artistic creation and scientific research (in english)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 1 of 25

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research(rel.2166f66)

Nicola Bernardinin.bernardini@conservatoriosantacecilia.it

Conservatorio di Musica “S.Cecilia” – Roma

Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan StockholmINTERAKTIONER 2015

Copyright c© 2015 Nicola Bernardini <n.bernardini@conservatoriosantacecilia.it>This work comes under the terms of theCreative Commons c© BY-SA 2.5 license

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 2 of 25

However much the growth of theorchestra has been the toy ofcircumstances, conditions, or themechanical or technicaldevelopment of instruments, thereal driving force behind suchevolution is after all the insistentlygrowing demand of musical art forfit means of expression.

Adam Carse,The History of Orchestration,

p.7 (1925)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 3 of 25

The relationship between Music andScientific/Technological Innovation

Commonplace: it is technology innovation that pushes theboundaries of musical expression

This is only partly true

In fact, two processes take place:1 Musicians use technological innovation once it is a robust

and solid reality and, all in all, not in a particularlyinnovative way

2 Musicians continuously express requests to technology(and – ultimately – to science) to be able to reach theirown expressive and aesthetic objectives

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 4 of 25

Innovation ⇒ Music

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 5 of 25

Luciano Berio – THEMA – Omaggio a Joyce (1958)

Blblblblooming:

A faster loop (higher note)A faster loop (lower note)A normal loop (nominal pitch)

Result:

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 6 of 25

Luigi Nono – Post–Prae Ludium per Donau (1987) (1)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 7 of 25

Luigi Nono – Post–Prae Ludium per Donau (1987) (2)

ReverbHall 5"

Delay5"

Delay5"

Delay7"

Delay10"

Delay15"

Figure: Post–Prae Ludium per Donau, performance schema byAlvise Vidolin

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 8 of 25

Music ⇒ Innovation

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 9 of 25

A classical example of innovation stimulus

Richard Wagner, back to Germany

after his exile in 1861, settles in

Biebrich where Wilhelm Heckel,

the bassoon builder, lives. The

close relationship between

composer and instrument maker

will generate the Heckelphon

(which will be used later on by

Strauss in his Salome) and a

considerable improvement of the

contrabassoon (which will be used

in Parsifal).

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 10 of 25

Berio, Di Giugno and the 4X

Berio invites at IRCAM the physicistGiuseppe Di Giugno asking him, in1976, a “synthesizer with 1000oscillators”. Such synthesizer (named4X) is finally ready in 1981. In themeantime, Berio is gone. However,the 4X will then be used in countlessmusic productions and will be finallyindustrialized by the aviation industryfor the sound simulation of Airbusjets.

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 11 of 25

Chowning and the Yamaha DX7

American composer John Chowninggenerates complex sounds by meansof frequency modulation techniquesin ’67–’68 to compose his own works.This technique will be applied lateron in the commercial synthesizerYamaha DX7 which will revolutionizethe electronic music instrumentmarket at the beginning of the ’80es.

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 12 of 25

Expressive spatializazion (1)

In 2002, italian composer Adriano Guarnieriasked a more expressive spatial rendering ofa trombone quartet within the performanceof his opera Medea. The problem wasstudied within the Centro di SonologiaComputazionale of the University of Padovaand an “expressive spatialization system”,unique in its genre, was created.

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 13 of 25

Expressive spatialization (2)

Figure: Medea’s “expressive spatialization” system (Amalia deGotzen)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 14 of 25

Some examples of problems that are still open. . .

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 15 of 25

Berio and Morphing

Berio was fascinated by the idea oftimbral morphing between oneinstrument and another

Failed experiment: Chemins V in 1980(withdrawn afterwards)

Better success: the introduction ofOfanim in 1989

Research continues on this topic. . .

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 16 of 25

The scores of Adriano Guarnieri (1)

There are many “open issues”. . .

. . . a good example is provided by thescores of Adriano Guarnieri

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 17 of 25

The scores of Adriano Guarnieri (2)

Figure: Passione secondo Matteo, Adriano Guarnieri (letter M)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 18 of 25

(The analysis of Heinrich Schenker)

Figure: Schenker – Analysis of the F Major Etude by FryderykChopin op.10 n.8

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 19 of 25

Giacinto Scelsi’s tapes (1)

Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi(1905–1988) used magnetic recordingsas “sketchbooks” for hiscompositions. . .

To be able to understand hiscompositional trajectories provides aformidable challenge in the data miningfield

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 20 of 25

Giacinto Scelsi’s tapes (2)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 21 of 25

Music Creation and Scientific Research – Problems

Music responds to aesthetic imperatives, while scienceresponds to rational categories

Generally, music is subject to pressing final deadlines,while research cannot, intrisically, guarantee its results

A composer is (generally) an autarchic figure, whileresearch is based on cooperation and sharing of results

Every contemporary musical language is stronglycharacterized and specific, while research must adoptuniversally recognized terminologies and notation

. . .

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 22 of 25

Parallel Tracks, Environments e Middlemen

Music Composition and Scientific Research cannot andmust not depend strictly on each other: they must traveltogether on parallel tracks and occasionally go out of sync

The perfect setting for a meeting is not the conventionallab: it should be a mix between a lab, a studio, and alounge

It is a setting in which culture is created rather thanentertainement

Sometimes the meeting between composers and scientiststakes place with the help of middlemen – which“orchestrate” the actual meeting acting as translators

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 23 of 25

How do we get to Scientific and TechnologicalInnovation? (1)

The journey from Music Creation to TechnologicalInnovation is still largely unexplored (implicit information)

Industry and economy should be concerned with theunderstanding of processes and modalities that may boostthe quality of innovation (not just incremental innovation,that is)

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 24 of 25

How do we get to Scientific and TechnologicalInnovation? (2)

living labs which cobble music and research togethershould be widely experimented

conferences, symposia et al. where musicians mingle withscientists should be completely refactored

these “mixed” communities provide a nice investigationdomain for modern ethnography

Introduction

Innovation⇒ Music

Berio – THEMA

Nono – Donau

Music⇒ Innovation

Classics

4X

DX7

Spatialization

Open Problems

How

Problems

Solutions

Artistic Creation and Scientific Research KTH Stockholm, 14/12/2015 25 of 25

THE END

Thank you.