-
MENC: The National Association for Music Education
Performing with Tape: Music for Clarinet and
ElectronicsAuthor(s): F. Gerard ErranteSource: Music Educators
Journal, Vol. 72, No. 3 (Nov., 1985), pp. 49-51+60+63-69Published
by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of MENC: The National
Association for Music EducationStable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3400538 .Accessed: 22/09/2013 15:28
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the
Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
.http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars,
researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information
technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new
formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please
contact [email protected].
.
Sage Publications, Inc. and MENC: The National Association for
Music Education are collaborating withJSTOR to digitize, preserve
and extend access to Music Educators Journal.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sagehttp://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=menchttp://www.jstor.org/stable/3400538?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
y the end of World War II, the tape recorder had developed to a
degree that composers in France began creating compositions
containing exciting new timbres. These were
produced by a variety of rather simple tech- niques: alteration
of tape speed, addition of reverberation, filtering, F. Gerard
Errante, professor of music at Norfolk State University, Norfolk,
Virginia, is a past-president of ClariNetworks InterNa- tional and
an internationally known recitalist. This article was made possible
by a grant from the National Endowment for the Hu- manities to
attend a seminar on "Music and Technology" at Dartmouth College,
Hano- ver, New Hampshire, during the summer of 1984. It is adapted
from an article being serialized in ClariNetwork, beginning with
the Fall 1984 issue. Photographs are courte- sy of Reynold
Weidenaar; works pictured are published by Magnetic Music, 5 Jones
Street #4, New York 10014.
mixing of sonorities, and splicing. As important as the new
timbral resources was the rhythmic control made possible by this
new medium. The composer, with a ruler and splicing block, could
piece together passages of great rhythmic complexity that would be
absolutely accurate with every "performance." This leads to another
fundamental principle of tape music: without an intermedi- ary
performer, the composer is in direct contact with the listener.
As
Elliott Schwartz has observed, "A composer in a tape studio can,
if he wishes, stand in the same relation- ship to the stuff of his
art as the painter or sculptor, molding and shaping his material
into a finished product."
To be sure, this was an exciting prospect to many composers ...
but among performers there was great concern. In 1960, Elliott
Carter, dis- cussing the issue of electronic mu- sic doing away
with the performer, wrote, "electronic music ... allows boundless
technical and imagina- tive freedom and eliminates a very costly
element in music making."2 1. Schwartz, Electronic Music. A
Listener's Guide, revised edition (New York: Praeger, 1975), 8--9.
2. Elliott Carter and Vladimir Ussachevsky, "Reel vs. Real,"
American Symphony Orchestra League Newsletter 2, no. 5-6, 1960,
8.
MEJ/November '85 49
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
t There followed a period of ex- !travagant claims by proponents
of the new electronic medium and de- fensive cries from detractors
that "technique was strangling and dehumanizing art." In
retrospect, the period from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s saw
many naive and amusing charges and counter- charges as to the
validity of the medium. The American Federation of Musicians was
naturally con- cerned about the apparent threat to the live
performer. Articles such as "How's Petrillo Gonna Collect AFM Dues
from RCA's Electronic Toot- er?" appeared in the trade paper
Variety. 3
The medium as master As it turned out, the "infinite pos-
sibilities" promised by adherents of electronic music have not
yet ar- rived, even in today's era of sophis- ticated technology.
One of the seri- ous questions, still very much a concern today, is
who is in control: How much influence does the tech- nology have
over the art? When one hears a piece of music in this medi- um, one
often is inclined to ques- tion whether the composer was controlled
by the technology avail- able to him or whether he was able to
integrate the technology into his own aesthetic and thereby shape a
meaningful work of art.
There continue to be constant advances in technology, creating
in- creasingly sophisticated means of producing absolutely any
sound imaginable. Ironically, this creates a difficult situation,
since it is rare to find a creative composer who also possesses the
background and ex- pertise to plumb the depths of the latest
technology. As Jon Appleton and Lars-Gunnar Bodin recently have
written, regarding the preoc- cupation with technological ad-
vances, there is a "lack of time to do more than the most
superficial work since no sooner has one piece of equipment been
delivered than the next is already on the drawing board."4
3. Variety 197, 2 February 1955, 55. 4. "Disposable Music:
Observations Concerning 'Aesthetics' of Electroacoustic Music as
Viewed by Composers vs. Listeners," unpublished paper, 7 June 1984,
2.
