacoustics and Experimental Music......Page 171 7. Investigate or Use the "Black Box"......Page 172 1. The Traditional Doctrine......Page 175 2. Helmholtz's Resonators......Page 176 3. Fourier's Series......Page 178 4. The Perception of Pitches......Page 180 5. Experiments on Residuals......Page 181 6. Experiment on Unisons......Page 183 7. Musical and Psychoacoustic Calibrations......Page 184 8. Pitch Differentiation Thresholds: Importance of Context......Page 185 9. Conclusions: The Various Pitch Structures......Page 187 10. Sound Mass and Filtering......Page 189 Appendix: Experiment on Unisons......Page 191 1. Transient Phenomena......Page 195 2. Physicists' Musical Postulates......Page 196 3. Critique of the Approach to Music through Transients......Page 197 4. The Ear as a Device......Page 199 5. Temporal Thresholds......Page 200 6. Mechanical Time Constant of the Ear......Page 201 7. Time Constant of the Ear's Physiological Power of Integration......Page 202 8. Pitch, Articulation, and Timbre Recognition Thresholds......Page 203 9. Comparison between Time Thresholds and Duration of Transients......Page 205 10. Spatialization......Page 206 11. Mechanism and Function......Page 207 1. Time Localization......Page 208 2. Beginnings of Sounds......Page 209 3. The Spliced Piano......Page 214 4. Scissor Attack......Page 216 5. Cutting Sounds Other Than Percussive......Page 218 6. General Interpretation of These Findings......Page 219 7. Laws of Perception of Attack......Page 220 8. Effect of Dynamic on the Perception of Timbres......Page 224 1. Timbre of an Instrument and of an Object......Page 225 2. Timbre of Piano Notes......Page 226 3. Concept of a Musical Instrument: Law of the Piano......Page 227 4. Experiments on the Timbre of the Piano: Transmutations and Filtering......Page 228 5. Timbres and Causalities......Page 230 6. Causalities and Harmonic Structures: Functional Anamorphoses......Page 232 7. Causality and Music......Page 234 1. A Long Digression......Page 235 2. Rhythms and Durations......Page 236 3. Experiment on the "Seven Dissymmetrical Sounds"......Page 237 4. Duration and "Information"......Page 239 5. Sound Played Backward......Page 240 6. Temporal Symmetry and Dissymmetry: Aspects of Temporal Anamorphosis......Page 241 7. Hearing Time......Page 242 8. Musical Durations......Page 244 9. Duration and Information......Page 245 BOOK FOUR. OBJECTS AND STRUCTURES......Page 248 1. From Experiment to Explanation......Page 250 2. Transcendence of the Object......Page 251 3. The Naive Theory of the World: Époché......Page 253 4. The Sound Object......Page 255 5. Reduced Listening......Page 257 6. Gestalttheorie......Page 259 7. Gestalt, Form, Structure......Page 261 8. The Object-Structure Pair......Page 262 1. The Two Infinities......Page 265 2. Ambition for the Elementary......Page 266 3. Significance of Values......Page 267 4. Code and Language......Page 268 6. The Levels of Language: Signification and Differentiation......Page 269 7. Phonemes: Or Distinctive Features......Page 270 8. From the Phoneme to the Musical Note......Page 272 9. Sound Object and Phonetics......Page 273 10. Direction of Research......Page 275 1. The Higher Level......Page 277 2. Language......Page 278 3. The Rules of Language......Page 279 4. Application of the Rules of Language to Music......Page 281 5. Permanence and Variation in Musical Structures......Page 282 6. Values and Characteristics......Page 284 7. Divergences......Page 285 8. Language Systems and Speech......Page 286 9. The Two Exclusives in Language Systems......Page 287 10. A Possible Musical Language System: Pure Music, Musical Writing......Page 291 11. Instrumental Music......Page 292 1. A Delightful Assortment......Page 294 2. A Dangerous Intersection......Page 295 3. Musicality and (Traditional) Sonority......Page 297 4. Instrumental Overview......Page 300 5. What Is Your Favorite Instrument, and Why?......Page 301 6. Identification and Description......Page 303 7. Diabolus in Musica......Page 305 1. The Universal Symphony......Page 308 2. The Repertoire of Causalities......Page 310 3. The Language of Things......Page 311 4. The Child with the Grass......Page 313 5. The Musical in Embryo......Page 314 6. The Child with the Violin......Page 315 7. Overview of "Sonority"......Page 317 8. Relationship between Musicianly and Natural Listening......Page 318 10. From Sound to the Musical......Page 319 1. Dilemma or Dualism......Page 321 2. Argument for a General Musicology......Page 322 3. Argument for Sound as Given......Page 323 4. Musical Activity......Page 324 5. Two Pitfalls......Page 325 6. Musicianly Invention......Page 327 7. Musical Invention......Page 328 1. Fundamental Research......Page 330 2. Interwovenness of Levels of Complexity and Sectors of Activity......Page 331 3. Preparatory Exercises......Page 332 4. How the Experimental System Works......Page 333 5. Contents of the Traditional System......Page 335 6. Origins of the Experimental System......Page 338 7. Invariants in the Experimental System......Page 340 8. Suitable Objects......Page 341 10. Object and Structures......Page 342 11. Meaning and Signification......Page 343 12. Constituent Activities: The Four Axioms of Music......Page 344 13. Synthesis of Musical Structures or the Invention of Musics......Page 346 14. Properties of the Perceptual Musical Field......Page 348 15. Contents of the Experimental System......Page 349 BOOK FIVE. MORPHOLOGY AND TYPOLOGY OF SOUND OBJECTS......Page 352 1. Theory and Practice......Page 354 2. Prose Composition and Translation in Sound......Page 355 3. Prose Composition......Page 356 4. Translation......Page 357 5. Example of a Classification......Page 358 6. Morphology and Typology......Page 360 7. The Form-Matter Pair......Page 362 9. Objects with Fixed Matter: Criterion of Form......Page 363 10. Evolving Sounds: The Norm......Page 364 1. Electroacoustic Prerequisites......Page 366 2. The Electroacoustic System......Page 367 3. Repercussions of the System on Fundamental Research......Page 371 4. Description and Use of Sound Bodies......Page 372 5. Factures: Invention of Sound Objects and Sound Recording......Page 373 6. Preparing the Object......Page 375 7. The Transpositions of the Object......Page 377 8. Transmutations of the Object......Page 378 9. Electronic Generators......Page 379 10. The Bare Essentials......Page 381 Appendix A: The Time Regulator......Page 382 Appendix B: The Form Modulator......Page 383 1. The Parable of the Attic......Page 385 2. The Search for Typological Criteria......Page 386 4. Objects in Sheaves......Page 388 5. Balance and Originality......Page 389 6. Summary of Typological Criteria......Page 390 7. A Study of the Diagram Column by Column......Page 392 8. A Study of the Diagram Row by Row......Page 393 9. Foundational Schema of the Typology of Sound Objects......Page 395 2. Analysis Based on the Criterion of Facture......Page 397 3. Analysis Based on the Criterion of Mass......Page 400 4. Redundant or Not Very Original Objects......Page 401 6. Summary Diagram of Redundant or Not Very Original Sounds......Page 403 1. Eccentric Sounds......Page 405 3. Accumulations......Page 406 4. Cells, Ostinati, and Fragments......Page 407 5. Large Notes and Wefts......Page 408 7. Summary Diagram of Typology......Page 410 2. Makeup of a Translation Reel......Page 412 3. Study of Internal Morphology......Page 414 4. External Morphology......Page 415 5. Relativity of Analyses......Page 416 6. Typological Formulae......Page 417 7. Prose Composition: The Study of Sustained Sounds......Page 418 8. General Plan for a Reel of Sustained Sounds......Page 419 9. Comments on the Experimental Technique......Page 420 BOOK SIX. THEORY OF MUSICAL OBJECTS......Page 422 1. Moving toward the Musical......Page 424 2. The Sociological Factor in Musical Experience......Page 425 3. Deconditioning Exercises......Page 427 4. Reconditioning Exercises......Page 428 5. Talking about Sounds, or the "Metalanguage"......Page 429 6. Two Sorts of Musical Experiences......Page 430 7. Inventing Objects......Page 431 8. Experimental Reels......Page 433 9. Studies on Objects......Page 434 1. Traditional Music Theory......Page 436 2. The Two Scores......Page 437 3. Signs and Musical Thought......Page 438 5. Sound Architecture......Page 439 6. The Four Musicianship Procedures......Page 441 8. Morphological Criteria (Sector 3)......Page 443 9. Music Theory of Extreme Examples: Deponent Sound Objects......Page 444 10. Musical Analysis of the Criteria (Sector 4)......Page 445 11. The Three Dimensions