THYG 591 Perspectives on SpectralMusic
When Gérard Grisey and Tristan Murail began their compositional adventures that would lead to the spectral movement, some of their ideas were appearing elsewhere as well. Independently or not, other composers developed music with similar ideas. As a result there are many different kinds of music that belong to the spectral school at large. While this class focuses French spectral music, other kinds of music closely related to spectralism will be presented. Examples are: Romanian spectralism, the Feedback group from Cologne, and American spectral composers. Also individual composers such as Magnus Lindberg, Hans Zender, Marc-André Dalbavie, Julian Anderson, Luc Brewaeys, Kaija Saariaho, and Georg Friedrich Haas, each in their own way, are indebted to the spectral movement. Spectral techniques as developed by the French spectralists will be discussed in detail with an introduction to OpenMusic. OpenMusic is the software that Murail and Grisey developed to help them realize their compositional tools. Students are expected to understand the basics of spectral techniques, and how OpenMusic facilitates the use of spectral techniques. The goal is to enhance a profound understanding of spectral music through analysis and – if applicable – compositional work.