Towards a Compositional Strategy Thought in Terms of Stories

It is outlined a compositional strategy rapprochement based on the concepts of ontogeny, phylogeny, context and relevance as formulated by Gregory Bateson, which have been first applied by Alessandro Cipriani to the analysis of Kontakte (Karlheinz Stockhausen). In this paper I focused on possible alternatives but referred to tape alone electroacoustic works, considering in what different ways the role of the instruments as employed in Kontakte can be susbtituted by the tape part. These applications also pertain to the realmof the macroform, which is derived from the genesis of the piece, of its 'story'. Some methodological conflicts are also described, mainly the coexistence of non-deterministic control and experimental practice with plansfor the whole composition rigidly determined at the beginning. At this momentis when the relationship concerning directly or indirectly to the problems ofsurvival and directions of change becomes essential. Finally, particularly efficient implementations can be worked out from the general model.

It is neither easy nor frequent to establish a compositional strategy or procedures mainly based on an analysis of a particular work. Normally that is done from inside the compositional practise or experience. Ariel Martí nez (Martí nez, A. 1987) made clear the difficulties for establishing compositional patterns or models relying exclusively in analysis of works. I elaborated this paper considering this limitation and it has to be read in that sense. I found Cipriani's criteria for Kontakte analysis very appropiate for possible applications in electroacoustic and computer music not only because of the his viewpoints but also by the fact that Kontakte is a piece involving electroacoustics, and, what is more important, it is a piece with an "electroacoustic orientation" since the role of acoustic instruments is complementary and very dependant on the tape part so this last plays the main role.

There is a strong musical knowledge in Bateson thought. Some of the Bateson ideas expressed in his book Espiritu y Naturaleza (Bateson, G. 1979) concern directly to musical subjects. He clearly recognises the aspects behind musical works and the significance of estocastic processes and random elements. On the one hand, his observations concerning problems of survival and directions of change allow us to understand why very frequently pieces with strict rules fixed apriori abandon them (partial or totally) taking experimental, random or indetermined characters and, naturally, the other way round. On the other hand, the idea of 'story' as genesis element for composition (and for any creative process) produces the frame of reference to have a unifying context, which specially applies when we have contradictory elements.The most useful tools for the understanding of complex pieces are the conceptsof ontogeny, phylogeny, context and relevance (Cipriani, A. 1995). Related to those concepts are those of conection patterns, first, second and third order conections, homology, philogenetic, procronism and epigenesis (Bateson, G. 1979). They pertain directly to musical analysis and composition and the possible applications are countless. Bateson thinking is not only referred to the structural plain but also to the aesthetics, defined by him as "sensitive to the pattern that connects".All the personal background behind the composer is at the same time his/her story and context ("the evolutionary process through millions of generations"). This will conditionate the way he/she composes.

The Bateson concepts that Cipriani used for the analysis of Kontakte can be applied to composition, and more specifically, to the creation of tape alone electroacoustic and computer music works.In my view, this phylosophical thought applies directly to the composition of non-linear style pieces and with high complexity. However, the composition of music based on linear evolution and traditional styles are also possible. It allows us to set up a unifying context for using contradictory elements, above all, the coexistence of determinism/rigid plans with experimental/aleatory elements.What I outline for a compositional strategy concern to both the (macro) formal and timbral domains.

The structuration of the general form and of each section comes from the 'story', the genesis element of the piece so it is necessary to point out the meaningfulness of the 'story' as multiple generation possibility for the general formal domain.Besides, the epigenesis that considers that "all embriological step is an act of devenir that must be constructed over the preceding status quo".In this sense I suggest the following procedures:

• sections with their own 'apex'
• spatial rotation in each section
• use of Gesture Framing model
• use of Texture Setting model
• decreasing of the directionality
• lack of pauses
• overlapping
• static fragmentary sections
• intentional inconsistency of the sound objects
• clear cut between macrosections

Gesture Framing and Texture Setting models are particularly important as first and second order connections, i.e., to the homology and the philogenetic. Although the timbral domain is considered separately, it serves to the formal structuration in a very specific way, mainly with the task of stressing and underlying the formal function. Resulting macroform should be mainly of non-linear style even though linear styles are also feasible.

For the substitution of the acoustic instruments by electronic or computer-produced sounds special consideration to the morphology of sound objects and to the timbral topology must be given. In this hypothesis, thenew sounds will be characterised by:

• tendency to variability or homogeneity of timbre
• relative autonomy of the timbres
• creation of wide timbral constellations
• imitation of acoustic instruments but with percusive milieu
• pseudo-instrumental cadenzas

These new sounds that replaced acoustic instruments can be obscured, confused, put in background or in evidence, in the same way as Cipriani stated in his analysis.

Although this paper is work in progress, some of the what I have drawn can beutilized to broadly produce works with the following features:

• based on random aspects with inclusion of rigid plans
• based on deterministic plans with aleatory aspects.

Works without any random element are not possible within Bateson's thinking because "nothing new can happen without aleatory aspects". Therefore, possible applications to algorithmic composition techniques and procedure but involving determinism are very likely the most direct pertainance of what I outline. The inverse path is factible, considering what Bateson expressed: "non-aleatory selective processes make that some some aleatory elements survive more than the others".I applied some of the procedures listed in this paper to my work "Callejuelas", just finished at LIEM Studios in Spain.

Ariel Martinez deserves mention for his observations about the limitations for drawing compositional procedures based on analysis exclusively. Alessandro Cipriani for his advice and providing me with key material for this paper.

Bateson, G. (1979). Esp=EDritu y Naturaleza. Amorrortu Editores.

Cipriani, A. (1995). Problems of methodology: the analysis of Kontakte.Thinking in terms of stories. Proceedings of the XI Colloquio di InformaticaMusicale. AIMI and Bologna University

Martí nez, A. (1987). Non-published manuscripts given to students at the Universidad Nacional de Có rdoba (Argentina).

This paper was presented as part of the Third Symposium of Computer Music in Brazil.