Since one of the most appealing aspects of electro-acoustic
music is the supposed direct contact be- tween composer and
listener, it is no wonder that performers some- times feel
threatened by and hostile to this medium. In the early days of
electronic music, performers feared they would be put out of work,
much in the same way that many musicians lost their jobs with the
advent of the film sound track in the late 1920s. (Today,
especially in commercial music, this remains a very real threat.)
Even composers are not immune from concern for their usefulness;
John Eaton, in speaking about the Synket synthe- sizer, wrote, "one
real danger of the Synket is that it sometimes writes its own music
so beautifully that a composer is led to wonder if he is really
necessary."5
It is unusual, however, for com- posers to be so candid and
ego-less. The main concern remains whether the performer is
outmoded, given the extent of recent technological advances. Samuel
Pellman, in his excellent thesis on the performance of electronic
music, speaks in de- fense of the performer. He says, while it is
true "the performer may be technically or intellectually inca-
pable of realizing the composer's wishes," there are subtleties
that arise from the human performance of music that often do not
emerge from tape. Pellman goes on to say, "many composers have
objected to the possibility of deviations engen- dered by a
performer's exercise of his interpretive liberties, or to the risk
of having their ideas grossly distorted by an inept performer. Some
of these composers have seized upon electronic music be- cause they
feel that by putting the sound on tape themselves, they can bypass
that third party, the per- former."6
In fact, what happens at this point is that the composer becomes
performer and, as Edward Cone has pointed out, the composer may
not
5. "A Portable Electronic Instrument." Music Jour- nal 24, 1966,
54-56 6. "An Overview of Current Practices Regarding the
Performance of Electronic Music," master's thesis, Cornell
University, 1978, 42.
always be the best performer of his own music:
Composers may on occasion prove to be the best performers of
their own music, but it is by no means logically necessary that
they always must be.... Because of their intimate association with
their own works, composers often fail to appreciate the way these
will sound to those less familiar with them; hence they are by no
means ideal judges of performances of these works-whether by others
or by them- selves. Their own performances, for ex- ample, may
understate points that need to be emphasized for the sake of the
listener, while devoting great care to subtleties that may not
really be heard. Such a performance may teach a lot to one who
already knows the composi- tion well; but in the case of electronic
music it is the only performance of a work for which there is often
not even a readable score.7
There is no end to this argument. On one hand, technology may
give the composer total control of his musical material, to the
extent he can master his equipment. Theoreti- cally a "perfect"
performance of a composition can be realized. Fur- thermore, this
composition can contain timbres impossible to pro- duce by any
other means, and the level of complexity can be enor- mous. On the
other hand, the ab- sence of a performer presents cer- tain
difficulties and drawbacks, es- pecially in a concert setting.
Jon Appleton, writing in a recent issue of Computer Music
Journal, has stated, "It has always been the opinion of this author
that the limit- ed public comprehension of elec- troacoustic music
was due in part to the absence of performers." He continues, "even
the cognoscenti seem restless at tape music con- certs these
days."8 There seems to be little doubt that the "sense of occasion"
of attending a concert demands interaction with a live per- former.
If even the cognoscenti seem restless, perhaps it is because the
excitement of being present at an event as it is unfolding, of
sens-
7. Musical Form and Musical Performance (New York: W W Norton,
1968), 36. 8. "Live and in Concert: Composer/Performer Views of
Real-Time Performance Systems." Com- puter Music Journal 8, no. 1,
1984, 48-51.
50 MEJ/November '85
T-
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
ing the "tenseness of the artist as he establishes communication
with his public,"9 is lacking from a taped concert. As Elliott
Schwartz has observed:
What would concert-going be without "mistakes," deviations, and
variations from evening to evening? It is intrinsic to the notion
of public spectacle that we observe the human animal, singular or
plural, confronted with overwhelm- ing challenges and meeting these
with varying degrees of success.10
Matching ear to eye In addition to the sense of imme-
diacy of a live performance, the visual aspect is of great
signifi- cance. For many listeners, the asso- ciation of sound with
gesture is important. In pure tape music, in- stead of a solo
performer or ensem- ble, the listener sees "motionless speaker
baffles and a tape machine which runs the tape through with a
continuous, efficient, and undiffer- entiated precision, regardless
of whether the music is turbulent or tranquil, chaotic or
meditative."" This incongruity between what is seen and what is
heard presents difficulty for many listeners.
