Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
22.1.3 The 1980s and Later: Mixed Music and Extension
to Other Domains
The first interactive works combining performers and real-time electronic modu-
lation of their parts have appeared in the middle of the 1980s. Electronic devices,
either hardware or software, have been used with various musical configurations:
the instrument-computer duet, for instance in Philippe Manoury's works (
Jupiter
,
for flute and computer, 1987-1992 ;
En Echo
, for voice and computer, 1993-1994);
the works for ensemble and live electronics, such as
Fragment de lune
(1985-1987)
by Philippe Hurel; the works for soloists, ensemble and electronics, such as
Répons
(1981-1988) by Pierre Boulez.
Various digital techniques have been developed since then: from the use of var-
ious forms of sound synthesis (additive, granular, by physical modelling
), to the
real-time analysis and recognition of inputs (audio as well as video input), based on
artificial intelligence (neural networks, hidden Markov models
...
), passing through
various forms of distortion of the input sounds (reverberation, harmonization,
filtering
...
).
Meanwhile, these techniques penetrated into some neighbouring domains, such
as opera with live sound transformations (
K,
music and text by Philippe Manoury,
2001), theatre with live sound transformations (
Le Privilège des Chemins
,by
Fernando Pessoa, stage direction by Eric Génovèse, sound transformations by
Romain Kronenberg, 2004), theatre with image generation (
La traversée de la nuit,
by Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz, stage direction by Christine Zeppenfeld, real-
time neural networks and multi-agent systems by Alain Bonardi, 2003), music
and video performances (
Sensors Sonic Sights),
music/gestures/images with Atau
Tanaka, Laurent Dailleau and Cécile Babiole), or installations (
Elle et la voix
,vir-
tual reality installation by Catherine Ikam and Louis-François Fléri, music by Pierre
Charvet, 2000).
...
22.1.4 And Now
...
After nearly 25 years of interactive works, institutions have become aware that this
type of music is completely dependent on its hardware and software implemen-
tations. Should the operating system or the processor evolve, the work cannot be
performed again. This is for instance what nearly happened to
Diadèmes,
awork
by composer Marc-André Dalbavie for alto solo, ensemble and electronics. First
created in 1986 and honoured by the Ars Electronica Prize, the work was last per-
formed in 1992. In December 2008, its American creation was planned, more than
22 years after its premiere in France. But the Yamaha TX 816 FM synthesizers pre-
viously used are no longer available, and the one still present at IRCAM is nearly
out of commission. Moreover, composer Dalbavie has tried several software emu-
lators, but none of them was suitable according to him to replace the old hardware
synthesizer.
