History of Electroacoustic Music
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course objectives include a systematic study of the history of electro-acoustic music with respect to precise geographic areas, as expressed through various models of production and musical practices. The term electroacoustic music embraces a number of genres that developed between the 1950's and today. Developing the student's knowledge and recognition by listening of the musical canon from that period is particularly important.
Expected learning outcomes
Survey of historical and aesthetic concepts. General characteristics of 20th-century music. Precursors of new musical materials: Busoni, Vare'se, Messiaen. Futurists and "The Art of Noise". Electro-acoustic technological inventions in the 19th and early 20th cCentury; recording and audio-playback technologies. Radiophony.
1950's. Cage and Ussachevsky: American Tape Music. Radiophonic studies in Europe. Pierre Schaeffer, GRM and concrete music: technological research and theoretic systemisation. Electronic music at the WDR in Cologne. Eimert and Stockhausen. Serial principles underlying electronic music.The Studio di Fonologia at the RAI in Milan: Maderna and Berio: aesthetic conceptions with respect to design and technologicaly specifics: aleatoric music, open work, and interactive composition.
1960's. Luigi Nono and Paccagnini's artistic direction at the Studio di Fonologia. Stockhausen: moving beyond the tape music and acoustic music dichotomy, historical and geographic universalism of musical material. Xenakis and stochastic music. The birth of computer music: Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Rissett. Computer-assisted composition. Analogue synthesizers and voltage-control technologies.
1970's. Technological paradigm and development of musical resources and genres: acousmatic music, Tape Music, Computer Music, Live Electronics, electronica in Rock and Popular Music. Bayle's direction at GRM, and acousmatic music with Ferrari, Malec, and Parmegiani. Opening of various research centres and the musical production of computer music: models and software environments for synthesizing and digitally processing sound. Spatialisation systems. Xenakis's research.
1980's. The new technologies: personal computers, digital synthesizers, MIDI standard workstations, personal-audio workstations, software environments. Paris IRCAM. Luigi Nono's live electronics, Risset's Computer Music, Chowning and other composers. Concert tradition and digital technologies: Smalley, Wishart.
1990's. Technologies: digital systems and personal workstations in real time. Control systems for Live Performance. Different models of conceiving and constructing sound. Automation. Multi-modal interaction and interfaces. Rock and electronica. Disco, house and techno music. Digital systems in producing experimental music: research centres and individual studios.
2000's. Post-Schafferian electronica; Microsound, Drone, Techno and Noise; Field Recording, Ambient and Soundscape.
1950's. Cage and Ussachevsky: American Tape Music. Radiophonic studies in Europe. Pierre Schaeffer, GRM and concrete music: technological research and theoretic systemisation. Electronic music at the WDR in Cologne. Eimert and Stockhausen. Serial principles underlying electronic music.The Studio di Fonologia at the RAI in Milan: Maderna and Berio: aesthetic conceptions with respect to design and technologicaly specifics: aleatoric music, open work, and interactive composition.
1960's. Luigi Nono and Paccagnini's artistic direction at the Studio di Fonologia. Stockhausen: moving beyond the tape music and acoustic music dichotomy, historical and geographic universalism of musical material. Xenakis and stochastic music. The birth of computer music: Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Rissett. Computer-assisted composition. Analogue synthesizers and voltage-control technologies.
1970's. Technological paradigm and development of musical resources and genres: acousmatic music, Tape Music, Computer Music, Live Electronics, electronica in Rock and Popular Music. Bayle's direction at GRM, and acousmatic music with Ferrari, Malec, and Parmegiani. Opening of various research centres and the musical production of computer music: models and software environments for synthesizing and digitally processing sound. Spatialisation systems. Xenakis's research.
1980's. The new technologies: personal computers, digital synthesizers, MIDI standard workstations, personal-audio workstations, software environments. Paris IRCAM. Luigi Nono's live electronics, Risset's Computer Music, Chowning and other composers. Concert tradition and digital technologies: Smalley, Wishart.
1990's. Technologies: digital systems and personal workstations in real time. Control systems for Live Performance. Different models of conceiving and constructing sound. Automation. Multi-modal interaction and interfaces. Rock and electronica. Disco, house and techno music. Digital systems in producing experimental music: research centres and individual studios.
2000's. Post-Schafferian electronica; Microsound, Drone, Techno and Noise; Field Recording, Ambient and Soundscape.
Lesson period: Open sessions
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
(Erogato presso il Conservatorio)
Course syllabus
Survey of historical and aesthetic concepts. General characteristics of 20th-century music. Precursors of new musical materials: Busoni, Vare'se, Messiaen. Futurists and "The Art of Noise". Electroacoustic technological inventions in the 19th and early 20th century; recording and audio-playback technologies. Radiophony.
1950's. Cage and Ussachevsky: American Tape Music. Radiophonic studies in Europe. Pierre Schaeffer, GRM and concrete music: technological research and theoretic systemisation. Electronic music at the WDR in Cologne. Eimert and Stockhausen. Serial principles underlying electronic music. The Studio di Fonologia at the RAI in Milan: Maderna and Berio: aesthetic conceptions with respect to design and technological specifics: aleatoric music, open work, and interactive composition.
1960's. Luigi Nono and Paccagnini's artistic direction at the Studio di Fonologia. Stockhausen: moving beyond the tape music and acoustic music dichotomy, historical and geographic universalism of musical material. Xenakis and stochastic music. The birth of computer music: Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Rissett. Computer-assisted composition. Analogue synthesizers and voltage-control technologies.