Tape music, then, is perhaps not best suited for the concert
hall and may be better presented by phono- graph recordings or
tapes played in the home. The problem inherent with recordings-and,
of course, with all tape music-is that it is fixed and never
varies. Roger Ses- sions has said:
We can listen to a recording and derive a maximum of pleasure
from it just as long as it remains to a degree unfamil- iar. It
ceases to have interest for us, however, the instant we become
aware of the fact of literal repetition of me- chanical
reproduction-when we know and can anticipate exactly how long a
given fermata is to be held, exactly what quality of accent or
articulation, of acceleration or retard, will occur at a given
moment. When the music ceases to be fresh for us in this sense, it
ceases to be alive, and we can say in the most real sense it ceases
to be music.'2
9. Jack Bornoff, Music and the Twentieth Century Media,
(Florence: Leo. S. Olschki, 1972), 89. 10. Schwartz, 156. 11.
Pellman, 70. 12. The Musical Experience of Composer, Per- former,
Listener, (Princeton, New Jersey: Prince- ton University Press,
1950) 70-71.
ithout an intermediary performer, the composer is in direct
contact
Perhaps Sessions is overstating the case here, and some
observers have pointed to the fact that a painting or a piece of
sculpture never varies yet retains its vitality. Nevertheless, it
currently appears to be the feeling of most observers that the
presence of a live perform- er or performers in a concert set-
(Continued on page 60)
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Charles H. Webb, Dean
Where Teaching is a Performing Art
offering
Graduate and undergraduate programs in Music Education
Internationally renowned faculty in all performance areas
Extensive performance opportunities, including band, orchestral
and choral
An unparalleled combination of academic excellence and applied
music studies
Study leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Artist's Diploma
Scholarships and Assistantships available
For further infor- mation, contact:
Charles H. Webb, Dean
School of Music Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405
I. Opera Theater production of Carmen
IU Opera Theater production of Carmen
TAKE YOUR PICK! X CD9 * * * * *
HOHNER Y) IU S YAMAHA A quality recorder program begins with
quality instruments, and at West Music, you can choose from the
best.
HOHNER 9509 (one piece recorder with plastic bag and swab)
............................... $2.35
YAMAHA 24BA (three piece recorder with plastic bag
...................................... $3.20
AULOS 803S (one piece recorder with plastic bag and rod)
................... .. ............ ... $2.50
AULOS 103J (two piece recorder with plastic bag and rod)
...................................... $3.50
At West Music we offeryou the best in recorders and methods -
name brands whose quality and peformance are proven in schools
throughout the country. We offer excellent school discount prices,
and fast dependable service.
\] USlr mcompany J ~~I \^\?PO Box 5521 Coralville, Iowa
52241
(319) 351-0482
1
PERFORMING WITH TAPE (Continued from page 51)
ting is preferable to a setting in which only electronic devices
are present. Music is an art existing in time, and a live performer
can best unfold, manipulate, and decorate that time.
Electronics and the clarinet In the past several decades,
clari-
net repertoire has increased enor- mously. Many pieces have been
written, especially for solo clarinet, that explore the wide range
of tim- bral effects developed in the late 1950s and 1960s. This
interest in timbre is due in large measure to the explorations
taking place in the area of electronic music. Compos- ers, hearing
the rich new sounds emanating from various electronic studios
around the world, began to look to conventional instruments for
similar effects. Often, they en- countered cooperative performers
desiring to try something new, and the collaboration led to
exciting discoveries. Another development was the return of the
composer- performer, which had been the rule until the late
nineteenth century. And so a number of performers began writing
pieces as vehicles for themselves, while composers pol- ished their
performing skills so they could play their own works.
The clarinet is particularly well suited for this sort of
experimenta- tion. It is an instrument of great range, capable of
subtle dynamic nuances throughout its entire regis- ter. Its
flexibility allows for a wide variety of effects, including all
man- ner of multiple sonorities, micro- tones, timbre trills, air
sounds, per- cussive sounds, and the like.
At the same time so many works for solo clarinet were being
written, the world of electronic music was expanding rapidly. The
develop- ment of the tape recorder, synthe- sizer, and computer
took place in rapid succession, leading to the cre- ation of an
enormous body of litera- ture. These tape pieces were in vogue
about twenty-five years ago, but interest waned as it became
apparent that the live performer was still an important, if not
essen- tial, ingredient in satisfying the needs of the
concert-going public. This desire for live performance led to the
development of a genre of
(Continued on page 63)
60 MEJ/November '85
I L I I _ 111 _ I I i ? I I I I I 0
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
PERFORMING WITH TAPE (Continued from page 60)
works for live performer and elec- tronics. The electronics can
take the form of prerecorded tape or, as has recently become more
com- mon, live modification of the sound. The latter is often
referred to as electronics in "real time."
