Analysis of EnTrance (1995) by Fausto Romitelli

Introduction

Summary

Fausto Romitelli stands out among the composers of his generation. He developed a sophisticated musical lexicon based upon spectral procedures which capitalises upon the expressive and timbral potential of electric/electronic instruments and various sound synthesis techniques, applying them to elements derived from popular musical styles (i.e., rock, prog rock). Produced at Ircam in 1995, EnTrance is a work for soprano, ensemble and electronics. It was premiered at the Espace de Projection at Ircam on 26 January, 1996 by Françoise Kubler and Ensemble Intercontemporain, conducted by Ed Spanjaar. In this analysis, we hope to shed light on Romitelli’s work methods, drawing notably upon his sketches as well as the software patches created for sound syntheses and to facilitate the compositional process. This analysis is the result of study of numerous resources housed at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini - Istituto per la musica in Venice [hereafter Fondation Cini], the Ricordi Archives in Milan and Ircam, as well as material in the possession of Laurent Pottier, the Computer Music Designer who worked alongside Romitelli in the creation of the material for electronics in this work.

Context

In the 1980s and ‘90s, much of the research undertaken at Ircam was focused on computer-assisted composition (CAC). Various programming languages and systems designed to provide a high level of control over sound synthesis processes were developed with the aim of making a range of tools available to composers which would facilitate novel forms of experimentation and redefine the boundaries of composition.

Spurred on by his encounters with digital sound synthesis and the new degrees of precision with which computer software made the control of such procedures possible, Romitelli developed a personal approach to timbre, one informed by debate that was, at the time, at the forefront of the minds of practitioners of European new-music [Boulez, 1987 ; Barrière, 1991]. In his works from this period (1990–96), the influence of spectral music theory is palpable; notably, Tristan Murail, who arguably reconciled the process-oriented work of Gérard Grisey into a functional form of spectralism [Orcalli, 2013], heavily influenced Romitelli’s musical thought. Thanks to new systems of notation and forms of sonic representation, as well as the ability to analyse the parameters of acoustic phenomena using digital technology, it was now possible for composers to consider sonic spectra not only in the qualitative sense, but also from a discrete parametric perspective. In this context, Romitelli devised combinatorial procedures based on his prior studies with Franco Donatoni and the spectral techniques which were being espoused by the composers of the L’Itinéraire collective.

While participating in the Ircam “Cursus” (IRCAM’s composition and computer music course) in 1991–92, Romitelli learnt the rudiments of computer programming and became interested in digital synthesis. He subsequently received a grant allowing him to remain at Ircam to undertake a compositeur en recherche research-oriented residency (1993–95), during which he worked with the Musical Representations Team on the continued development of the PatchWork software. It was during this time that he formalised—and applied in several of his works—his reflections on the relationship between the tools and processes used by linguists and those used by composers. At the conclusion of this residency, Romitelli received a commission from Ircam to compose a new piece based upon an additional six-month residency in the institution’s studios (July 1995 to January 1996). During this period, he worked with Pottier on the creation of the electronics for his new work [Olto, 2017a; Pottier, 2001].

While at Ircam, Romitelli contributed to the development of several computer programmes which made it possible to construct timbral environments based on the relationships between various aggregates and spectra:

Based on fixed parameters of one type or another, the system is able to create a network of constraints; it then generates all possible outcomes which respect those rules (i.e., spectral pitch-sets containing all allowed intervals). The PatchWork interface is then able to render the results in musical notation or generate a synthesis script for use in Csound [Romitelli, 1993, p. 46].

EnTrance is the most significant record of Romitelli’s research during this period.

Influence of Pop/Rock Music

Drawing upon developments in the fields of rock music, prog rock and techno, Romitelli became one of only a handful of composers to have brought about veritable a renewal in musical syntax, notably concerning the treatment of timbre.

What has always interested me in rock music, and what I find interesting in techno music at the moment, is the treatment of sonic material. Let’s take Jimi Hendrix as an example: he was solely interested in the treatment of material, but he was a giant figure. In his music, we observe modulations of density, of granularity, of sonorous space—all of which were intuitive of course, but which were nonetheless extremely subtle, inventive and energetic […]. However, my interest in rock music is just one aspect of a broad fascination I have for synthesis, instrumental fusion and, more generally, the idea of creating extremely granular or distorted sounds, of composing using telluric, violent musical material. I have been aware of this correlation between rock music and the objectives of the Spectralist composers for a long time [Romitelli, 2001b, p. 76].

Electronic/electric instruments—notably the guitar, with its arsenal of distortions and effects—make it easy to produce saturated sounds, i.e., extremely dense masses of frequencies which, when amplified, give rise to wholly new levels of sonic energy. In turn, digital technology makes it possible to tame this energy, allowing composers to experiment with and integrate these sounds into their works.

If we want to avoid the dryness of academic music, we must constantly engage with the world which surrounds us and make use of materials originating from multiple, varied sonic realms. Distanced from both “Avant Garde” and commercial musics, rock and techno artists from the 1960s to today have undertaken their own musical experiments, tirelessly but undogmatically pursuing new sonic possibilities which compliment research into sound and the use of noise-based material in order to maximise cognitive impact. The next musical revolution may not come from notated forms or cultivated composers, but from the anonymous crowd of young people, all of whom nowadays own a computer which is capable of sampling and treating sounds. Indeed, in the absence of artistic pretence, these are the people who may author a new type of craft, a new sensibility and perhaps, tomorrow, a new form of music [Romitelli, 2001a, p. 133].

Nowadays, music ought to be violent and enigmatic, because only such music can reflect the violence of the widespread alienation and the processes of normalisation that surround us. [Romitelli, 2001b, p. 74]

Most of Romitelli’s works are characterised by the use of timbres constructed from combinations of instrumental sounds, electric/electronic instruments and synthesised sounds. In contrast, he has never made significant use of concrete sounds except as starting materials to be sculpted, i.e., as the bases for synthesis models.

Overview of the Work

Instrumentation

EnTrance is a work of mixed music in which the various acoustic instruments in the ensemble are made “complete” through the addition of electronic devices, i.e., a synthesiser, a sampler and quadrophonic fixed media, produced in a studio. The heterogenous nature of the work’s instrumentation evokes a complex organological model.

• Woodwinds: flute (including bass flute), oboe (and cor anglais), clarinet in Bb (and bass clarinet), bassoon
• Harmonica (3.5 cm long, diatonic) played by the bassoonist, trombonist and one of the horns
• Brass: two horns, trumpet in C, trombone
• Strings: two violins, viola, cello and five-string contrabass
• Voice: soprano
• Percussion instruments with fixed pitch: vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, three gongs
• Percussion instruments of indeterminate pitch: bass drum, tam tam, steelpan, two congas, three China cymbals, splash cymbal, small ride cymbal
• Piano
• Electronics :
  * Keyboard 1 (played by the pianist) : Yamaha SY99 synthesiser with two presets.
  * Keyboard 2 : Yamaha KX88 synthesiser controlling a Digidesign SampleCell sampler with five presets.
  * Keyboard 3 : Yamaha KX76 synthesiser triggering the quadrophonic fixed media produced in the studio and comprising 11 segments, synchronised with the conductor via a click track (MIDI, played back on a Yamaha TX802 synthesiser).

In this work, two keyboard players control the electronics. The first performs the piano and synthesiser parts while the second plays two master MIDI keyboards, one of which triggers sustained sounds from the sampler while the other triggers the playback, via a computer, of quadrophonic sound files. Each keyboard player has two pedals: one to control playback volume and the other to sustain sounds when the keys on the keyboard are released, allowing the performers to operate the pitch-bend wheels on their respective instruments, thereby altering the pitch content.

The quadrophonic fixed media comprises 11 segments; the conductor works with a click track in order to ensure synchronicity with the instrumental material. The instruments are also amplified via on-stage speakers in order to improve the fusion of acoustic and electronic sound sources. Meanwhile, the fixed media is diffused via six loud-speakers positioned around the audience. The singer is also amplified using two microphones: one for simple amplification through the on-stage speakers and the other capturing sound to be treated with reverb, which is then diffused in the rear of the hall.

