Rethinking the relationships between space, performance and composition in notated acoustic music
Ambrose Field · Focal Press eBooks · 2024
Composers have been writing music for particular spaces for centuries. This relationship can be extended and reimagined through the use of novel software to predict the acoustic response of a space directly within the process of constructing a notated score (rather than through audio realisation or through the application of an audio effect to a recording). The paper introduces Quantaform Series, a cycle of 20 traditionally notated pieces for solo flute, where each piece is matched both spectrally and in the time domain to a particular acoustic whilst allowing for intuitive expression. This is achieved with tools that simulate and display the harmonic and temporal effects of the reverberation on a particular notated gesture, enabling intuitive notated (non-electronic/recorded media) forms of composition to be accomplished in a spatially informed manner. The benefit of this approach is that the performance space can take on an active and designed role rather than being a sonic after-effect. Predicting the acoustic of the performance space at composition time changes the responsibilities of performers to the space in live realisation. The work challenges normative views of the connections between space and compositional workflow alongside demonstrating prototype technologies for acoustically informed composition (AIC). The short film “Quantaform”, made in collaboration with Screen Yorkshire UK and funded by the Arts Council of Great Britain, is used to highlight this computationally informed, notated approach to spatial composition.