Humanizing the tape deck The combination of live perform-
er with electronic tape seems to be a happy union of resources.
The audience can respond to an individ- ual "making it happen," and
a sense of spontaneity is restored. Further- more, all the
resources of the ever- expanding world of electro-acous- tic music
are available.
The medium is not without its problems, however, and the great
piece for clarinet with electronics has yet to be written. Often
there is a lack of coordination between the live and tape parts.
This may result in what seems to be a conventional clarinet piece
with electronic sound effects in the background. There are notable
exceptions; David Olan's Composition for Clarinet and Tape, Oily
Wilson's Echoes, and the opening section of Roger Han- nay's Pied
Piper are examples of successful integration of live clari- net and
electronic tape parts.
Another means of integrating the clarinet with tape is the
so-called "live-ensemble" piece. This in- volves the recording of
one or more tracks by the performer prior to the performance.
During the concert, the performer performs live against his
recorded background. As Samu- el Pellman points out, "this situa-
tion exploits one of the most idiom- atic features of the tape
recorder- its ability to bring the Past into the Present, and the
resultant juxtapo- sition can be a fertile source of compositional
ideas."13
Elliott Schwartz, in describing this type of composition, says:
"Electronic" parts don't necessarily have to be synthesized or even
proc- essed from natural sources.... using....the live performer
and the tape together (the composer can) create an aura, an
ambience, that neither could accomplish separately....It enables us
to hear the sound of one soloist magni- fied many times, playing in
ensemble with himself, being heard from as many spots in the hall
as there are loud-
13. Pellman, 114.
CONCERT VIDEOS by Reynold Weidenaar
Love of Line, of Light and Shadow: The Brooklyn Bridge (1982)
for Clarinet, Color Video, and Electronic Sound (11 min.)
Grand Prize, Tokyo Video Festival, 1983
Night Flame Ritual (1983) for Clarinet, Pitch Transposer,
Digital Delay, Color/B&W Video, and Electronic Sound (6
min.)
Golden Athena Award, Athens Video Fesitval, 1984
The Stillness (1983) for Alto Saxophone, Color Video, and
Electronic Sound (13 min.)
Gold Award, Philadelphia Film Festival, 1985 Each work $65
complete, plus $4 shipping. Specify 3/4" or VHS HiFi Cassette. N.Y.
State residents add sales tax.
Send for further information and prices:
Magnetic Music Publishing Co. (ASCAP) 5 Jones St. #4, New York,
N.Y. 10014 (212) 255-8527
r
I
You will recognize this kid... He (or she) is an outstanding
player. He is also a whiz at math and science.
He will probably not choose music as a career... and you
hesitate to push the issue.
There is a solution: Consider the Bachelor of Recording Arts and
Sciences
Degree at The Peabody Conservatory. He will earn a Bachelor of
Music at Peabody. He will study Electrical Engineering at The Johns
Hopkins University. Both will support an intensive program of
recording theory and
hands-on experience with up-to-the-minute facilities. When he
(or she) graduates, he will be at home wherever technology is used
to create, support, or preserve music.
p
The Bachelor of Music in Recording Arts and Sciences
For further information, contact: OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
One East Mt. Vernon Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Telephone 800/368-2521 Toll Free 301/659-8110 in Maryland
I
MEJ/November '85 63
--l-
s _ _~~~~~~~~~nomt.
q
7
I
I
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
PERFORMING WITH TAPE
T op American prize winner at the Tchaikovsky Competi-, tion in
Moscow, Stephanie ~E
Chase is a member of the ' L dynamic artist faculty of the
Bos-
! ,
ton Conservatory where her stu- dents are the real winners.
STEPHANIE CHASE, Violini The Boston Conservatory
MUSIC o DANCE o THEATER 8 THE FENWAY BOSTON MA 02215
(617)-536-6340 Contact the office of admissions for a free
prospectus.
speakers. Or we can hear the past re- captured, a passage
previously played live now "echoed" over the sound sys- tem against
something new.14
Successful examples of this type of composition for clarinet and
self- prepared tape are For Lady Day by Edward Diements (for any
instru- ment and tape), Phoenix-Wind by Joseph Kasinskas, and
Soundspells No. 6 by Meyer Kupferman.
