Some questions about the writing of the Miradouros series: representations and meanings of the score for the modular synthesizer
The notation for mixed music is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of contemporary music today. Traditional music writing is not capable of capturing the sounds and pitches of electronic instruments, and has come to mean in fact a triggering (or direction) of what will emerge from the synthesizer (or pre-recorded tape). There are many examples of composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Jonathan Harvey, Fausto Romitelli, among others, who deal with synthesizers and the like within a line more focused on the restriction of the partition of previously recorded (or manipulated) scenes than necessarily an interaction of sound and timbral construction. But what can we really highlight about the current writing for electronic instruments and how can we improve this explanation for future interpreters of contemporary music? How can we enter into a possibility of more visually creative sound construction?
From a more applied perspective to musical practice, we can understand the modular synthesizer patch itself as a predefined score. As we move forward, we still have the notation of the buttons and their positions. If we take our digital modules, we still have issues such as diving deep into the menu and specific details. How do we deal with such detail within the partition that is not necessarily working at the defined pitches? How can free improvisation and the performer’s personal decision-making help with this?
If we start from a perspective on the conservation of the musical patch as a defined performance, we will have countless possible observations for this musical orientation and a difficulty with the synchronization of the other musicians (and/or Ensemble). In light of the theory on smooth time and striated time (Boulez, Pierre. Música hoje 2), we will address the possibilities of this universe of mixed music.
Example of patch exchange between Rings and Instrument Interface of the “Adamastor” movement for guitar and modular synthesizer from the “Miradouros” series
This article brings to light the reflection and questioning for the academic community on how to deal with this paradigm shift in musical writing and how to bring more practical and less bureaucratic writing to electronic scores. We will see some musical examples from other authors and how it is done in the score “Adamastor” (from the Miradouros series) for guitar and modular synthesizer.
Keywords: composition, score, modular synthesis
Biography
Ely Janoville Santana Sobral was born on August 10, 1993, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, and moved to Brasília the following year. He entered the Escola de Música de Brasília (EMB) at the age of nine where he studied Violin, Piano, Drums and Guitar, the latter being his main instrument. At the age of eighteen, he entered the bachelor ‘s degree in Classical Guitar at the University of Brasília. He graduated from the University of Brasília in classical guitar (under the guidance of the guitarist and Professor Eustáquio Grilo), he took a master’s degree in composition for guitar with Professor Flavio Santos Pereira and worked as a researcher/scholarship holder at the same institution. As guitarist and multi-instrumentalist he played and accompanied a great variety of artists and singers from Brazil, Latin America and the world. Besides he maintains his studies with modular synthesis and creative diy for music electronics. He resides in Lisbon where he is currently doing a doctorate in the University of Lisbon/ESML in composition with Carlos Marecos and works composing, playing, arranging and accompanying the most varied projects and proposals in both classical and popular music, theater and cinema.
University of Lisbon / ESML – elyjanoville93@gmail.com