Skip to main content

Edgar Varese - Poeme Electronique Listening Report

 

Varese’s “poeme electronique” is a composition of sounds that uses spacious differences to create a four-dimensional effect. It starts with identifiable church bells, like ACDC’s hell’s bells. After that, most of the sounds are unidentifiable and difficult to describe. Most sounds are altered, similar to what is now possible with synthesizers. Reverb is added to give more volume to the special attributes and reminds me of a large church, which is introduced in the beginning with the church bells, so this reminder could be intentional. I would describe most sounds as squeaky and noisy. As I said, there are not many recognizable sounds from an instrument or like in other experimental music from household items. For me, Varese tried to question the known definition of music by using structured noises to create music. For him, music is nothing more than noises that are put or altered in a specific way. He uses different types of noises that have similar properties like the high-frequency noise from a microphone or walkie-talkie. The composition seems to be quite random, but he uses alternations with juxtaposition to create compelling soundscapes. This is especially visible with the two singing voices that start high-pitched and then get replaced by lower-pitched singing. All in all, the spacious quality of the sounds adds unexpected flow to the musical piece. Sounds can travel from one end to another or start in the middle and expand through all directions. Varese’s spacious work seems to be the forerunner of what we see (or hear) in movie theatres today. Dolby Surround, and the latest version Dolby Atmos, use similar techniques to create the illusion of realism. Natural sound does not just come from one direction. It moves and can surprise the receiver with sudden changes in space and direction. This adds not just to movies a more natural soundscape but to Varese’s “Poeme Electronique” as well.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

William Basinski – The Disintegration Loops III

  The Disintegration Loops is a quartet of albums published in 2002 and 2003 by American avant-garde composer William Basinski. The pieces are made up of tape loop recordings that were played over time, with noise and crackles rising as the tape deteriorated. Basinski noticed this effect when attempting to convert his older recordings to digital format. The completion of the recordings coincided with the September 11, 2001 events, which Basinski witnessed and adds a deeper meaning to the composition. The composition is fascinating in many ways and makes the listener lose track of time. The tape loop recording had a very calming effect on me and put me in a trance-like state when I listened to it in its entirety. The tape loop is really soothing, so much so that I didn't even notice the loss of quality when I first listened to it. It makes you forget about time and allows you to really get into the piece capturing the calmness it exudes. You forget or don't really notice how i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pauline Oliveros – The Goddard in the Dan Harpole Cistern

  After watching Dan Harpole's film of Goddard in the Cistern, one is struck by how creepy the location appears and feels. In the light, you can just make out a lengthy ladder leading down into a concrete-walled area. It's absolutely dark, with only the top hatch and a small lamp providing lighting. This sequence accounts for a significant portion of the plot. Three persons are seen climbing up and down the ladder, which might be regarded the music piece's official start. Additionally, while the name "Dan Harpole Cistern" suggests a vast space, it appears to be a homemade video. A hum and other vocal noises travel across the room, bouncing off the walls. The women's voices generate a hum that contributes to the room's unique feel. The beautiful singing is interrupted by metal fragments falling on the floor. One would ask how much thought went into the sounds, given that the majority of them appear to be chosen at random. The emphasis is not on making sound...
Post a Comment
Read more

John Oswald – Plexure (Full Album)

  Jon Oswald was known for his Plunderphonics music pieces, where he created new pieces from already existing music recordings of famous artists and reworked them. Artists like Michael Jackson, who was also part of the cover on Plunderphonic, The Beatles, James Brown, Bing Crosby but also classical musicians like Beethoven and Bach were part of his pieces.   The first minute and a half of his album consists of a wild mix of R&B and hip-hop songs. They are single, very short sequences, about 2-3 seconds long, which were cut together. The first song was introduced with a sound that reminded me of Michael Jackson's Thriller. From minute five to about minute seven, the use of rock & roll music was recognizable. At the end, I recognized Madonna, Nirvana and again Michael Jackson, among others. Personally, I can hardly identify with this kind of music, because listening to the album, I felt the compilation was relatively arbitrary and not balanced with each other. I recogniz...
Post a Comment
Read more