of the Musical Perceptual Field......Page 446 12. Final Diagram for the Theory: Types, Classes, Genres, Species of Sounds......Page 447 13. Analogical Criteria......Page 448 1. Experimental Material......Page 451 2. Analogical Criteria from Traditional Musical Experience......Page 452 3. Scientific Criteria: Additional Properties of Pure Sounds......Page 453 5. Harmonic Timbre and Mass......Page 456 6. Classes of Mass in Homogeneous Sounds......Page 457 7. Characteristic of Mass: Texture of a Sound......Page 459 8. Species of Mass......Page 460 10. Pitch Calibrations......Page 461 11. Temperament......Page 462 12. Criterion of Harmonic Timbre: Classes and Characteristics......Page 463 13. Species of Timbre......Page 464 14. Importance of the Criterion of Mass......Page 466 1. Concept of the Note......Page 467 2. Method of Approach......Page 468 3. Criterion of Attack: Genres of Forms......Page 469 4. Criterion of Profile: Classes of Forms......Page 472 5. Manipulations on Forms......Page 476 6. The Dynamic Field......Page 477 7. Dynamic Sound Species......Page 479 1. Concrete Criteria......Page 481 2. Sustainment Criteria......Page 482 3. The Signature of Facture......Page 483 4. Types of Grain......Page 484 5. Genres of Grain......Page 485 6. Species of Grain......Page 486 8. Allures......Page 488 9. Typomorphology of Allures......Page 489 10. Species of Allure......Page 491 1. Musical Variation......Page 492 2. Perception of Variations......Page 493 3. Variation and Structure......Page 494 4. Typology of Variations......Page 496 5. Variation Criteria......Page 498 6. Typology of Melodic Variations......Page 500 7. Musical Tradition of Melodic Variations: Neumes......Page 502 8. Classes, Genres, and Species of Melodic Variations......Page 503 10. Sustainment Variations......Page 504 11. Structures of Variations......Page 505 1. The Troublesome Example......Page 507 2. Analytical Diagram......Page 508 3. Summary Diagram......Page 509 4. Layout of the Diagram......Page 513 5. Evaluation of Criteria in the Perceptual Field......Page 514 6. Musical Scales......Page 516 7. Numbers and Nuances......Page 517 8. Object Identification Chart......Page 518 9. Meaning of the Analytical Diagram and How to Use It......Page 519 BOOK SEVEN. MUSIC AS A DISCIPLINE......Page 522 1. How Should We Make and What Should We Listen For?......Page 524 2. On the Right Use of a Music Theory......Page 525 3. Attempt at an Exploration of Traditional Musics......Page 526 4. Calibrations of Values......Page 527 5. Simple Relationships......Page 529 6. Reference Structures......Page 531 7. Listening to Contemporary Musics......Page 534 8. A Priori Musics......Page 536 9. Serial Genetics in Electronic Music......Page 538 10. Outside the Series......Page 542 11. The Three Tiers......Page 544 12. Musics......Page 545 13. Tablatures......Page 548 14. Music and Machines......Page 549 15. The Two Musics......Page 550 16. The Continuous and the Discontinuous......Page 551 17. Polyphony and Polymorphy......Page 553 18. Music and Aesthetics......Page 555 19. Music and the Disciplines......Page 556 1. Orpheus......Page 558 2. Musical Consumption......Page 559 3. The Musical Environment......Page 560 4. Musicians......Page 562 6. From the Scribe to the Acrobat......Page 563 7. The Experts......Page 565 8. The Role of Orpheus......Page 566 9. Respect for Humankind......Page 567 10. Orpheus in the Underworld......Page 568 11. A Spiritual Technique......Page 569 12. The Meaning of Words......Page 571 13. The Language of Things......Page 572 Penultimate Chapter: In Search of Music Itself......Page 575 Anamorphoses between Music and Acoustics......Page 577 Return to the Object and the Musical Endeavor......Page 580 The Four Listening Modes......Page 584 Beyond the Mark, Short of the Mark......Page 587 The Musical Relationship......Page 589 Back-to-Front Music......Page 593 The Composer's Noise......Page 596 Typology of Contemporary Musics......Page 597 An Undesirable Teaching Method......Page 599 The Three Levels of the Score......Page 601 Music as Will or Representation......Page 603 The Target......Page 604 Postscript......Page 606 B......Page 608 D......Page 609 H......Page 610 M......Page 611 S......Page 612 V......Page 613 Z......Page 614 Book one. Making