New Musical Expression

A further step in making music more attractive is the aestheticization of the music notation itself. The need for new musical expression confronted composers with the limitations of "usual" musical notation. New graphic elements were added or displaced completely the normal notation. The scores of John Cage clearly illustrate this.

"Ode de Cologne", a composition that represents the Cologne Cathedral, occupies an exceptional place. The notation is very "classical", but the shape of the work is very strictly determined by the similarity with the Gothic building. Visually it is a nice effect and it looks as the visual message is stronger than the musical one.

John Cage (1912-1992) wrote Aria in 1958 for the avant-garde mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian (1925-1983). The work can be performed independently or as part of Fontana Mix. B-Bc BV-10-2607.     John Cage (1912-1992) wrote Aria in 1958 for the avant-garde mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian (1925-1983). The work can be performed independently or as part of Fontana Mix. B-Bc BV-10-2607.

 

Le tango [and] Feux d’artifice [from] Sports et Divertissements by Erik Satie (1866-1925). This cycle of 24 short piano pieces was composed in 1914. The work has been published in collaboration with the French illustrator Charles Martin (1884-1934). Satie wrote about this: ‘This publication consists of two artistic elements: drawing and music. The drawing consists of lines, lines of the mind; the music consists of points, black points. These two combined elements form one whole: an album.’ B-Bc 46079.     Le tango [and] Feux d’artifice [from] Sports et Divertissements by Erik Satie (1866-1925). This cycle of 24 short piano pieces was composed in 1914. The work has been published in collaboration with the French illustrator Charles Martin (1884-1934). Satie wrote about this: ‘This publication consists of two artistic elements: drawing and music. The drawing consists of lines, lines of the mind; the music consists of points, black points. These two combined elements form one whole: an album.’ B-Bc 46079.

Le tango [and] Feux d’artifice [from] Sports et Divertissements by Erik Satie (1866-1925). This cycle of 24 short piano pieces was composed in 1914. The work has been published in collaboration with the French illustrator Charles Martin (1884-1934). Satie wrote about this: ‘This publication consists of two artistic elements: drawing and music. The drawing consists of lines, lines of the mind; the music consists of points, black points. These two combined elements form one whole: an album.’ B-Bc 46079.

 

Leon Schidlowsky (° 1931) is active as a composer and painter. It is not surprising that many of his compositions are graphic scores. The work Koloth or Voices is written for harp. B-Bc E03242.     Leon Schidlowsky (° 1931) is active as a composer and painter. It is not surprising that many of his compositions are graphic scores. The work Koloth or Voices is written for harp. B-Bc E03242.

 

Collage of a few pages from Fontana Mix, a work from 1958 by John Cage. In this work he combines sounds from the city and nature in addition to acoustic, electronic and amplified sounds. He clearly abandons the traditional role of the composer, namely that of someone who wants to control sound production as much as possible, and lets chance play a major role in his music. The work consists of sheets with lines and transparencies with spheres. The transparencies are laid randomly on the lines, so that each version is different. The collage presented here is not intended for execution, merely to illustrate the composition of the work. B-Bc BV-10-7199.

Collage of a few pages from Fontana Mix, a work from 1958 by John Cage. In this work he combines sounds from the city and nature in addition to acoustic, electronic and amplified sounds. He clearly abandons the traditional role of the composer, namely that of someone who wants to control sound production as much as possible, and lets chance play a major role in his music. The work consists of sheets with lines and transparencies with spheres. The transparencies are laid randomly on the lines, so that each version is different. The collage presented here is not intended for execution, merely to illustrate the composition of the work. B-Bc BV-10-7199. Collage of a few pages from Fontana Mix, a work from 1958 by John Cage. In this work he combines sounds from the city and nature in addition to acoustic, electronic and amplified sounds. He clearly abandons the traditional role of the composer, namely that of someone who wants to control sound production as much as possible, and lets chance play a major role in his music. The work consists of sheets with lines and transparencies with spheres. The transparencies are laid randomly on the lines, so that each version is different. The collage presented here is not intended for execution, merely to illustrate the composition of the work. B-Bc BV-10-7199.

 

Eleven Echoes of Autumn, for violin, alto flute, clarinet and piano from 1965 by the American composer George Crumb (° 1929). His work is characterized by the search for new sound colors and alternative music notation. B-Bc F77916.

 

The Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti (° 1931) illustrates the integration of graphic elements in a still largely classical score. Fragmentations pour un joueur de harpes dates back from 1962. B-Bc 54046.

 

Artikulation by György Ligeti (1923-2006) is an electronic composition from 1958. The title refers to an abstract conversation, without language, but is constructed with questions and answers. Because electronic music is rather difficult to access, Rainer Wehinger made this colorful ‘listening score’ in 1970. This visual transcription was criticized because the notation is not precise, but it does give the listener a grip to follow Artikulation. Ligeti appreciated Wehinger's input. B-Bc 58077 and 66851.

 

Electre is an ‘action musicale’ by Henri Pousseur (1929-2009) on a libretto from Pierre Rhallys after Sophocles. The work is written for instrumental ensemble, electronics, tape recorder and narration. Here too, the graphic score is not by the composer himself, but by Sylvano Bussotti. He based his design on the recording and the notes of Pousseur himself. B-Bc P-1-00033.

Electre is an ‘action musicale’ by Henri Pousseur (1929-2009) on a libretto from Pierre Rhallys after Sophocles. The work is written for instrumental ensemble, electronics, tape recorder and narration. Here too, the graphic score is not by the composer himself, but by Sylvano Bussotti. He based his design on the recording and the notes of Pousseur himself. B-Bc P-1-00033.

 

Fresco by Karlheinz Stockhausen (1828-2007) has Wall Sounds for Meditation as a subtitle. The illustrations on the cover are not only decorative, but also informative. They indicate how the four orchestra groups, each indicated by a color, can be arranged in different concert rooms. The specific orchestral arrangement is probably intended as a ‘meditation aid to concentration’. B-Bc 62193.

 

Ode de Cologne was initially a musical Christmas card that represented the Cologne Cathedral. Only later did Geoffry Wharton make a real composition of it. B-Bc BV-10-4060.