Figure 1. EnTrance, schematic of the audio and MIDI setup [© Ricordi, 1996]

Structure et Matérial

The work has a cyclical form based on the recurrence of three “states,” i.e., A, B and C :

• A) Slow and regular breathing, polarised harmonic content, fixed instrumental registers, fusion (homeostatic, immobile, suspended), air sounds.
• B) Accelerated breathing, shorter and shorter durations of inhaling, crescendo (both of dynamics and agogics), exponential growth in terms of density, acceleration of harmonic development and increased use of distortion, accentuation of transient sounds (note onsets, etc.) to the point that a disturbance/distortion of perceived pitches occurs.
• C) Rapid and violent articulations, conclusion of the inhaling/exhaling material performed by the singer, a new type of polarisation and extreme regularity in terms of the harmonic rhythm giving rise to a quasi-hypnotic atmosphere, no timbral fusion but instead a singular, furious collective instrumental gesture.

Romitelli described these three “states” as corresponding to situations of stasis (A), acceleration (B) and with violent, rapid articulation (C) [Romitelli, 1996, p. 5].

“Type A” Sections

The Type A sections may be divided into two sub-sections. The first, a kind of static prelude, is accompanied by the use of restrained harmonic material and fixed instrumental registers [Figure 2/Media 1]. The introduction of electronic material marks the beginning of the second sub-section, in which a process of timbral transformation is gradually applied whereby collections of pitches which are perceptually closely related to those already audible are introduced. The overall effect is one of prolongation of the sense of stasis. [Figure 3/Media 2].

Figure 2. EnTrance, bb. 1-10 [© Ricordi, 1996].[© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Media 1. EnTrance, m. 1-8 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Figure 3. EnTrance, m. 11-20, p.2 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Media 2. EnTrance, m. 9-40 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

“Type B” Sections

In the Type B sections, the very short phases of breathing are followed by loud, exclamatory vocal outbursts, each of which triggers rapid passages in the instrumental writing, e.g., arpeggios or glissandi. The breathing alternates between a continuous sound and series of discrete gestures, and fuses with instrumental material played at soft dynamics. The overall intensity is therefore either sforzato or pianissimo. Meanwhile, the sonic density is elevated; the harmonic aggregates (as described in the summary of Type A sections) are now considerably more distanced from their source pitches and are subjected to a process of temporal compression. Distortion is used systematically, both as a means to increase the harmonic density and to evoke a sense of saturation. The electronics here make use of transformed sounds of electric and bass guitars [Figure 4/Media 3].

Figure 4. EnTrance, m. 91-100 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Media 3. EnTrance, m. 40-108 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

“Type C” Sections

The “violent, rapid” articulations mentioned by Romitelli occur in the Type C sections. The rhythmic content is emphasised at the expense of the overall sonic density, which is generally diminished. In these sections, there is no longer explicit harmonic movement; rather, the timbres of individual instruments emerge clearly, while the voice repeats melodic figures in an almost maniacal manner. In addition to the rapid articulations in the instrumental writing, we hear complex syntheses (pre-recorded) and a recording of an overdriven electric guitar. The violent nature of these sections is indicated in the score in the form of instructions such as furioso, con estrema violenza, molto ritmato, martellato, sempre forte and brutale [Figure 5/Media 4].

Figure 5. EnTrance, m. 131-140 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Media 4. EnTrance, m. 114-163 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Overall Form

EnTrance comprises three parts corresponding to three distinct cycles of breathing. The three states which characterise these cycles are easily recognisable in the two first parts, in which the linearity of the process A (A’+A”) → B → C is clearly perceptible. This is in contrast to the third section, in which the evolution is far less linear, due largely to the appearance of new, “hybrid” material (evocative of that in sections of type A and B) and the fragmentation of the type-C material itself [Figure 6]. The jumps between these two types of material, given that they require abrupt changes of musical parameters, are disconcerting. With this in mind, the words of Romitelli become particularly apt :

Attempts to find in this work elegant, proportional harmonies, a formal equilibrium or gradual and linear transformations will come to nothing. Rather, I focused on the creation of something obsessive, violent, repetitive and visionary which oscillates between extreme density and extreme rarefaction [Romitelli, 1996, p. 7].

The work concludes with a coda which is characterised by dynamics ranging from p to pppp and a total fusion of the instrumental and electronic material. A descending series of chords concludes in the extreme-low register, which necessitates the use of a scordatura on the lowest two strings of the contrabasses. The process concludes in silence in the final measure.

Figure 6. Structure of EnTrance showing the distribution of the material for electronics, which the composer represents with letters. The timing corresponds to the recording of the premiere performance [Arch. Ircam – Production].

Text

As the work’s title suggests, the underlying idea is to create an atmosphere of ritual, the objective of which is to induce a trance-like state. The textual basis for the material performed by the vocalist is a 15-syllable mantra by Bardo Thödöl from The Tibetan Book of the Dead: om a yu še sa ra ha ra ka ra re sva re hûm p’at [Tucci, 1972, p. 217 ; Iglesias, 2003]. In the programme note, Romitelli explains his use of the mantra in the different parts of the work: From a phonological perspective, the transitions from type A to type C sections “correspond to a form of non-linear evolution, i.e., from vocalisations of protracted, deep vowels (‘u,’ ‘e’ and ‘o’ in Italian) associated with nasals (‘m’) and fricatives (‘s,’ ‘sh’) to a more compact vowel (‘a’) sound which is associated with plosives (‘k,’ ‘p’) and trills (Italian ‘r’)” [Romitelli, 1996, p. 5].

The process described by Romitelli is applied in the first and third parts of the work. However, in the second part, the voice chants occlusives and rolled fricatives (‘ha,’ ‘ra,’ ‘ka,’ ‘re,’ etc.) in type A sections, repeats the mantra in its entirety in type B sections and is absent altogether in type C sections [Figure 7].

Figure 7. Structure of the text in EnTrance. This “mantra” is spoken in full in Sections 2B and 3C.

In addition to the score calling for inhaling singing no less frequently than ordinario, the soprano is required to move her head frequently in order to direct her voice to one of the two microphones [Figure 8]. The lyrical, “exhaling” vocal material is simply amplified and diffused via the loud-speakers placed on the stage. In contrast, the noisy inhaling singing passes through reverb and echo units before being diffused via loud-speakers at the rear of the hall. The voice is at the heart of this work, providing the impetus for its forward momentum; its respiratory rhythm demarcates the harmonic rhythm in the instrumental writing, as well as the transformations of density and volume.

This inhalation/exhalation of sacred monosyllables, its acceleration and the movements of the singer’s head collectively evoke the ritualistic nature of certain traditional forms of music which induce a trance state among listeners through their relationship with physiological phenomena, such as hyperventilation through accelerated breathing, or in other words, supplying the brain with the maximum possible amount of oxygen [Romitelli, 1996, p. 5].

Figure 8. EnTrance, soprano, m. 1-10 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Description of the Material for Electronics

Keyboard 1 – synthesiser

In the original version, keyboard 1 was performed on a Yamaha SY99 synthesiser with the following two presets :

• a “filtered strings”-type sound.
• the same sound transposed up by a quarter tone.

The keyboard player uses the pitch-bend wheel, programmed to shift the pitch by a maximum of a whole tone, to vary the sustained pitches. The dynamics are controlled via a volume pedal. Finally, a sustain pedal makes it possible to prolong pitches without having the hold the corresponding keys [Figure 9].

