The roles of live-electronics in the chosen electroacoustic solo instrument works

Abstract

In the scope of the research on Western Art Music, the analysis of electroacoustic music is a sparsely crowded subfield. As yet an emerging field, electroacoustic music is not studied with generally agreed methodology. On the contrary, the analytical tools are continuously evolving, and new research attempts to find methodology better suited to the analysis of electroacoustic music as opposed to the Western Art Music analysis tradition. The existing research on electroacoustic music, also, mostly focuses on the music-technological aspects and computing or the experiences of a performer on working with the digital system. The creative usage of electronics and their purpose is rarely studied.

This work studies three electroacoustic pieces with acoustic solo instruments and live-electronics from the aspect of roles. The study attempts to answer to the research questions on the roles live-electronics are given, how the electronics interact with solo instruments, and their relation. In addition, it is speculated whether the pieces could exist without the electronics. By this study, attention is drawn to the electronics as a meaningful and crucial element for defining the characteristics of a piece, not only acting in the background. The study is approached with score and aural analysis, the latter seen particularly important for the analysis of electroacoustic music.

The results of this work highlight the importance of the live-electronics, acting in various roles alongside a solo acoustic instrument. The versatile roles appear in several categories, from perceptional to timbral. Moreover, live-electronics are a crucial element for the characteristic of a piece. The findings indicate that the compositional usage of live-electronics in art music is worth further and more detailed study. The work also demonstrates the value of aural analysis for the research on electroacoustic music.