There are further advantages to the combination of live
instrument and tape. Economic factors, unfor- tunately always a
consideration, come into play. It is certainly less expensive to
present a concert, for example, for clarinet and tape than it is to
present one for clarinet and piano. And there are no worries about
dealing with an accompanist who hasn't learned the part or is
reluctant to rehearse.
The recorded juggernaut On the other hand, there are obvi-
ous disadvantages. Since the tape part is fixed, there is no
true inter- action between the live performer and the electronic
portion. Obvi- ously, the tape cannot bend and shape phrases or
participate in a contest or struggle in any way. But a creative
composer can work with this dichotomy. A notable example is Jacob
Druckman's Animus III, where the clarinetist is finally driv- en
from the stage after battling with the speakers throughout the com-
position. On the other hand, the clarinetist is victorious in Tom
Johnson's For Clarinet and Tape (adapted by this author from For
Piano and Tape), as he cuts the speaker's cord at the end of the
work.
Since there is no variance in the electronic portion,
coordination with the tape on the part of the soloist is crucial.
There is no stan- dard notation of electronic mu- sic... nor is
there likely to be one, given the enormous variety in the medium
and the vagaries of the composers working within it. How- ever,
several standard practices for coordinating the live instrument
with tape have emerged. One is a time line, so that by using a
stop-
14. Schwartz, 114-115.
64 MEJ/November '85
St
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
watch the performer can coordi- nate events precisely with the
tape. One of the drawbacks of this meth- od is the slight variance
in speed from tape recorder to tape record- er; it is not uncommon
to be several seconds off by the end of even a short work. This can
be catastroph- ic if precise synchronization is re- quired. The
best solution seems to be a time line in conjunction with some sort
of notation for the tape portion. Depending on the nature of the
electronic sounds, this notation can be conventionally or
graphical- ly represented.
Michael Horvit's Antiphon II is an example of a work that uses
both graphic and conventional no- tation. While it does not employ
a time line, timings are given for some individual sections.
Several hearings of the tape with a score will be sufficient to
familiarize the performer with the simple graphics employed.
Perhaps the best exam- ple of a composition using carefully
conceived graphic notation is Ger- ald Plain's Showers of
Blessings.
Some compositions use a variety of devices to assist the
performer in coordinating with the tape. For ex- ample, Olly
Wilson's Echoes em- ploys a time line along with both conventional
and some graphic no- tation of the tape part. Should a time line be
used, it is best that it be continuous throughout the piece. Echoes
uses a time line, with a few exceptions, of fifteen seconds for
each line of score. Since each line begins on one and goes to
fifteen, it becomes confusing if the player is using a stopwatch.
It would be sim- pler to mark line two "16-30 sec- onds," the third
"31-45 seconds," and so forth, instead of "1-15" for each line. In
this work, however, the tape part is notated so clearly that after
a number of practice ses- sions the stopwatch should not be
necessary.
The only constant about the prac- tice of indicating the
coordination of live and electronic portion is that there is no
consistency. Composi- tions such as Vladimir Ussa- chevsky's Four
Studies for Clari- net and Electronic Valved Instru- ment are in
effect duets for clarinet and a monophonic line on tape and thereby
notated as any standard duet would be; Stephen Dembski's Digit is
notated much in the same manner. David Olan's Composition for
Clarinet and Tape, though us-
/
Send check or mrontey order to:
PDT P() Box 1068 Cathedral Statio)n New Y)ork, NY 1QQ)R
The Musician's
Practice Log B by Burton Kaplan
*A completely new way to increase your practice
effectiveness.
*Makes your practicing pay off!
----_-----------------------------------
Please send me copies of The Musician's Practice Log at $6.95
each. Shipping and handling: $2.00 for the first book and $.50 for
each additional book. (NY residents add local sales tax.)
Name
_ Address
l City State Zip School Affiliation
MEJ 1185
MEJ/November '85 65
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
Are you planning a tour? Call the professionals...
