The basis of this research project stems from reflections upon the process of composition for electroacoustic audio-visual music. These are fixed media works in which sound and image materials are accessed, generated, explored and configured in creation of a musically informed audio-visual expression. Within the process of composition, the composer must decide how to effectively draw relationships between these time based media and their various abstract and mimetic materials. This process usually has no codified laws or structures and results in relationships that are singular to the individual artworks. The composer uses their own experience and intuition in assessing how best to associate sounds and images and they will use their own interpretation of the materials to evaluate the how successful they are in realising their intentions. But what is there to say that the interpretation made by the composer bares any resemblance to interpretations made by audiences? The current research sought to assess any trends or commonalities in how people interpret such works. Utilising a combination of empirical research, composition and scholarly study, the project investigated various theoretical approaches to interpretation and the occurrence of correlation between compositional intention and audience interpretation. Models from different theoretical disciplines were combined in order to build up a picture of the processes involved in making interpretations, and to aid in the rationalisation of empirical data. The application of three methodological approaches allowed for the topic to be considered from a diversity of perspectives, and for triangulation to take place in confirmation of the research outcomes. The way in which individuals build up interpretations from non-codified abstract and mimetic materials also provided a suitable case study for the critique and assessment of various theoretical approaches to interpretation. The project challenges structuralist approaches to interpretation, drawing together theoretical materials and empirical research findings in support of a post-structrualist model of interpretation that demonstrates the absolutely vital role played by context - the framing of the artwork in the consciousness of the individual audience member.

François Bayle (né en 1932), compositeur de musique électroacoustique et directeur du Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) de 1966 à 1997, a toujours affirmé son intérêt pour les arts plastiques. Ce constat nous incite à penser qu'il existe une incidence importante des éléments picturaux sur le processus de création, et par conséquent des répercussions majeures sur l'écoute et la perception d'un style particulier au compositeur.Une première partie aborde les notions de lumière et d'obscurité, qui semblent correspondre à deux pôles musicaux récurrents (transparence/brouillage), tandis que le modèle de la couleur concernerait des données musicales s'appliquant à une pièce entière, et s'apparenterait à l'idée de ton général, au sens pictural du terme.Les modèles du fond et de la forme graphique se comprennent comme description des variations sonores sur une petite échelle de temps. L'étude de leurs rapports, notamment par l'établissement d'une typologie des situations d'écoute, permet de mettre en évidence des choix esthétiques basés sur des axes sonores équilibrés, et une musique pensée comme doublage du monde sonore réel.Une dernière partie s'interroge sur les possibilités d'intégration de modèles picturaux, par définition statiques, dans une structure musicale dynamique. Il apparaît que, si les procédés de juxtaposition sont prédominants, la structure générale n'en est pas moins orientée, offrant une double lecture de la pièce ou du cycle. / François Bayle (born 1932), French composer of electroacoustic music and head of the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) from 1966 to 1997, has always claimed an interest in plastic arts. This leads us to think that pictorial elements have an important impact on our perception of the composer's style.The first section addresses the notions of light and darkness, which seem to match two poles (transparency/blur), while the model of color is related to the whole piece, and could be compared to the general tone of a painting.The models of background and graphical form can be understood as descriptions of sonic variations on a short time scale. The study of their relation to one another, in particular thanks to a typology of listening situations, enables us to bring to light esthetical choices based on balanced axes, and conveys the music as a double of the real sonic world.The last section investigates the integrational possibilities of pictorial models, which are static by definition, within a dynamic musical structure. Even if juxtaposition processes prevail, the general structure is oriented, and offers a second reading to the piece.Keywords : composition, electroacoustic music, musical analysis, François Bayle, painting, plastic arts, Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM), color, form, morphology

abstract: Electronic music, including the subgenre of interactive electronic music, has a century-old history and has established itself as a vital and important element of modern music cultures throughout the world. Acoustic musicians in the twenty-first century will be expected to perform and interact with electronic music. Currently, however, few resources are available to either the student or teacher to help advancing young musicians develop their skills working with electronic musical components. A considerable amount of electronic music is prohibitive due to cost, access to equipment, and degree of difficulty. Therefore, a set of works designed to specifically reduce these prohibitive costs seems necessary. As a performer/composer that plays clarinet and as an electronic musician that regularly utilizes the open-source programming software Pure Data (Pd), I feel my composing, performing, and technical experience uniquely positions me to create educational materials. For this project, I will compose/program a collection of electronic etudes for clarinet and electronics that: (1) utilizes Pd to provide electronic accompaniment, (2) is composed for clarinetists of varying experience levels, (3) and will be commercially available as electronic PDF and Pd files. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