music. The instrumental prerequisite ; Playing an instrument ; Capturing sounds ; Acousmatics Book two. Hearing. "What can be heard" ; The four listening modes ; Scientific prejudice ; The hearing intention Book three. Correlations between the physical signal and the musical object. Ambiguities in musical acoustics ; Correlation between spectra and pitches ; Thresholds and transients ; Temporal anamorphoses I: timbres and dynamics ; Temporal anamorphoses II: timbre and instrument ; Time and duration Book four. Objects and structures. Reduction to the object ; Perceptual structures ; Comparative structures: music and language ; The conventional musical system: musicality and sonority ; Natural sound structures: musicianly listening ; The reduced listening system: musical dualism ; Musical research Book five. Morphology and typology of sound objects. Morphology of sound objects ; The laboratory ; Typology of musical objects (I): classification criteria ; Typology of musical objects (II): balanced and redundant objects ; Typology of musical objects (III): eccentric sounds ; Working at our instrument Book six. Theory of musical objects. Musical experience ; Generalizing music theory ; Theory of homogeneous sounds: criterion of mass ; Theory of fixed masses: dynamic criterion ; Theory of sustainment ; Theory of variations ; Analysis of the musical object as it generally appears Book seven. Music as a discipline. Implementation ; The meaning of music Penultimate chapter : in search of music itself Postscript. Book one. Making music. The instrumental prerequisite ; Playing an instrument ; Capturing sounds ; Acousmatics -- Book two. Hearing. "What can be heard" ; The four listening modes ; Scientific prejudice ; The hearing intention -- Book three. Correlations between the physical signal and the musical object. Ambiguities in musical acoustics ; Correlation between spectra and pitches ; Thresholds and transients ; Temporal anamorphoses I: timbres and dynamics ; Temporal anamorphoses II: timbre and instrument ; Time and duration -- Book four. Objects and structures. Reduction to the object ; Perceptual structures ; Comparative structures: music and language ; The conventional musical system: musicality and sonority ; Natural sound structures: musicianly listening ; The reduced listening system: musical dualism ; Musical research ; Morphology of sound objects ; The laboratory ; Typology of musical objects (I): classification criteria ; Typology (II): balanced and redundant objects ; Typology (III): eccentric sounds ; Working at our instrument -- Book six. Theory of musical objects. Musical experience ; Generalising music theory ; Theory of homogeneous sounds: criterion of mass ; Theory of fixed masses: dynamic criterion ; Theory of sustainment ; Theory of variations ; Analysis of the musical object as it generally appears ; Implementation ; The meaning of music -- Penultimate chapter : in search of music itself -- Post-script The Treatise on Musical Objects is regarded as Pierre Schaeffer’s most important work on music and its relationship with technology. Schaeffer expands his earlier research in musique concrète to suggest a methodology of working with sounds based on his experiences in radio broadcasting and the recording studio. Drawing on acoustics, physics, and physiology, but also on philosophy and the relationship between subject and object, Schaeffer’s essay summarizes his theoretical and practical work in music composition. Translators Christine North and John Dack present an important book in the history of ideas in Europe that will resonate far beyond electroacoustic music. "The Treatise on musical objects by Pierre Schaeffer is regarded as his most important work on music and its relationship with technology. Schaeffer refers to his earlier research in musique concrète and expands this to suggest a methodology of working with sounds resulting from the recording process. Drawing on acoustics, physics, and physiology, but also philosophy and the relationship between subject and object, Schaeffer's book summarizes his theoretical and practical work in music composition. North and Dack present an important book in the history of ideas in Europe that will resonate far beyond electroacoustic music."--Provided by publisher.