De Rerum Natura
Physical modelling as a tool for musical composition, PhD
Soutenance de thèse
4 fevrier 2018
Platforme AST, ICA, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble
Abstract
Physical model synthesis offers an approach to composition alternative to the more usual signal processing. Considering the musical phenomenon as a”unicum” emerging from the interaction between the musicians and their instruments the physical model synthesis realizes and gives phenomenological and sensitive corporeality to the creative actions. By conceiving not as separate entities sound material and musical structure directs the potentialities of the computer and creates an original and fruitful dialectic between the formal (structural) and perceptual (cognitive).
The sphere of action for my PhD concerns the development, formalisation and categorisation of structural models – created by physical modelling – useful for musical composition in the perspective to highlight the musical formalisation function associated with the CORDIS- ANIMA physical model simulation paradigm.
The starting point for this work is 20 years of personal use as a composer, of the GENESIS physical model musical creation software developed by the ACROE-ICA laboratory.
This experience has led me, through works both scientific (modelling) and artistic (music composition), to consider this environment not as a synthesis tool, but as a complex instrument, which allows to create a complete musical composition covering all three usual categories of acoustics and music: micro-formal (the tone, harmony, orchestration), mezzo- formal (the rhythm, melody, and the basic sequences/harmonic structures) and macro-formal (the higher level harmonic structure, the formal outline of the entire composition).
My goal is not to propose the framework of a new music or a new aesthetic, but develop”well-tempered” instruments for a new practice of music creativity that explores and accomplishes better the potentialities of computer and digital technology. This also leads in the direction of broadening the dialectic instrumentality - writing music to a”supra instrumentality” [Cadoz6] and to post-scriptic outlook on musical creation [Cadoz7].
Keywords: Musical composition, computer music, artistic creation, physical modelling, AST (Art-Science-Technology)
G.G, september 2016