Figure 9. EnTrance, Keyboard 1 (“tast I”),bb. 1-7 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Keyboard 2 – Sampler

A Yamaha KX88 was used to control the sampler, which had five presents. The pitch-bend wheel was programmed to modulate the pitch up or down by up to seven semitones. The pre-recorded samples were as follows :

• a “filtered strings”-type sound (a single pitch, i.e., C5 = MIDI note 84) [Media 5].
• the same sound transposed up by a quarter tone
• a distorted electric guitar playing E1, with a duration of 4 seconds [Media 6].
• a distorted guitar playing an E-major chord (lowest note E1), with a duration of 4 seconds [Media 7].
• a piano sound (sampled multiple times at dynamics of piano and mezzo forte) comprising eight pitches (from A0 to B4).

Media 5. Filtered strings [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 6. Electric guitar with distortion (note) [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 7. Electric guitar with distortion (major chord) [© Arch. Pottier].

The “filtered strings” samples are looped and thus can be sustained according to the durations indicated in the score [Figure 10]. The electric guitar sounds are not looped [Figure 11]. While the piano sample is output via the right channel, all other samples are output via the left; the sound engineer is tasked with applying reverb to the latter.

Figure 10. EnTrance, Keyboard 2 (“tast II”), b. 71 [© Ricordi, 1996]. Setting: “filtered strings” with control over pitch and volume via a pitch-bend wheel and an expression pedal, respectively.

Figure 11. EnTrance, Keyboard 2, b. 133 [© Ricordi, 1996]. Setting: distorted electric guitar sound which is held while the orchestra is playing.

Quadrophonic Output

The fixed-media material comprises eleven quadrophonic audio files, referenced in the score as S, T, Y, Q, W, AB, G, Ca, Cb, X and K. Present in around three quarters of the work [Figure 12], this material must be diffused at a volume comparable to that of the orchestra. Several “families” of homogenous sounds are present, constructed according to varying methods of synthesis and transformation. The sounds include purely artificial synthesis, synthesis based on acoustic instrumental models, and sampled instruments with and without subsequent treatments.

Figure 12. Recording of the piece (light-blue waveform with dark blue background) and fixed-media (grey waveform with black background).

Sounds originating from instruments

The instrumental samples served two purposes: some were used as the basis for subsequent syntheses, while others appear in the fixed-media part. The latter, comprising very rich, noisy textures, were recorded with three musicians:

• a contrabass recorder player performing airy sounds, circular breathing, multiphonics, harmonic sweeps and notes in the very low register [Media 8].

Media 8. Recording of contrabass recorder [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

• a guitarist (Fred Bigot) playing heavily distorted pitches with an e-bow while gently scratching the strings [Media 9].

Media 9. Recording of electric guitar [© Ircam – Production].[© Arch. Ircam – Production].

• an electric bass player (Kasper T. Toeplitz) playing heavily distorted, noisy pitches with a bow [Media 10].

Media 10. Recording of electric bass guitar [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

The samples used as models for syntheses or to generate cross-synthesised sounds originated from commercial sound banks (electric guitar, percussion, cello, brass).

Computer-Aided Composition as a means of controlling synthesis
!!! danger est ce juste ? (program created by Pottier)

!!!
Romitelli and Pottier decided to use synthesis techniques which allowed them to produce an elementary sound of which certain characteristics were inspired by an instrumental acoustic model [Pottier, 1997a]. Through the proliferation of these elementary sounds, they produced more complex textures. Algorithms for interpolation, deformation and harmonic progressions then allowed them to create a series of homogenous sounds for each section within the piece. All these processes were automated using a programme created by Pottier in the PatchWork (PW) programming environment [Figure 13]. The data were then imported to Csound, which created the various groups of synthesis sounds.

!!! danger check title figure 13 on session

!!!
Figure 13. Three layers of a PatchWork session which controls the synthesis.

Other series of sounds were created in this way, using different synthesis techniques or effects. These sounds were then combined and mixed to generate sophisticated sonic organisms with their own identities, allowing them to balance and interact with the acoustic instrumental material. For example, in section 1B, sound file T [Figure 14/Media 11] comprises superimposed recordings of a distorted electric bass and a number of sounds produced by applying the four synthesis techniques which will be presented in detail below.

Figure 14. Schematic of the editing/mixing process of fixed-media item T (Section 1B). The harmonic progression in this sound file—created from syntheses (“V04”, “V91”, “Celldist”, “datachantfof”) and untreated samples of electric bass (“KP”)—accelerates progressively in nine successive steps.

Media 11. Electronics in Part T of Section 1B [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Real-time Processing

In addition to the samples used in their original form in composite edits and in the creation of synthesis material, the quadrophonic fixed media also includes sounds which have undergone two types of treatment: cross synthesis and filtering. In the case of the former, the Audiosculpt software was used. By applying this process to two complex sounds (e.g., a cymbal played with a bow and a pitch played on an electric guitar with heavy distortion), it is possible to obtain sounds with spectral characteristics which are intermediary to those of the original recordings [Figure 15].

Figure 15. Example of cross-synthesis settings in Audiosculpt. The combination of the “BowedCymbale” [Media 12] and “MetalSingleNoteA1” [Média 13] sound-files resulted in the creation of “BowCym3GCSMetalA1” [Media 14].

Media 12. Sound-file: “BowedCymbale” [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 13. Sound-file: “MetalSingleNoteA1”[© Arch. Pottier].

Media 14. Sound-file: “BowCym3GCSMetalA1”—the result of a process of cross-synthesis of the two aforementioned sound-files [© Arch. Pottier].

Three filtering techniques were also used to transform these sounds :

• Formant-based filtering, which imparts a vocal quality to noisy sounds;
• Resonant filtering via resonant models [Media 15–17], i.e., a type of cross synthesis whereby a complex sound is filtered via a resonance model derived from the analysis of a pre-existing instrumental sound source.
• Harmonic-resonance filtering, which is intended to emphasise certain pre-selected frequencies in a given sound source in order to render it more harmonically coherent with material performed by the ensemble.

!!! danger check figure 16 " cannot edit"

!!!
Figure 16. Summary of the digital processes used to create the quadrophonic fixed media in each section in the work.

Media 15. Sound-file: “attssaarv1b”—produced by resonant filtering via resonant models [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 16. Sound-file: “asectQ-filF00” produced by filtering [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 17. Sound-file: “asectQ-fil00” produced by filtering [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 18. Protools session combining material in Part W of the electronics [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Analysis of Section 1B

Relationships between aggregate pitches and spectra

Section 1B is characterised by oscillations between two fundamentally different harmonic settings: a list of nine aggregates (T) [Figure 19] and a list of spectra (S) constructed on a nine-note melodic sequence of fundamental frequencies [Figure 20]. Section 1B comprises nine sub-sections, each of which may be divided into two smaller parts (aggregate T followed by spectrum S). The harmonic material and the respiratory rhythm in the vocal writing undergo a process of temporal compression, i.e., of acceleration. Following these nine sub-sections, a final codetta occurs [Figure 17].

Figure 17. Structure of Section 1B.

The material for the soprano also follows these structural divisions; in each sub-section, rapid inhaling sounds trigger instrumental material, starting in the high register (F5) and descending, as if exhaling, into the low register [Kaltenecker, 2015, pp.134-137) [Figure 18].

Figure 18. EnTrance, soprano part in the first sub-section, bb.41-50 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

T Aggregates

An analysis of the list of aggregates (below) reveals the nature of the relationships between adjacent sound objects, among which connections are established according to two rules: common pitches and common intervals [Figure 19][^timbre]. The result is a coherent harmonic progression covering an increasingly wide pitch span.

Figure 19. List of aggregates T and their connections (common pitches and intervals)..

S-Spectra

The spectra were devised according to a procedure described by Tristan Murail to emphasise the notion of “frequential harmony” [Murail, 1984; Murail, 2000]. Briefly, each note in a melodic line becomes essential in a spectrum containing 30 partials. These spectra are nonetheless inharmonic, as they are distorted according to the application of various coefficients [Figures 20–22].

Figure 20. List of fundamentals of S spectra and the corresponding coefficients of distortion.

Figure 21. Factors of multiplication of frequencies for three different coefficients of distortion (0.85, 1, 1.1).

