New Concepts for Music And Sound – Part 4

(Excerpt from my e-book about this topic: https://www.dev.rofilm-media.net/node/537)

What was so groundbreaking about the goings on in Cologne and Milano (and Paris and London, and....) in the 1950s? What was it that makes us call this early electronic music “revolutionary”? What´s all the fuss about anyway? Why should I care about Boisselet, Stockhausen, Eimert, Madera, Berio, Krenek, Cage and, and, and? Why isn´t it wasting of time to study these old guys when I´m indeed looking for new concepts NOW?

 

Let me try to summarise – and simplify – what I think are the answers to those questions.

 

Aspect 1: the meaning of sine waves, additive synthesis, and the real nature of sound.

Aspect 2: the (not only sonic) relation of real world happenings and music

Aspect 3: the relation of composer, instrumentalist and machine (tape)

Aspect 4: the liberation of music from scales and the organisation of sound itself

Aspect 5: the return of structure after some decades of pure experimentation

Aspect 6: the wedlock of art and science/technique

Aspect 7: the studio as a musical instrument (re-invented by Kraftwerk a lot later)

Aspect 8: the meaning and importance of space (spatial sounds)

Aspect 9: the investigations in so far minor important (and partly new) musical categories (e.g. density)

 

I´m going to talk about each of these aspects on the following parts putting a spotlight on the question whether or not (and if yes, how) it is relevant for developing new concepts NOW.

 

Enjoy your day!

Rolf

 

… to be continued

 

to part 1: https://www.dev.rofilm-media.net/node/503

to part 2: https://www.dev.rofilm-media.net/node/528

to part 3: https://www.dev.rofilm-media.net/node/529

to part 5: https://www.dev.rofilm-media.net/node/544