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Richard Hoadley 2007-15

v0.5

Notation as Art

"A musical notation is a language which determines what you can say;what you want to say determines your language." Cornelius Cardew 1961

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Note !This presentation is available in pdf format at !rhoadley.net/presentations

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Sonic

ArtUse of notation

• Complete an entire composition or performance using notation

• Explore use of ‘standard’ or graphic notation in expression and coordination

• Use small elements of notation in an otherwise acousmatic environment

• Investigate the ethics of notations• Investigate software notations (the ‘cognitive

dimensions of notations’)

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Art

Luc

e An

tonii

Jun

teC

antorinus ad Eorum Instructionem

(1540)

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Robert Fludd (1574-1637)

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Robert Fludd (1574-1637). Opera, [Francofurti : Goudae], Oppenhemii,!J. Th. de Bry et haeredes, C. F. et G. Fitzer, P. Pammazenius, 1617-1638.

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Etude: Expérimentale d’Acoustique Musicale (1920)

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Not

atio

n a

s Ar

t G

abrie

l Siz

es

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Not

atio

n a

s Ar

t Ra

ndy

Rai

ne-R

eusc

hLeaves 2 (1993)

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“This score can be performed aurally, visually, kinesthetically,synaesthetically, interactively, literally, symbolically, or philosophically.”

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s Ar

t Ra

ndy

Rai

ne-R

eusc

hInside the Wind for Chorus (2003)

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atio

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s Ar

t To

ru T

akem

itsuStudy for Vibration (from Corona for Pianists) (1962)

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"The performance may start at any point of the perimeter no matter clockwise or counterclockwise."

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atio

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s Ar

t M

urra

y Sc

hafe

rDivan I Shams I Tabriz for Orchestra, seven singers and electronic sounds (1977)

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atio

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s Ar

t Ba

rry G

uyBird G

ong Gam

e (1990)

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Treatise (detail, with audio) (1967)

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Notation as Art Cornelius Cardew

Reco

rdin

g fr

om C

orne

lius

Card

ew M

emor

ial C

once

rt:

http

://w

ww

.ubu

.com

/sou

nd/c

arde

w.h

tml

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Treatise (detail) (1967)

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Notation as Art Cornelius Cardew

Treatise - Performed by Seven Guitars

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Treatise (detail) (1967)

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Notation as Art Cornelius Cardew

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Cor

neliu

s C

arde

wTreatise (detail) (1967)

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[6:31]

Trea

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Cor

neliu

s C

arde

wTreatise An Anim

ated Analysis

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George C

rumb: M

akrokosmos I - 12. Spiral G

alaxy [Sym

bol] Aquarius (1973)

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George Crum

b Makrokosm

os II - 12. Agnus Dei

[Symbol] C

apricorn (1973) (with audio)

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Elizabeth Harington The Art of Fugue bookart

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Elizabeth Harington The Art of Fugue bookart

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A literary use or response to the fugue can be found in Joyce's 11th episode in Ulysses ('Sirens') in which the wording and chapter structure attempted - with some poetic license - to mimic or work within the rules of the fugue. Unsurprisingly, a quick search on 'Sirens' revealed that John Cage, a leading musical experimentalist and graphic score 'artist' names James Joyce as an influence (also see Cage’s Roratorio). !See: 'James Joyce and Avant Garde Music', Scott W. Klein 2004 at the Contemporary Music Centre.

James Joyce and Avant Garde Music

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Kerry John Andrews For Andrea section 4 [detail]

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Screen capture from See Music Project: Kircher/Monteverdi

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Art Two versions of musical notations from China

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As you can see from these examples, notation is more than just a particular view of a particular musical idea - it will soon become apparent that musical notation has a profound effect on the nature of the ideas themselves, as well as indicating to us the musical priorities of the culture that invented them.!As you can imagine, these notations have a significant effect on what can be described and how it can be described. Virtually any piece of western classical music would be difficult to read or write using this system. What does this tell us about notation in general?

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Not

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Art Hugo Cole Signs and Symbols

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Above is a table from Hugo Cole's book Signs and Symbols, showing examples of two primary types of musical symbols used throughout the world. As you can see, this division also applies to other symbols we use, including our written languages. Symbols either describe their meaning by graphical similarity (pictograms) or through less obvious, more abstract associations (although these may well have once been graphical too), (ideograms).

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Art Signs and Symbols

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Also taken from Hugo Cole's book. Take a very simple human verbal response and, through a variety of processes of varying complexity, investigate the varieties of notation appropriate.

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Art Signs and Symbols

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Art Notation in the Twentieth Century

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Since the early days of western notation, certain elements have become more and more explicitly governed by notation and at the same time, the complexity of the musical grammar of these ideas has also become more complex as composers have sought to achieve ever more original ideas. The first two examples, both from Stockhausen show one aspect of this problem, specifically here with the complexity of dynamic information making both the reading and performance of such material very difficult:

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Art Stockhausen Klavierstuck 1

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Art Methods with which composers have attempted to overcome problems

of over-complexity in notation

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Art Complexity and Simplicity

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Boulez Le Marteau Sans Maitre original

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Art Boulez Le Marteau Sans Maitre 'alternative' version

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Art Many Notations

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• There follow a variety of examples of different forms of notation.

• See how well you think they communicate. • Why have none of these, or, for that matter, any of the

other examples of these really come into use? Or have they?

• Can you think of any examples which might have done?

• Why do you think these composers felt the need to experiment in these ways?

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ArtEarle Brown Available Forms 2

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ArtChristian Wolf Duet 2

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ArtMorton Feldman Intersection 3

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ArtKarlheinz Stockhausen Zyklus

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ArtKarlheinz Stockhausen Zyklus

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ArtCornelius Cardew Octet '61

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ArtText Pieces: Stockhausen From the Seven Days Right Durations (1968)

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Play a soundPlay it for so long

until you feelthat you should stop

Again play a soundPlay it for so long

until you feelthat you should stop

and so on

Stop

when you feelthat you should stop

But whether you play or stop:keep listening to the others

At best play

when people are listening

Do not rehearse

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ArtBlack MIDI

http://rhizome.org/editorial/2013/sep/23/impossible-music-black-midi/ !http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/black-midi

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Animated notation and kinetic typography

Notation as Art

http://animatednotation.blogspot.co.uk !http://animatednotation.com !https://vimeo.com/channels/kinetictypography

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Sonic

Art INScore

…demo…

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ArtEpilogue...

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http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2006/07/visual-context-of-music.html !http://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/picturesofmusic/

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Other Presentations

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Notation as Art

http://rhoadley.net/presentations

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