Figure 22. OpenMusic patch for the calculation of nine spectra (each comprising the first ten partials).

According to the composer’s sketches, the fundamental frequencies of spectra S are associated with various coefficients of distortion. For S1, for example, we find values of 0.95, 0.8 and 0.7. Romitelli seems therefore to have made an arbitrary decision to use values centred around a coefficient of 0.8; nonetheless, the origins of these values remain unclear. A library of functions, written by Romitelli during this period in the Lisp programming language, leads us to believe that he intended to create connections between aggregates T and spectra S. After having defined the nine aggregates and the list of fundamental frequencies S, it remained only to identify the coefficients of distortion which would make it possible to “integrate” each aggregate into a spectrum. Notably, two Lisp functions appear to have served this purpose: “HH” and “finddist-contr”. The first outputs a list of spectra with a fixed fundamental into which a given aggregate can be integrated (approximated to the nearest semitone). The second determines the coefficients of distortion associated with those spectra. These coefficients correspond with the values found in the aforementioned sketch materials.

Electronics

!!! danger electronic part T correspond to which section?

!!!
Electronics part T comprises two layers [Figure 14]: one is made of samples of a distorted electric bass being played with a bow, while the other includes nine complex aggregates in succession, obtained by mixing four groups of synthesis sound files in different ways.

The syntheses vary in nature [Figure 23] :

• “V04” sounds: wave-form syntheses
• “datachantfof” sounds: percussive formant-wave syntheses (FWS) based on an acoustic model of a contrabass
• “celldist” sounds
• “V91” sounds : wave-form syntheses

Figure 23. Schematic of the organisation of sonic aggregate sounds obtained via different synthesis techniques.

The above schematic illustrates both the roles of the different types of synthesised sounds (“V04”: ascending motion, “V91”: echo, “celldist”: resonance, “datachantfof”: percussion) and connections with the different families of instruments in the ensemble [Figure 24].

Figure 24. The three compositional models which form the basis of the score in Section 1B [Arch. Pottier].

“datachantfof” Sounds
!!! danger does "bw" equals bandwidth ?

!!!
These sounds were produced by percussive FWS, a technique developed at Ircam in the 1980s using the Chant software [Barrière et al., 1985b]. Here, the FWS was based on a resonance model of a recording of a contrabass (this model was created by Jean-Baptiste Barrière and used in his work Hybris (1988)). Romitelli modified the model, retaining only partials with the longest resonances (bw < 1.5 Hz), and multiplying the durations of those resonances by three. Additionally, each partial was doubled one quarter-tone higher to “thicken” the resulting sound [Pottier, 2009, p. 188]. All synthesis sounds were generated in the PatchWork-Chant environment [Figure 25/Medias 19 and 20].

Figure 25. PW-Chant patch used to generate syntheses; the main patch containing the chords to be synthesised (left), the “reson-synth” synthesis module using the resonance model based on a recording of a contrabass [Arch. Pottier].

**Media 19. “datachantfof-CB-0” sound file [© Arch. Pottier]. **

Media 20. “datachantfof-CB-1” sound file [© Arch. Pottier].

Synthesis by variable waveform

In order to obtain “musical” sounds, it is crucial to constantly vary all synthesis parameters (frequency, amplitude, spectrum, etc.). Synthesis by variable waveform makes it possible to interpolate progressively among several oscillators with different waveforms in order to continually vary the spectrum. In this way, the amplitude and the frequency undergo continuous variation. Additionally, it is possible to include periodic modulations and random values in these parameters. While the synthesis sound recordings were produced in Csound, the PatchWork environment—using the SpData [Pottier, 1997b] and Csound/Edit-sco [Malt and Pottier, 1993] libraries—was used to control the various synthesis parameters. Three families of sounds were output: “celldist”, “V91” and “V04”.

The “celldist” sounds were created based on an analysis of a cello [Media 21]. The waveforms used for the syntheses were taken from analyses, once per second, of the first ten partials. The objective was not to synthesise a cello, but rather, to generate a complex sound in which variations were “inspired by” the characteristics of an acoustic instrument. Each of the synthesised sounds [Media 22] was therefore used as one part of a complex final sound [Pottier, 2009, p. 186], made by using the synthesiser to play all 30 notes of spectrum S [Media 23]. In contrast to additive synthesis (which combines pure sounds), this approach makes it possible to create a spectrum which is considerably more complex, aligning it with the spectral technique of instrumental synthesis.

Figure 26. Amplitudes of the lowest harmonics and the associated waveforms of a cello at note onset (above) and resonance after releasing bow from string (below) [Arch. Pottier].

Media 21. Original cello sound [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 22. A partial sound produced by synthesis [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 23. One of the definitive sound files [© Arch. Pottier].

!!! danger "distorted spectra" - est ce juste ?

!!!
Figure 27. PatchWork patch for the synthesis of the “celldist” sounds, created using the SpData and Csound/Edit-sco libraries. The first box highlights the “distchds” variable, which contains a list of frequencies for each of the distorted spectra. Box number 2 indicates the part of the patch which reads the additive analyses of the cello recording; these data were obtained beforehand using the Diphone software. Box number 3 contains the “edit-sco-obj” module, which aggregates all of the calculated parameters and outputs a “score” file which can subsequently be read by Csound.

The “V91” [Media 24 and 25] and “V04” [Media 26 and 27] groups of sound files were also created through a process of synthesis by variable waveform in the PatchWork–Csound environment; however, in these cases, no instrumental model was used. The “V91” sounds used frequencies defined by the T aggregates [Figure 19], while the “V04” sounds used frequencies defined in the S spectra [Figure 20].

Media 24. Sound file: “V91 secT-V91_1accd1”[© Arch. Pottier].

Media 25. Sound file: “V91 secT-V91_1accd2”[© Arch. Pottier].

Media 26. Sound file:”V04 secTB-V04-accd0” [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 27. Sound file:”V04 secTB-V04-accd1” [© Arch. Pottier].

First Sub-Section

The first sub-section occurs in bars 41 to 50 [Figure 28]. Here, the orchestration of T1 is shown in red, and that of S1 in blue. A smooth transition between these harmonic entities is achieved through the use of common tones, the majority of which are played on brass instruments. It is worth noting one other aspect in this section: the material played by the marimba, keyboard 2 and the violins in bars 44–47 (indicated in green) is the result of inverting the intervallic structure of aggregate T1 [Figure 29].

Figure 28. EnTrance, bb. 41-50 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Media 28. EnTrance, bb. 41-50 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Figure 29. Inversion of the intervallic structure of aggregate T1.T₁.

It is worth also mentioning the arpeggios and glissandi in bars 41 and 43 (shown in yellow below). Here, the base material, also originating from aggregate T1, undergoes an additional combinatorial procedure: by placing an axis of symmetry on the interval between B and G, Romitelli created a new sequence of pitches through a process of inversion [Figure 30]. In bar 43, the arpeggios played by the woodwinds draw directly on this sequence of pitches, while the strings and brass instruments play glissandi for which the start and end points are pitches contained therein. The same procedure is applied in the creation of the arpeggios in bar 41, except that in this case, the sequence is transposed: up by a minor sixth for the oboe and violin I, and down by a major second for the bassoon and cello. This is done in order to allow the arpeggiated passage to conclude with an F.

Figure 30. Sequence of pitches used in bars 41 and 43.

The soprano part which signals the beginning of Section 1B was also constructed using a transformed version of aggregate T1. It contains a sequence of pitches generated by eliminating the lowest note in aggregate T1, i.e., B3, and transposing the two highest pitches (G#5 and A5) down an octave, or in other words, compressing the melodic material into the range of a single octave [Figure 31].

Figure 31. EnTrance, soprano, bb. 40-41.