1970's. Technological paradigm and development of musical resources and genres: acousmatic music, Tape Music, Computer Music, Live Electronics, electronica in Rock and Popular Music. Bayle's direction at GRM, and acousmatic music with Ferrari, Malec, and Parmegiani. Opening of various research centres and the musical production of computer music: models and software environments for synthesizing and digitally processing sound. Spatialisation systems. Xenakis's research.
1980's. The new technologies: personal computers, digital synthesizers, MIDI standard workstations, personal-audio workstations, software environments. Paris IRCAM. Luigi Nono's live electronics, Risset's Computer Music, Chowning and other composers. Concert tradition and digital technologies: Smalley, Wishart.
1990's. Technologies: digital systems and personal workstations in real time. Control systems for Live Performance. Different models of conceiving and constructing sound. Automation. Multi-modal interaction and interfaces. Rock and electronica. Disco, house and techno music. Digital systems in producing experimental music: research centres and individual studios.
2000's. Post-Schafferian electronica; Microsound, Drone, Techno and Noise; Field Recording, Ambient and Soundscape.
1950's. Cage and Ussachevsky: American Tape Music. Radiophonic studies in Europe. Pierre Schaeffer, GRM and concrete music: technological research and theoretic systemisation. Electronic music at the WDR in Cologne. Eimert and Stockhausen. Serial principles underlying electronic music. The Studio di Fonologia at the RAI in Milan: Maderna and Berio: aesthetic conceptions with respect to design and technological specifics: aleatoric music, open work, and interactive composition.
1960's. Luigi Nono and Paccagnini's artistic direction at the Studio di Fonologia. Stockhausen: moving beyond the tape music and acoustic music dichotomy, historical and geographic universalism of musical material. Xenakis and stochastic music. The birth of computer music: Max Mathews and Jean-Claude Rissett. Computer-assisted composition. Analogue synthesizers and voltage-control technologies.
1970's. Technological paradigm and development of musical resources and genres: acousmatic music, Tape Music, Computer Music, Live Electronics, electronica in Rock and Popular Music. Bayle's direction at GRM, and acousmatic music with Ferrari, Malec, and Parmegiani. Opening of various research centres and the musical production of computer music: models and software environments for synthesizing and digitally processing sound. Spatialisation systems. Xenakis's research.
1980's. The new technologies: personal computers, digital synthesizers, MIDI standard workstations, personal-audio workstations, software environments. Paris IRCAM. Luigi Nono's live electronics, Risset's Computer Music, Chowning and other composers. Concert tradition and digital technologies: Smalley, Wishart.
1990's. Technologies: digital systems and personal workstations in real time. Control systems for Live Performance. Different models of conceiving and constructing sound. Automation. Multi-modal interaction and interfaces. Rock and electronica. Disco, house and techno music. Digital systems in producing experimental music: research centres and individual studios.
2000's. Post-Schafferian electronica; Microsound, Drone, Techno and Noise; Field Recording, Ambient and Soundscape.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no prerequisites for the programme.
Teaching methods
The course also delves into methodological issues: different historiographic approaches, research, and technological production with respect to composition techniques, and the different paradigms of sound and music, including Michel Chion's six technical effects.
Teaching Resources
G. Fronzi, Electrosound: storia ed estetica della musica elettroacustica, Torino, EDT 2013.
P. Manning, Electronic and Computer Music, Oxford - New York, Oxford University Press 2004.
Laura Zattra, Studiare la computer music, libreriauniversitaria.it, Padova 2011.
J. Chadabe, Electric Sound. The Past and Promise of Electronic Music, Upper Saddle River (NJ), Prentice Hall 1997.
F. Galante, N. Sani, Musica espansa, Lucca, Ricordi LIM, 2000.
N. Scaldaferri, Musica nel laboratorio elettroacustico. Lo studio di Fonologia di Milano e la ricerca musicale negli anni Cinquanta, Lucca, LIM, 1997 (Quaderni di Musica/Realta', 41).
H. Pousseur (a cura di), La musica elettronica, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1976.
J. Demers, Listening Through the Noise, New York, Oxford University Press, 2010.
Handouts provided by the instructor, containing website references and listening lists.
P. Manning, Electronic and Computer Music, Oxford - New York, Oxford University Press 2004.
Laura Zattra, Studiare la computer music, libreriauniversitaria.it, Padova 2011.
J. Chadabe, Electric Sound. The Past and Promise of Electronic Music, Upper Saddle River (NJ), Prentice Hall 1997.
F. Galante, N. Sani, Musica espansa, Lucca, Ricordi LIM, 2000.
N. Scaldaferri, Musica nel laboratorio elettroacustico. Lo studio di Fonologia di Milano e la ricerca musicale negli anni Cinquanta, Lucca, LIM, 1997 (Quaderni di Musica/Realta', 41).
H. Pousseur (a cura di), La musica elettronica, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1976.
J. Demers, Listening Through the Noise, New York, Oxford University Press, 2010.
Handouts provided by the instructor, containing website references and listening lists.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam includes three components:
(1) aural skills test (identifying pieces from the historical electrical-acoustic canon);
(2) development of a short research paper on a student-chosen topic, as agreed upon by the programme's instructor;
(3) oral exam based on the student's written paper.
(1) aural skills test (identifying pieces from the historical electrical-acoustic canon);
(2) development of a short research paper on a student-chosen topic, as agreed upon by the programme's instructor;
(3) oral exam based on the student's written paper.
L-ART/07 - MUSICOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MUSIC - University credits: 6
Lessons: 45 hours