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Soundscape Elements in the Music of Denis Smalley: negotiating the abstract and the mimetic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

James O'Callaghan
James O'Callaghan*
Affiliation:
202–1620 E Pender St, V5L 1W3, Vancouver, BC, Canada
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper examines the use of soundscape elements and mimetic sound-identities in the music of Denis Smalley. It attempts to reconcile these elements with the acousmatic tradition from which his music emerges, illustrating that it does not represent a contradiction, but rather a refined aesthetic where spectromorphological and soundscape concerns relate in symbiosis. A close look at key works, including Empty Vessels (1997), Valley Flow (1992) and Pentes (1974), reveals how these elements manifest themselves in his work, and how the spectromorphological and soundscape aspects of these pieces work together toward shared goals.

Type
Articles
Information
Organised Sound , Volume 16 , Issue 1: Denis Smalley: his influence on the theory and practice of electroacoustic music , April 2011 , pp. 54 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

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DISCOGRAPHY

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