Analysis of Section 2A”

Harmonic Progression

!!! danger check the minor third progression

!!!
The structure of Section 2A” is dictated, in its entirety, by the soprano part which, as Kaltenecker suggested, “comprises three phrases that are characterised by a triple anaphora which descends by a minor third (D4 to B3), followed each time by a three-note ascending chromatic sequence […] ending in Eb; this pitch then serves as the point of departure for the following passage” [Kaltenecker, 2015, p. 138]. The ascending chromatic line, which takes place in nine steps (indicated as Ex below) is interspersed with the D–B anaphora (A in the excerpt below) [Figure 32]. The anaphora (on the syllables “p’at om”) is part of an aggregate [Figure 33] which is orchestrated in the score and repeated verbatim. On the third repetition, the tempo changes from 66 to 76 BPM.

Figure 32. Structure of Section 2A” based on the soprano part, bb. 181-212.

Figure 33. Basic aggregate which is orchestrated in the score.

With each step in the ascending chromatic line in the voice (E), new harmonic material is introduced. The compositional technique applied here is the simulation of frequency modulation synthesis [Murail, 1984], in which the carrier frequencies are the pitches of a Bb minor triad which is “filtered” by isolating the three lowest notes in the basic aggregate. To calculate the frequencies, Romitelli created a number of functions in Lisp. The PatchWork graphic environment then allowed him to covert these frequencies into noteheads on a staff, thereby facilitating the compositional process. Two functions were the most significant in this undertaking :

• “fmmodplus” calculated the frequencies present in the frequency modulation using a fixed carrier frequency, a list of modulating frequencies and a fixed modulation index.
• “jinterpol” output a list of values which interpolated between two lists of frequencies, with the possibility of specifying the number of intermediary steps and a distortion coefficient. This list of modulated frequencies was then used by “fmmodplus”.

In more detail, carrier frequencies “p” are those comprising the Bb minor triad (233 Hz, 277.18 Hz and 349 Hz); additionally, there are nine modulating frequencies m[^mod] [Figure 34]. By increasing the modulating frequency, a gradual broadening in the ambitus of the resulting pitches occurs. Modulation index i was set at 2. In this way, for each carrier frequency, it was possible to obtain at least four partials: p ± m and p ± 2m [Figure 35]. The material obtained in this way was then doubled, with one version being transposed down by a quarter tone in order to emulate a “chorus” effect.

Figure 34. List of modulator frequencies m for each step [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Figure 35. Recreation of part of the patch in the PWGL programming language. The “fmmodplus” function outputs a frequency modulation of index 2 with a carrier frequency of 233 Hz (Bb3). List of nine modulation frequencies defined by the “jinterpol” function..

Temporal Structure

In each instance of E, Romitelli used a structural grid comprising 12 “moments” which governed the distribution of the onsets, peak intensities and terminations of the sounds in time [Figure 36]. The distance between objects diminishes according to a process of rhythmic densification [Figure 37].

Figure 36. Distribution of onsets, peak intensities and terminations of the sounds for each step.

Figure 37. Rhythmic schematic based on a sketch by the composer [Arch. Fondation Cini].

Electronics

The electronics in Section 2A” (marked here as “Q”) were based on filtered recordings of: a contrabass recorder [Media 29]; an electric bass guitar being played with bow, with very gentle action on the strings [Media 31]; a distorted electric guitar [Media 33]; and bells. Different filtering techniques [Media 30 and 32] were applied to each of the three reference pitches in this section, i.e., Bb, Db and F. The sound files produced in this way were then mixed together. The result, which is very similar to material used in Section 1A, is once again evocative of the sound of wind or breathing, albeit in this case with a more mysterious quality owing to the fact that its origins are far less identifiable [Media 34].

Media 29. Original bass flute recording: “1-flutbass4m” [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Media 30. Filtered bass flute recording “2-asectQ-filF00”[© Arch. Pottier].

Media 31. sound file: “3-KPbruitArcPTm” .

Media 32. sound file: “4-asectQ-fil00” [© Arch. Pottier].

Media 33. Heavily distorted electric guitar, the final sound in Part Q [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Media 34. Editing the fixed media of Part Q in Protools.

Les deux premières étapes

Les figures suivantes récapitulent les faits énoncés précédemment pour la section 2A”, à propos des deux premières étapes [Figures 38 et 39].

Figure 38. Matériau harmonique des deux premières étapes (E1 et E2). p représente les fréquences porteuses sur la triade de si b mineure; FM, le résultat de la modulation de fréquence sur chaque note p; FM - ¼T, sa transposition un quart de ton plus bas.

**Figure 39. EnTrance m. 181-190, [© Part. Ricordi, 1996]. Analyse des deux premières étapes, E1 et E2. Les couleurs suivent le schéma présenté dans la figure 28 avec, en bleu les fréquences porteuses, en rouge et en violet la modulation de fréquence, en jaune et en vert sa transposition vers le grave (- ¼ de ton). **

Média 35. EnTrance, m. 181-190 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Analyse de la section 2C

La section 2C comprend une introduction, un noyau divisé en six sous-sections de mêmes durées et une codetta, divisée en deux sous-sections de durée similaire. Le caractère “violent”, “brutal”, typique des sections de type C est évident dès les premières mesures introductives [Média 36] : violoncelle “arco al tallone” et contrebasse “pizz. slap” jouent sur un rythme incisif de matrice rock sur l’intervalle d’une tierce mineure mi b – sol b, alors que l’échantillonneur déclenche un son “Metal” tenu de guitare électrique très puissant.

Média 36. EnTrance, début de la section 2C, m. 271-282 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996 / Arch. Ircam – Production].

Construction harmonique

D’un point de vue harmonique, les sections s’articulent en alternant deux groupes d’accords, que Romitelli, dans ses esquisses, appelle respectivement AA et AB. Le compositeur commence par une concaténation d’accords qu’il nomme “contrepoint” [Figure 40]. Seuls les deux premiers accords (AA et AB) vont être utilisés pour générer du matériel harmonique. Le mécanisme utilisé dans la construction des groupes d’accords est de nature intervallique : les notes les plus graves (respectivement do₃ et si₂ sont exclues du processus de construction même si elles peuvent être présentes dans la partition en guise de “fondamentales” des groupes d’accords. Les trois notes supérieures deviennent des notes de base auxquelles le compositeur adjoint deux nouvelles notes afin de construire des intervalles spécifiques telles que des neuvième mineure, triton, sixte majeure, tierce majeure (AA1) et neuvième mineure, tierce mineure, quinte juste, triton (AB1). Romitelli s’impose la contrainte suivante : les nouveaux accords doivent comporter deux intervalles égaux. Ainsi AA2 comportent deux tierces majeures, AA3, deux sixtes majeures, AA4, deux tritons, AB2, deux tritons, AB3, deux tierces mineures, AB4, deux quintes justes. La note de base la plus grave (mi b₄ dans AA1 et fa₄ dans AB1) est systématiquement intégrée dans les nouveaux accords [Figure 41].

Figure 40. Sélection des deux premiers accords pour établir le “contrepoint”.

Figure 41. Génération des accords de la section 2C avec en rouge les intervalles identiques.

Les différentes sous-sections s’articulent autour de ces accords : AA2, AB2, AA3, AB3, AA4, AB4 pour la partie principale, AA1 et AB1 pour la codetta [Figure 42]. D’autres notes viennent enrichir ces accords afin de fournir davantage de matériel aux instruments de l’ensemble et de construire une structure harmonique symétrique [Figure 43].

Figure 42. Structure de la section 2C.

Figure 43. Enrichissement des accords avec le détail de la structuration intervallique.

Partie électronique

Comme indiqué plus haut, les accords AA et AB sont joués en alternance tout en subissant quatre variations harmoniques successives. Ici les sons électroniques sont construits par le mixage d’échantillons de guitare électrique, de basse électrique, de cymbales ou du croisement entre ces sons. Ces sons, dont la plupart ont été filtrés par les accords AA et AB pour être en harmonie avec les parties instrumentales, présentent des comportements dynamiques variés : enveloppes percussives, enveloppes croissantes/décroissantes, enveloppes stationnaires. Le mixage de cette section a été réalisé sur une soixantaine de sons électroniques, dont parfois une douzaine sont simultanés, en jouant sur les variations de dynamiques pour produire une sorte de continuum sonore dans la partie électronique. Dans la mesure où les accords AA et AB ne couvrent pas l’étendue du spectre audible, les filtres ont été démultipliés en produisant pour chaque hauteur une série harmonique défective (rangs 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 20, 26, 32, 39, 46) [Figure 44].

