A portfolio of acousmatic compositions

Hindmarch, David (2010). A portfolio of acousmatic compositions. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This portfolio charts my development as a composer during a period of three years. The works it contains are all acousmatic; they investigate sonic material through articulation and gesture, and place emphasis on spatial movement through both stereophony and multi-channel environments. The portfolio is written as a personal journey, with minimal reference to academic thinking, exploring the development of my techniques when composing acousmatic music. At the root of my compositional work is the examination and analysis of recorded sounds; these are extrapolated from musical phrases and gestural movement, which form the basis of my musical language. The nine pieces of the portfolio thus explore, emphasise and develop the distinct properties of the recorded source sounds, deriving from them articulated phrasing and gesture which are developed to give sound objects the ability to move in a stereo or multi-channel space with expressive force and sonic clarity. There is also a strong use of the qualities and characteristics of the human voice in my work, particularly in the spectral domain – formant and resonant filtering processes are used in the pieces in this portfolio to enhance the organic nature of concrete, real-world sounds. The combination of spatialisation, gesture and phrasing, with appropriate signal processing for the sound materials, form the basis of the nine works presented here.

Type of Work: Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)
Award Type: Doctorates > Ph.D.
Supervisor(s):
Supervisor(s)EmailORCID
Harrison, JontyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Licence:
College/Faculty: Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Arts & Law
School or Department: School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music, Department of Music
Funders: Other
Other Funders: Royal National Institute of Blind People
Subjects: M Music and Books on Music > M Music
URI: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/758

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