Thanks to the development of new technology, musical instruments are no more tied to their existing acoustic or technical limitations as almost all parameters can be augmented or modified in real time. An increasing number of composers, performers, and computer programmers have thus become interested in different ways of "supersizing" acoustic instruments in order to open up previously-unheard instrumental sounds. This leads us to the question of what constitutes a super instrument and what challenges does it pose aesthetically and technically? This work explores the effects that super instruments have on the identity of a given solo instrument, on the identity of a composition and on the experience of performing this kind of repertoire. The super instrument comes to be defined as a bundle of more than one instrumental lines that achieve a coherent overall identity when generated in real time. On the basis of my own personal experience of performing the works discussed in this dissertation, super instruments vary a great deal but each has a transformative effect on the identity and performance practice of the pianist. This discussion approaches the topic from the viewpoint of contemporary keyboard music, showcasing examples of super instrument compositions of the 21st century. Thus, the main purposes of this practise based research project is to explore the essence and role of piano or toy piano in a super instrument constellation, as well as the performer's role as a "super instrumentalist". I consider these issues in relation to case studies drawn from my own compositional work and a selection of works composed by Karlheinz Essl and Jeff Brown.

« La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU). » / Ma pratique artistique se divise en deux volets : la composition de musique acousmatique et la peinture abstraite. Loin d'être distinctes, ces deux pratiques se recoupent en plusieurs points et sont très complémentaires l'une à l'autre. En effet, il m’apparaît clairement que la façon d'aborder la création dans l'un et l'autre peut revêtir certaines similitudes. En d'autres termes, que je compose une pièce ou que je peigne une toile, le résultat que je cherche à obtenir en ce qui concerne l’organisation de la matière est le même dans les deux cas. La présente recherche propose donc une nouvelle approche de composition en musique acousmatique basée sur les techniques et concepts employés en art visuel, et plus particulièrement en peinture. À travers la réalisation d’une série de courtes pièces, j’expérimente sur les possibilités qu’offre la démarche de composition proposée. / My artistic practice can be divided in two paths: acousmatic music composition and abstract painting. Far from independent, these two practices meet on many aspects and can be perceived in a very complimentary manner. It becomes clear that the way in which I approach the mechanisms of the creative process in both practices is in fact quite similar. When painting or composing, I’ve come to realize that the result I strive for is in terms of structure and in terms of how I attempt to organize both the sound events in my compositions and the plastic materials I use on canvas. This text presents a potentially new approach to acousmatic composition derived from the techniques and concepts found in modern visual arts, more specifically non-figurative painting. In order to illustrate these ideas, I’ve composed a series of short composition studies that attempt to experiment the suggested methods and techniques.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how compositional techniques developed for fine art may be applied to 3-dimensional level design. It uses game design theory and best practices as a starting point and then investigates how graphic theory can be applied to further them by creating natural graphic focal points in a level, providing a set of tools the designer might use to graphically communicate with the player. The thesis investigates four main techniques used to achieve graphic control: Managing hues and values. Managing shapes. Using linear and atmospheric perspective. Managing levels of detail. Each technique is linked to compositional theory through historical paintings which feature the techniques in question. Examples are then provided from contemporary games that testify the validity of using the technique in level design. In some cases altered scenes are also provided; over paints done in Adobe Photoshop exemplify how a technique may be used to change a scene’s meaning and convey other messages to the player. The conclusions and analysis testify to the value of incorporating compositional theory into level design and suggest further areas of research along the same line.

Dans le cadre de ma maîtrise, et plus généralement dans ma pratique musicale, le mixage et le matriçage sont les deux techniques d’écriture qui ont principalement retenu mon attention pour la composition de pièces électroacoustiques. La composition de ces oeuvres a servi de canevas de travail pour faire une recherche pratique sur mon utilisation de ces deux techniques, recherche menée en parallèle à des activités de documentation sur leur implémentation en musique acousmatique. Celles-ci ont révélé qu’un nombre très restreint de compositeurs et de pédagogues se sont aventurés à traiter de ce sujet, nommément parce qu’il n’existe aucune vision prescrite ou de norme sur la mise en oeuvre de ces techniques en acousmatique. La plupart des sources d’information substantielles sur le sujet du mixage et du matriçage proviennent du monde de la production audio commerciale. Ce faisant, je me suis inspiré des moyens de production usités pour la création sonore en film et en musique populaire. En démontrant comment ces recherches ont influencé mon propre travail de composition électroacoustique, je souhaite pallier un manque d’information sur les sujets du mixage et du matriçage en acousmatique et offrir une perspective originale aux compositeurs qui s’intéressent à ces pratiques. / Over the course of my Masters and in my musical practice at large, mixing and mastering have been the two most prominent compositional techniques featured in my electroacoustic pieces. Composing these electroacoustic pieces served as the framework for a practical research on my use of mixing and mastering, a project which also included documentational research on their implementation in acousmatic music. The research revealed that only a small number of composers and pedagogues had written about this topic, mostly because there is no prescribed vision or standard regarding the implementation of these techniques in acousmatic. Most of the substantial sources of information regarding mixing and mastering can be found in the realm of commercial audio production. Thus, I was inspired by the means of production used for the sound design in movies and pop music. By showing how this research has inspired my own electroacoustic compositions, I wish to fill an informational void on the subject of mixing and mastering in acousmatic music and to offer a fresh perspective to composers who are interested in these practices.