Figure 44. Les 27 hauteurs des filtres obtenus à partir de l’accord AA1. Pour chacun des cinq arpèges, la première note est la fondamentale (ici mi₄, la #₄, si₅, ré #₃ et sol₅, soit l’accord AA1).

Média 37. Son “BowCym3GCSMetalA1” [© Arch. Pottier].

Média 38. Son “AA-C2Lb-BCGM-0” obtenu en filtrant le précédent son à travers les 27 filtres [© Arch. Pottier].

Média 39. Montage dans Protools de la partie électronique de la section AB [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

La deuxième sous-section (accord AB2)

Le matériel harmonique de la deuxième sous-section [Figure 45] est celui défini par AB2. Il faut souligner l’utilisation spectrale du son fondamental si₂, qui est renforcé avec le sous-harmonique si₁ et le troisième partiel de ce dernier, fa #₃ (cf. par exemple le basson, le trombone, l’échantillonneur et le violoncelle dans la première mesure). L’instrumentation suit une nette division selon les familles traditionnelles: les bois alternent des mouvements parallèles vers l’aigu, souvent à l’unisson, avec des arabesques ondulatoires par mouvement contraire ; les cuivres alternent articulations rapides et accentuées, avec des sons tenus et en évolution dynamique; la soprano est absente dans cette section ; l’écriture des percussions – glockenspiel et vibraphone – présente des incises brèves très rapides, fragmentées et diversifiées ; les articulations rapides des vents ont leur contrepartie dans les glissandi des cordes.

L’extrême articulation de l’ensemble acoustique contraste avec l’échantillonneur, qui joue des notes tenues de guitare électrique avec distorsion, et avec la partie électronique qui ajoute d’autres sons tenus suivant une enveloppe crescendo-diminuendo. Du point de vue rythmique, il n’y a pas d’ancrage sur une pulsation identifiable : l’utilisation de groupes irréguliers, comme des triolets, quintolets et septolets, en même temps que la variété rythmique interne à chaque instrument, ne permettent pas de percevoir un rythme défini. De la même façon, la périodicité globale de la section est évidente : les sous-sections ont la même durée (~7 s) et l’ordre d’apparition des figures musicales est similaire. Le matériel harmonique, comme nous avons vu, oscille régulièrement entre le groupe AA et le groupe AB.

Figure 45. EnTrance, section 2C (deuxième sous-section), m. 291-298 [© Part. Ricordi, 1996].

Média 40. EnTrance, m. 291-298 [© Arch. Ircam – Production].

Préservation et re-création

Les musiques mixtes interactives utilisent des technologies, programmes et données dont la préservation pose des problèmes complexes. De nouvelles versions des logiciels de synthèse, traitement et contrôle audio en temps réel, se succèdent rapidement, rarement compatibles avec les versions antérieures rendant les précédents formats obsolescents. La reprise d’une œuvre dans un environnement technologique différent de celui dans lequel elle a été créée est toujours difficile : les dispositifs doivent être documentés, conservés, mais aussi mis à jour pour pouvoir être utilisés dans de nouveaux contextes technologiques. L’Ircam a mis en œuvre depuis longtemps des moyens pour la documentation, la conservation et la préservation des œuvres qui y ont été créées, mais malgré tous les efforts entrepris, des problèmes peuvent persister. Si une communauté plus large de compositeurs, de musiciens et d’informaticiens ne se constitue pas pour prendre en charge ce travail nécessaire de révision permanente pour faire face à la menace de l’obsolescence technologique, le risque est grand qu’EnTrance et tout l’héritage musical issu du numérique ne soient plus rejouables et sombrent dans l’oubli. Plusieurs opérations de maintenance et de préservation ont été menées sur EnTrance après sa création.

Version 1996

La version initiale a nécessité un ensemble technique complexe, puisque la pièce utilisait deux ordinateurs Macintosh, un TX802, un SY99, deux claviers maîtres, un séquenceur direct-to-disk, un échantillonneur et un dispositif de sonorisation multipoints [Battier, 1998]. La question de la sauvegarde est tout autant technique que musicologique. Il s’agit de reprendre les programmes qui ont servi à élaborer les sons, afin de ré-instancier les processus qui ont permis de produire les sons de la partie électronique.

La composition et la synthèse

Dans Natura morta con fiamme, il est possible aujourd’hui de re-créer tous les sons produits par le compositeur dans cette pièce puisqu'il y faisait appel au langage Lisp pur pour une synthèse en Csound et que ces deux langages sont restés pérennes depuis plus de vingt ans [Maestri, 2015]. En revanche pour EnTrance, s'il est possible de re-créer les sons synthétisés avec Csound, tout ce qui était réalisé avec PatchWork n’est plus accessible. Une des possibilités, proposée par Alessandro Olto à l’Ircam, est d’installer un système Mac OS9 sur un PowerMac-G4 et trouver une version de PatchWork compatible avec celle utilisée pour EnTrance, avec ses bibliothèques associées, dont certaines comme PW-Chant pour la synthèse de la voix ou de modèles de résonance, ont disparu avec les ordinateurs Macintosh 68k [Olto, 2017b].

Le temps réel

Les synthétiseurs et l’échantillonneur utilisés dans la version originale de la pièce sont difficiles à trouver en bon état de fonctionnement aujourd’hui, mais des outils existent pour les remplacer. Pour l’échantillonneur, on dispose des sons d’origine et Olto a pu extraire du programme les détails des enveloppes et des points de boucles de ces sons [Figure 46]. Il est ainsi possible de réécrire les presets avec un nouvel échantillonneur.

Figure 46. Quelques informations sur le réglage “Metal triad” dans le Logiciel SampleCell.

En ce qui concerne le SY99, le compositeur attachait peu d’importance à la création d’un son complexe, il souhaitait simplement un son de type “cordes filtrées”, qui ne soit pas trop proche d’un véritable son d’orchestre à corde, mais pas trop synthétique non plus, c’est-à-dire un son intermédiaire, que l’on peut trouver sur beaucoup de modules de synthèse standard. Néanmoins, en ayant noté les réglages des paramètres du SY99, il est possible de programmer à nouveau les sons du SY99 manuellement, sans aucun patch, sans disquettes obsolètes et sans aucun système d’interfaçage.

Le support

La version initiale a été montée dans Digital Performer, et les onze parties électroniques étaient déclenchées par des notes MIDI sur un clavier maître. Un click MIDI était envoyé sur un synthétiseur TX802 à destination du chef d’orchestre.

Version ADAT 1996

Lors de la production initiale, l’Ircam a réalisé une bande au format ADAT (Alesis) cinq pistes comprenant l’ensemble des sons électroniques quadriphoniques de l’œuvre et le click-track. Ce dispositif simplifié permet de ne plus utiliser d’ordinateurs. Dans ce cas, le dispositif gagne en simplicité, mais on perd les respirations de durées variables entre les sections.

Version CD 2005

En 2005, Denis Lorrain a réalisé une nouvelle version à titre posthume du dispositif électronique d’EnTrance [Figure 47], consistant notamment à remplacer l’échantillonneur logiciel SampleCell par un sampleur Akai S5000 [Lorrain, 2005]. À cette occasion, le dispositif de déclenchement des fichiers quadriphoniques a été programmé en Max/MSP pour être déclenché par un RIM en concert. C’est ce dispositif qui a été utilisé pour l’enregistrement commercial de l’œuvre [EA CD Stradivarius, 2007] et lors du festival Manca du CIRM à Nice en 2008 [Arch. CIRM].