Exchanges * Study Tours Homestay Programs ' Concert Touring *
Festivals
18th Christmas Festival of Choirs (Bethlehem, Israel)
14th Harrogate International Youth Music Festival 8th Shrewsbury
International Music Festival
Bristol International Music Week Festivale Musicale di Roma
Gospelfest at Norfolk, Virginia
Concertword Ltd. 25 South Riverside PO Box 388 Croton-on-Hudson,
NY 10520 Telephone (914) 271-9051 Telex 9965 10
Concertworld (UK) Ltd. 180 High Street
Beckenham, Kent BR31 EW England
Telephone 01-658-0121 Telex 897286 CWORLD
II
HARTIT: AUDITIONS 1985-1986 Audition Schedule: Undergraduate
Talent Scholarships, Graduate Assistantships
* On Campus: November 9 January 18 January 25 February 3
* Off Campus: January 9-1 1 February 17 February 18 February 20
February 22 February 25 February 26 February 27
March 17
February 15 March 1 March 8 April 5
All State Convention, Tampa FL \ Buffalo Convention Ctr. Buffalo
NY Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. Settlement Music School,
Philadelphia, PA Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY Heinz Hall,
Pittsburgh, PA Music School Settlement, Cleveland, OH Interlochen
Arts Academy, Interlochen, MI Classical Symphony Orchestra
Rehearsal Hall, Chicago, IL
James Jacobs, Director of Admissions, Hartt School of Music
University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT. 061 7, 203/243 -
4465
UNIVERSrTY o A MhAw FHFARTmORD School of Music
PERFORMING WITH TAPE
ing an involved electronic score re- alized at the
Columbia-Princeton studio, is pitch-oriented. Therefore the
notation of the electronics can be indicated as precise pitches,
and coordination is critical. On the oth- er hand, there are works
such as Fur Goethe by Jude Quintiere in which coordination with'
the tape is much less crucial, so rather vague instructions are
provided.
Real-time electronics One of the most exciting alterna-
tives to tape music, either by itself or in conjunction with a
live per- former, is what is usually referred to as
"live-electronics," or electron- ic sounds happening in "real
time," as opposed to those created in an electronic studio. (For an
overview of developments, see Gordon Mum- ma's "Live Electronic
Music" in The Development and Practice of Elec- tronic Music.)
Recent develop- ments in technology, along with the apparent
increased interest in see- ing live performers playing electro-
acoustic music, bode well for the future of this medium.
Two especially exciting additions to the live-electronic
clarinet reper- toire are Love of Line, of Light and Shadow: The
Brooklyn Bridge and Night Flame Ritual by Reynold Weidenaar. These
are works utiliz- ing live processing of the clarinet along with
computer-processed vid- eo. Night Flame Ritual was specifi- cally
designed to be performed with an MXR Delay System II and a pitch
transposer; Love of Line ... can be performed with any delay
system. The video, altered by the use of digital processing devices
including a Z-2 computer with a CAT-100 frame buffer, is stunning.
The audio portion has been processed by means of a Fairlight CMI, a
digital synthesizer designed for composing and performing. These
works cre- ate a powerful effect due in part to the relative
novelty of the medium. It is expected that other composers will
begin combining processed vid- eo with live performance. Here the
visual aspect of the presentation is brought to a maximum, but it
is important that these pieces can stand on their own as purely
aural experiences.
The demands of the technology in some pieces using live
electron-
66 MEJ/November '85
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
ics can become burdensome. Stock- hausen, in two of his
compositions for unspecified solo instrument, Solo and Spiral,
requires an enor- mous array of equipment. Anyone attempting these
works would need assistance from at least one techni- cian-Solo, in
fact, requires four assistants to perform. Less compli- cated is
Jonathan Kramer's Rena- scence, but his 1974 version of this piece
is still quite involved and re- quires a tape delay system and a
prerecorded tape, both operated by an assistant. Not every musician
has access to this equipment or to an assistant with the expertise
to run it, thereby making performance difficult. In 1977, Kramer
devised a method where this work can be performed as a straight
tape piece with the performer listening to a click track over
headphones.
Of works involving tape delay, Kramer's piece is one of the more
difficult. Simpler arrangements of two or three tape recorders that
record and then play back the live player are used on William O.
Smith's Soliloquy, Edward McGuire's Solo for Clarinet(s), and Paul
Steinberg's Micro-Electroecho. Elliot Schwartz' Dialogue No. 2 is
another interesting work requiring a self-prepared tape that is
altered during the course of the perform- ance. This requires an
assistant for performance, and the clarinetist will probably want
to use a good sound studio to prepare the tape.
One of the more involved pieces to use clarinet with live
electronics is Dodgson's Dream, by the Austra- lian composer Martin
Wesley- Smith. This work uses prerecorded tape, live processing of
the clarinet sound, and two slide projectors. The clarinet sound is
fed into a dissolve unit triggered by pitch- the Electrosonic ES 69
unit works on this principle-which in turn controls the projectors.