Three original software programs utilizing improvisation and live sampling are presented here, along with a discussion of aesthetic issues raised by each. They are entitled Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Musiker, Motet, and Gamepad Sampler. These programs vary in the degree of required interaction and in the kind of user control. They are each studies in imitative counterpoint through live sampling, with an approach seeking elegance before solutions. Because of the improvisational nature of these works, there is no standard musical score. Instead the complete Max/MSP source code and a sound recording of performances making use of these programs in varied situations are included. A discussion of issues raised by these works includes aesthetics, ontology, performance, and the role of the composer. Non-interactive indeterminate compositions are ontologically thin, because some composerly agency is required of the performer. An interactive work can be ontologically substantial if it makes distinct and significant contributions to performance, even though it may not make sound on its own. Although reproducibility reduces ontology and eliminates aura, live sampling within a performance can deepen the ontology of the performance by recontextualizing previous events, reframing the original event as the first reference to an abstract musical idea that lies outside the musical performance. Reproducibility also diminishes the aura or stage presence in live performance with computers. Complex feedback systems can be used to create computation instruments: musical instruments whose unique structure resonates in ways not explicit in their programs. As the human condition and the situation of the composer change, definitions of the composer and performer must be revised. Composition is shifting away from the creation of static artifacts toward the design of dynamic systems.

As the bassoon has evolved over time, the music written for the instrument has evolved around it, and was many times the catalyst for its evolution. Bassoon music of the seventeenth through early twentieth centuries has defined much of the curricula for bassoon studies, and has established how we consider and experience the bassoon. We experience, write, and consume music in vastly different ways than just a generation ago. Humans use technology for the most basic of tasks. Composers are using the technology of our generation to compose music that is a reflection of our time. This is a significant aspect of art music today, and bassoonists are barely participating in the creation of this new repertoire. Performance practice often considers only the musical score; interactive electronic music regularly goes beyond that. The combination of technological challenges and inexperience can make approaching electroacoustic music a daunting and inaccessible type of music for bassoonists. These issues require a different language to the performance practice: one that addresses music, amplification, computer software, hardware, the collaboration between performer and technology, and often the performer and composer. The author discusses problems that performers face when rehearsing and performing interactive electroacoustic works for bassoon, and offers some solutions.

abstract: The number of compositions that use electronics alongside the wind ensemble has gradually increased in the 21st century, yet these compositions are infrequently programmed past their premieres. Explanations include lack of access to necessary resources, unfamiliarity with the repertoire, and inexperience with the technology they require. While there are other barriers to performance, this document focuses on familiarizing the repertoire and providing foundational knowledge necessary to overcome inexperience. As the number of technology-native composers, audience members, and performers continues to increase, electronics in the ensemble are likely to become more standard. Without knowledge of the technology electronics require, these works will remain inaccessible. Composers attempt to bridge the technological knowledge gap by providing technical instructions for individual pieces, but this does not help people recognize the broader concepts that make all of these works more accessible. This document guides ensemble directors and performers to an understanding of these base concepts by developing a grading system for technology difficulty, assessing pedagogical and performance issues, and providing an annotated list of works currently available for electronics and winds. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

Fractus I is a composition for trumpet in C and live electronic sound. The electronics were primarily created using SuperCollider, an environment and programming language for real time audio synthesis. This project investigates SuperCollider's pattern and task functionality as a means of supporting and enriching the compositional process. Fractus I develops several different code architectures in order to randomize as well as synchronize various musical elements. The piece exploits SuperCollider as both an audio synthesis tool and a performance conduit. Additionally, the nature of SuperCollider's patterns and tasks influences the form and content of the composition. The project underscores SuperCollider as a powerful, versatile and open-ended tool for musical composition and examines future directions and improvements.

v anglickém jazyce The subject of the presented work is (the usage of) electroacoustic transducers in physics teaching. Its first part contains an overview of study materials, physics textbooks and a selection of academic studies dealing with the aforementioned topic. The central part of the thesis consists of three experimental activities in which electroacoustic transducers are employed. These activities may be adopted for home or laboratory work of students or in hobby groups. The first activity aims at exploring the principle of operation of or- dinary headphones. The second activity contains instructions for making a simple phone. The third, most extensive activity, focuses on the measurement of electrical properties of various electroacoustic transducers. The results are further used for a more detailed discussion of their operating principles. In the final part of the thesis, the usage and verification of one of these proposed activities in practice are discussed.

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