Figure 47. Fiche technique de la version d’EnTrance de Denis Lorrain [2005].

Comparaison entre différents enregistrements

Si les technologies utilisées dans l’œuvre arrivent à être facilement préservées (peu de dispositifs temps réel complexes, pas de traitement électronique non standard en direct), il n’en reste pas moins que des interprétations de l’œuvre [Figure 48] peuvent lui donner un aspect extrêmement contradictoire, si l’on se fonde sur les choix opérés sur les nuances et les modes de jeux. À ce titre nous effectuerons quelques comparaisons entre les premières versions enregistrées de l’œuvre en 1996 et 1997 [Arch. Ircam – Production et Ressources] et l'unique enregistrement commercial publié à ce jour [EA CD Stradivarius, 2007].

Figure 48. Différents enregistrements de l’œuvre.

Dans la version 1996 [Arch. Ircam – Production], il était indiqué que les parties jouées sur l’échantillonneur devaient être réverbérées par l’ingénieur du son. Cette information a disparu de la notice de 2005. Deux passages sont comparés ici [Pottier, 2019], avec des rendus sonores très différents sur les trois versions [Média 41]. Le premier (début de la section 2A”) se situe entre 4’15” et 4’30” (m.151-161), à la fin d’un passage intense lors duquel la soprano émet des onomatopées rapides et très animées dans les aigus, soulignées par un crescendo de cymbale, puis est remplacée par un son de guitare saturée, comme en fondu enchaîné, suivi par un second son similaire plus grave, avant un decrescendo qui aboutit à un silence. Dans la version 2005 [EA CD Stradivarius, 2007], la voix est beaucoup plus présente, les cymbales ont un timbre nettement plus aigu, et lorsque la voix s’arrête le son de guitare électrique qui prenait le relais dans la version 1996 est absent : on entend alors seulement la partie électronique fixée. On perçoit alors un arrêt brutal là où, dans la version initiale, on entendait au contraire une violente saturation du timbre précédant un decrescendo. Dans la version 1997 [Arch. Ircam – Ressources], la guitare est bien présente comme dans la version 1996.

Média 41. EnTrance, m. 151-161, versions 1996, 2005 et 1997 [© Arch. Ircam – Production; EA Stradivarius, 2007 ; Arch. Ircam – Ressources].

Média 42. EnTrance, m. 273-335, versions 1996, 2005 et 1997 [© Arch. Ircam – Production ; EA Stradivarius, 2007 ; Arch. Ircam – Ressources].

Le second passage débute à 8’48” (m. 273) et va jusqu’à 9’52” (m. 335) [Média 41 à partir de 1’20”]. Dans la version initiale, on est dans une esthétique très rock[^rock], avec une contrebasse jouant en slap dans les premières mesures, selon un jeu très rythmique, binaire, soutenu par un son de guitare saturé puissant sur la note mi b. La guitare alterne ensuite les notes tenues do et si qui couvrent pratiquement l’orchestre. Dans la version 2005, les sons de guitare électrique saturée qui accompagnaient la contrebasse puis masquaient ensuite l’orchestre sont absents. On commence donc par un solo de contrebasse dont le sens échappe à l’auditeur, puis quand l’orchestre reprend, le timbre est beaucoup moins dense que dans la version avec guitare. Là où le compositeur avait prévu un timbre électrique très dense, on entend des sons d’ensemble instrumental acoustique.

Les sons produits sur le synthétiseur et sur l’échantillonneur occupent une place aussi importante que ceux produits par les instruments acoustiques. Certains sons de guitare de forte intensité viennent même jusqu’à couvrir l’orchestre comme on peut l’entendre dans la version 1996. Pour un mixage de concert, la disparition des sons saturés aurait pu être interprétée comme un problème technique, mais dans la version 2005 qui a été gravée sur un CD, il s’agit manifestement d’un choix artistique, ou d’une incompréhension de l’œuvre, dont il faut noter que certaines indications sur la partition ne reflètent pas toujours clairement ce qui doit être entendu. Une simple note sur la partition de clavier jouant l’échantillonneur avec les sons de guitare saturée peut à elle seule couvrir tout ce qui est joué par l’orchestre. Les musiciens de formation classique sont parfois réticents à mélanger le timbre fin de leurs instruments au timbre “grossier et sale” des sons provenant de l’univers rock. La version de 2005 ayant été produite après la mort du compositeur, il est difficile de savoir si un tel parti pris esthétique lui aurait vraiment convenu tant il accordait une grande importance à la place des sons saturés dans sa musique. Comme le souligne Arbo, “la musique de Romitelli est fondée sur une sélection, elle tire du rock psychédélique, du métal ou de la techno l’énergie d’un sound, le frottement spécifique ou l’épaisseur d’un ‘grain’ (comme dans le cas de la guitare électrique)” [Arbo, 2005, p. 25]. L’aspect saturé, les références au monde rock, et à son timbre, son énergie, sont très fortement atténués dans la version de 2005. Ces erreurs d’appréciation de la musique de Romitelli peuvent s’expliquer aussi partiellement par des problèmes d’édition la disparition de liaisons qui indique le prolongement des sons de la guitare saturée [Figure 49].

Figure 49. EnTrance, m. 271-273, version éditée [© Part. Ricordi, 1996] et version annotée utilisée lors de la création [© Arch. Pottier].

Dans la version manuscrite de Pottier, on peut lire une indication au crayon sous la liaison du mi b: “tenuto fino alla fine del suono” (tenu jusqu’à la fin du son). Les enregistrements d’EnTrance effectués en présence du compositeur tiennent compte de cette mention contrairement aux autres versions.

Conclusion

EnTrance constitue un aboutissement du travail de Romitelli à l’Ircam, une pièce dans laquelle les différentes techniques de composition, utilisées lors de pièces antérieures, comme par exemple Natura morta con fiamme, Mediterraneo I ou Les idoles du soleil, ont acquis une pleine maturité, tout en trouvant la possibilité de coexister dans une approche musicale organisée et originale.

À l’Ircam, Romitelli a tenté d’atténuer l’opposition que l’on observe souvent dans les musiques mixtes et électroniques : d’une part, la concurrence d’entités simultanées et continues de timbre fondée sur un processus de catégorisation et de projection dans l’espace acoustique, de l’autre côté le séquencement d’éléments caractérisés par la discrétisation et l’organisation hiérarchique du discours. Romitelli démontre ici comment son approche esthétique rejette cette dichotomie. Grâce aux systèmes de CAO, il trouve des solutions pour s’assurer que les deux univers conceptuels peuvent coexister. En développant un code informatique original, il parvient également à créer son propre “jeu d’outils”, combinant l’analyse, la manipulation de paramètres et la synthèse dans un environnement modulaire unique, qui peut transmettre directement des solutions affichées en notation musicale ou des données pour la synthèse sonore. Romitelli a produit un système à la fois conceptuel et opérationnel : le timbre est défini d’une part par des procédures spectrales, d’autre part par le jeu sur des intervalles et leurs transformations. Ce système construit un réseau de contraintes permettant de déterminer la compatibilité des éléments du timbre, leur “proximité” mesurée également en termes de continuité ou de rupture (interprétation contemporaine des concepts classiques de tension et de résolution). Associant ces deux types de procédures, les techniques spectrales adoptées font partie du discours musical à part entière. Intégrées de manière cohérente dans le système de composition, elles n’en représentent qu’une possibilité supplémentaire, parmi d’autres.

Ressources

Textes

[Arbo, 2005] – Alessandro Arbo, “En-trance”, dans Alessandro Arbo (éd.), Le corps électrique. Voyage dans le son de Fausto Romitelli, Paris : L’Harmattan, 2005, p. 17-50.

[Barrière, 1991] – Jean-Baptiste Barrière (éd.), Le timbre, métaphore pour la composition, Paris : Christian Bourgois, 1991.