For the per- formance, the clarinetist, wearing white, stands in
front of a screen on which slides are projected. The clarinetist
controls the changing of the slides through what he plays- high
pitches trigger one projector, low pitches the other. It is
possible with some multiple sonorities to turn both slide
projectors on simul- taneously. This piece is a fine exam- ple of
technology combining with live performance to produce a co- hesive
whole.
Other notable compositions that
STOCKING STUFFERS FOR MUSIC LOVERS!
"So that's why they call it the glee club"
Notable Quotes Vol.111 o,os f2 4,t
Ask for them at any Waldenbooks or B. Dalton Booksellers
THREE hilarious paperbacks stuffed with musical laughs. 1.
NOTABLE QUOTES (Vol. 1) 2. ENCORE! (Vol. II) 3. AMUSING
ARRANGMENTS
(Vol. III) Only $5.95 ea + $1.50 postage & handling. Send
check, money order, VISA, or MasterCard with expiration date to:
RUBES PUBLICATIONS Dept. A 14447 Titus, Panorama City, CA 91402
Call or send for free catalog (818) 782-0800 Ca. residents add 6%
sales tax
SKIDMORE COLLEGE ANNOUNCES
THE FIFTH ANNUAL FILENE FOUNDATION MUSIC COMPETITION
The Lincoln and Therese W. Filene Founda- tion Music Competition
has been established
) at Skidmore College to provide gifted young musicians the
opportunity to further their musical talents through study within a
liberal arts college framework.
AWARDS: Four $20,000, 4-year scholar- ships; annual scholarship
award of $5,000.
ELIGIBILITY: The Competition is open to all prospective freshmen
vocalists and in- strumentalists who meet the criteria for ad-
mission to Skidmore College. Students are not required to major in
music.
~| (Tape deadline January 15)
For more information ask your guidance counselor, music
director, or write: Filene Competition, Admissions A, Skidmore
College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
I Phone: 518-584-5000 ext. 2604
Skidmore College does not permit illegal discrimination on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, age, national or
ethic origin in the admission of students.
MEJ/November '85 67
_ _l
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
PERFORMING WITH TAPE
Name Title
ISchool
Address
City State Zip
IPhone( - _ ,- _ --I -BKJJ I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - - _ __
use live electronics are Morton Su- botnick's Passages of the
Beast and Marilyn Shrude's Drifting Over a Red Place. Subotnick's
work uses a "ghost box," which must be rented from the publisher.
The clarinet sound is fed into this box, and a signal within the
box triggers vari- ous processing devices, thus avoid- ing the
necessity of an assistant. In Marilyn Shrude's piece, a dancer
dressed in white improvises in a performing space illuminated by a
series of slides of an abstract ex- pressionist painting by Ohio
artist Dorothy Linden. The clarinetist per- forms a series of
events that are then processed by a delay system. The nature of
this delay is left to the discretion of the performer. In re- cent
years the digital delay has be- gun to replace the somewhat cum-
bersome tape delay. With technolo- gy advancing so rapidly, much
equipment becomes obsolete rather quickly. At this writing, the MXR
Delay System II has proven to be an excellent piece of equipment,
espe- cially for live performance. It has a maximum 3.2 second
delay and very clean sound reproduction far superior to tape delay
using two tape recorders. It is easy to operate and involves
virtually no set-up time.
Compositions involving live elec- tronics are limited only by
the imagination and energy of their cre- ators. Often presentations
of these works take on the aura of a "hap- pening" and can only be
produced by an involved collaborative effort. An example of this
type of presen- tation using clarinet in a solo capac- ity was an
event coordinated in 1979 by Wesley-Smith to commem- orate the
hundredth anniversary of a national park in New South Wales,
Australia. This outdoor pre- sentation involved film, slides,
dancers, mimes, puppets, scuba div- ers, solo clarinetist, an
instrumental ensemble, and a variety of synthe- sizers. It was a
joy to be part of such a unique experience and hear the processed
clarinet sound pro- jected across the Australian bush. Live
electronics, albeit usually on a smaller scale, appears to be a
major direction of electro-acoustic music.
Working with electronics It is apparent that the extrava-
68 MEJ/November '85
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
-
gant claims made for electronic mu- sic in its early years were
exagger- ated. The infinite possibilities promised in the early
1950s never really materialized. Perhaps this will always be the
case, but we now appear to be on the threshold of a new era of
increasingly sophisticat- ed technological advances. The ability of
digital synthesis to pro- duce amazing sounds is already with us,
and future advancements will no doubt proceed at a rapid rate.
