Listen to the following 2 pieces: Incantation by Otto Luening and Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Concret PH by Iannis Xenakis.
Listening strategy: What did you hear in relation to the following?:
CONTENT:
•What are the types of sounds used?: are they synthetic, natural (concrète)? Can you describe them? Might they be replicated in some way in MetaSynth?
•Are there other types of sonic elements used - effects, layering of sonic strata?
•Are particular kinds of mixing techniques used - use of stereo spectrum for example?
FORM
•What do you perceive as the form of the piece?: what evidence is there regarding repetition, through-composed form, evidence of standard musical forms (binary, rounded-binary, ABA etc.).
•Does the content relate to form in any way? For example, do you hear certain types of sounds at particular times and not at others? Are their characteristic sound elements used in some areas and not others?
Combine your listening with some web or other research on these composers and specific pieces and write a 3 page max (12 point - dbl spaced) paper that compares and contrasts these two pieces in some detail, based on the above listening strategy, with a little bit of relevant information about the composers mixed in as well. Try to write objectively about these pieces rather than approaching this as an opinion piece. Reach for discussing the
larger scale characteristics rather than a moment by moment description.
listening/writing
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