While this technology may supplant the live performer in re-
corded, commercial music, it is un- likely to do so in a concert
setting.
If more electro-acoustic works were performed, an air of excite-
ment and adventure could return to what often have become dull and
predictable recitals. This will help create a more informed
audience. Without either alienating or cod- dling audiences, it
should be possi- ble, with performers, composers, and technicians
working together, to revitalize and coalesce what ap- pears to be a
rather fragmented and occasionally apathetic music pub- lic. A
creative fusion of art and technology could possibly lead the way
to making music a vital force in the lives of all of us. As
computer music specialist John Chowning has said, we now have a
"window on the infinite." By working togeth- er we can help make
that window an open door.
Selected readings Ernst, David. The Evolution of Electronic
Music. New York: Schirmer, 1977. Griffiths, Paul. A Guide to
Electronic Music.
New York: Thames and Hudson, 1979. Mumma, Gordon.
"Live-Electronic Music." In
The Development and Practice of Elec- tronic Music, edited by
Jon H. Appleton and Ronald C. Perara. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, 1975, 286-335.
Neubert, David. "Electronic Bowed String Works: Some
Observations on Trends and Developments in the Instrumental/Elec-
tronic Medium." Perspectives of New Mu- sic, Fall-Winter 1982,
Spring-Summer 1983, 540-566.
Schrader, Barry. Introduction to Electro- Acoustic Music,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Ai
Editor's note: A listing of over one hundred compositions for
clarinet and electronics, either recorded or real time, is
available from the au- thor at 4116 Gosnold Avenue, Nor- folk,
Virginia 23508. Please enclose $1.50 to cover copying and postage
costs.
Announcing . . .
THREE IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS
encompassing the music of
-* ThWilliam Grant Still "Still is one of our greatest
American
composers. -LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI
? A new compelling biography- IN ONE LIFETIME by Verna Arvey,
University of- Arkansas Press, 1984.
? The premiere recording of Still's "Third Symphony" the "Sunday
Symphony" (1958), and selected chamber works Maestro Carton Woods
conducting the North Arkansas Symphony. 12" stereo.
* Glendale Records' new historical document, "William Grant
Still Conducts William Grant Still." The composer's performance of
the brilliant "Lenox Avenue" suite, and excerpts from the "Symphony
in G-Minor." A 12" long-playing record of previously unreleased
performances from 1937 and 1940.
ORDER FORM (Mail check or money order to William Grant Still
Music,
26892 Preciados Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691-9107). ITEM COST
POST. & HANDL. TOTAL
Book. In One Lifetime, hardbound first edition S20.00 $3.00
Record. Third Symphony and selected works S 9.00 $1.50
Record, William Grant Still Conducts . 9.00 $150
All three items together S35.00 $4 00
Purchase Total
PLEASE PRINT
Calif. Residents add 6% Tax:
Amount Enclosed:
NAME:
ADDRESS:
ZIP (Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery)
MEJ/November '85 69
II L - L
This content downloaded from 216.87.207.2 on Sun, 22 Sep 2013
15:28:05 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
Article Contentsp. 49p. 50p. [51]p. 60p. 63p. 64p. 65p. 66p.
67p. 68p. 69
Issue Table of ContentsMusic Educators Journal, Vol. 72, No. 3
(Nov., 1985), pp. 1-80Front Matter [pp. 1-44]Overtones [pp. 4]News
Brief [pp. 6-7]Bulletin Board [pp. 10-11+13]Floppy
DiscographyReview: untitled [pp. 14-17]
Market Space [pp. 19]Applying Learning Theory to Musical
Development: Piaget and Beyond [pp. 22-27]Bob Dorough: Academic
Hipster Mixes Math and Music [pp. 28-30]Make Mainstreaming Work
[pp. 31-32]Point of View: Should Elementary Choruses Be Select or
Nonselect? [pp. 33-36+45-48]Performing with Tape: Music for
Clarinet and Electronics [pp. 49-51+60+63-69]How to Keep Your
Upright Sounding Grand [pp. 52-56]MIOSM '86-Sooner than You Think
[pp. 57-59]Book ReviewReview: untitled [pp. 70]
Book Browsing [pp. 71-75]The Last World [pp. 80+79]Back Matter
[pp. 61-78]