[Barrière et al., 1985] – Jean-Baptiste Barrière, Yves Potard et Pierre-François Baisnée, "Models of continuity between synthesis and processing for the elaboration and control of timbre structures", Proceedings of the 1985 International Computer Music Conference, Vancouver, 1985, p. 193-198.

[Battier, 1998] – Marc Battier, Cahier d’exploitation – EnTrance (1995) de Fausto Romitelli, Paris : Ircam, 1998.

[Boulez, 1987] – Pierre Boulez, “Timbre and composition – timbre and language”, Contemporary Music Review, vol.2 n°1, 1987, p. 161-171.

[Iglesias, 2003] Sara Iglesias, Fausto Romitelli – EnTrance, Mémoire de Licence (dir. M. Battier), UFR Musique, Université Paris IV/Sorbonne, 2003.

[Ircam, 1996] – EnTrance – Notice de la partie électronique, Documentation Ircam, [1996.

[Kaltenecker, 2015] – Martin Kaltenecker, “À propos de l’écriture mélodique dans EnTrance”, dans Allessandro Arbo (éd.), Anamorphoses. Études sur l’œuvre de Fausto Romitelli, Paris : Hermann, 2015, p. 127-149.

[Lorrain, 2005] – Denis Lorrain, Fausto Romitelli – EnTrance_2005 Performance Handbook, Document Ircam, Paris : Ircam, 2005.

[Maestri, 2015] – Eric Maestri, “Le son mixte dans les premières œuvres de Fausto Romitelli”, dans Allessandro Arbo (éd.), Anamorphoses. Études sur l’œuvre de Fausto Romitelli, Paris : Hermann, 2015, p. 81-96.

[Malt et Pottier, 1993] – Mikhaïl Malt et Laurent Pottier, PW-Csound/Edit­sco, librairie de modules pour l’édition de partitions Csound-Référence, Document Ircam, Paris : Ircam, 1993.

[Murail, 1984] – Tristan Murail, “Spectra and pixies”, Contemporary Music Review, vol.1 n°1, 1984, p. 157-170.

[Murail, 2000] – Tristan Murail, “After-thoughts”, Contemporary Music Review, vol.19 n°3, 2000, p. 5-9.

[Olto, 2017a] – Alessandro Olto, EnTrance. Spettralismo e composizione assistita all’elaboratore in Fausto Romitelli, thèse de doctorat (dir. A. Orcalli), Università degli Studi di Udine, 2017.

[Olto, 2017b] – Alessandro Olto, “Between spectrum and musical discourse. Computer Assisted Composition and new musical thoughts in EnTrance by Fausto Romitelli”, dans Luca Cossettini et Angelo Orcalli (éd.), Sounds, Voices and Codes from the Twentieth Century. The critical editing of music at Mirage, Udine : Mirage – Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, 2017, p. 419-452.

[Orcalli, 2013] – Angelo Orcalli, “La pensée spectrale”, dans Nicolas Donin et Laurent Feneyrou (éd.), Théories de la composition musicale au XXe siècle, vol.2, Lyon : Symetrie, 2013, p. 1511-1573.

[Pottier, 1997a] – Laurent Pottier, “Exemples d’utilisation de la CAO pour la synthèse sonore, EnTrance de Fausto Romitelli pour soprano, ensemble et dispositif électronique”, Actes des Journées d’Informatique Musicale (JIM 97), Lyon : Grame, 1997, p. 22-29.

[Pottier, 1997b] – Laurent Pottier, PW-SpData : vue d’ensemble, référence, tutorial, Document Ircam, Paris : Ircam, 1997.

[Pottier, 2001] – Laurent Pottier, Le contrôle de la synthèse sonore, le cas particulier du programme PatchWork, thèse de doctorat (dir. M. Battier), EHESS, 2001.

[Pottier, 2019] – Laurent Pottier, “Vers des musiques électroacoustiques vivantes”, dans Pierre Fargeton et Béatrice Ramaut-Chevassus (éd.), Écoute multiple, écoute des multiples, Paris : Hermann, 2019, p. 215-233.

[Romitelli, 1993] – Ircam: Rapport d’activité 1993, Paris : Ircam, 1993.

[Romitelli, 1996] – Programme du concert de création d’EnTrance, en Concert création : vendredi 26, samedi 27 janvier 1996, Ircam, Espace de projection, Paris : Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 1996, p. 5-7.

[Romitelli, 2000] – “L’insurgé” [entretien avec Omer Corlaix], Musica Falsa, n°11, 2000, p. 84-85.

[Romitelli, 2001a] – “Il compositore come virus”, dans Milano Musica. Percorsi di musica d’oggi – Il pensiero e l’espressione. Aspetti del secondo Novecento musicale in Italia, Milan, 2001, p. 148-149. Traduit en français: “Le compositeur comme virus”, dans Alessandro Arbo (éd.), Le corps électrique. Voyage dans le son de Fausto Romitelli, Paris : L’Harmattan, 2005, p. 131-134.

[Romitelli, 2001b] – “Produire un écart” [entretien avec Eric Denut], dans Eric Denut (éd.), Musiques actuelles, musiques savantes, quelles interactions ?, Paris : L’Harmattan, 2001, p. 73-77.

[Tucci, 1972] – Giuseppe Tucci (éd.), Il libro tibetano dei morti (Bardo Tödöl), Turin : UTET, 1972.

Archives

[Arch. Fondation Cini] – Collection Fausto Romitelli, Fondazione Giorgio Cini - Istituto per la musica, Venise.

[Arch. CIRM] – Fausto Romitelli, EnTrance (enregistrement numérique sur 22 pistes non mixées), concert, 22 novembre 2008, Opéra de Monaco
Françoise Kubler (soprano), Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo / Jean Deroyer (direction).

[Arch. Ircam] – Archives du département production et des ressources de l’Ircam, Paris.

• Fausto Romitelli, documents de travail relatif à EnTrance
• Fausto Romitelli, EnTrance, création, 26 janvier 1996, Ircam (Espace de projection)

Françoise Kubler (soprano), Ensemble Intercontemporain / Ed Spanjaard (direction).

• Fausto Romitelli, EnTrance, concert, 2 février 1997, Ircam (Espace de projection)

Donatienne Michel-Dansac (soprano), Ensemble Intercontemporain / Pascal Rophé (direction).

[Arch. Pottier] – Archives personnelles de Laurent Pottier.

Partition

[Part. Ricordi, 1996] – Fausto Romitelli, EnTrance per soprano, sedici esecutori ed elettronica (1995), Ricordi – Paris R. 2744, 1996.
Les extraits de partition sont reproduits avec l’aimable autorisation des Sté Ame des Éditions Ricordi, Paris pour tous Pays.

Enregistrement audio

[EA CD Stradivarius, 2007] – Fausto Romitelli, Audiodrome – Orchestral Works
Donatienne Michel-Dansac (soprano), Orchestre symphonique national de la RAI / Peter Rundell (direction)
Stradivarius, STR 33723, 2007.

[^Csound] : Lors de la production d’EnTrance, à mi-parcours (automne 1995), nous sommes passés de la génération des ordinateurs Macintosh 68X aux ordinateurs PowerPC. Pour la synthèse sonore avec Csound, cela s’est traduit par une multiplication de la vitesse de calcul par un facteur 50 à 100 ! Produire 10 secondes de son prenait au préalable 10 à 20 minutes de calcul, et en changeant d’ordinateur, nous sommes quasiment passés dans le domaine du temps réel ! Il était alors possible de modifier des paramètres et écouter presque instantanément le résultat.

Citation

Pour citer cet article:

Alessandro Olto et Laurent Pottier, “Fausto Romitelli – EnTrance”, ANALYSES – Œuvres commentées du répertoire de l’Ircam [En ligne], 2020. URL : https://brahms.ircam.fr/analyses/EnTrance/.

[^timbre] : Dans le texte inédit “Pertinence du timbre” [Arch. Pottier], l’attention que Romitelli a portée aux relations entre les objets sonores est évidente : “Le compositeur peut imaginer de gérer les connexions par transition réglée, contraste, ou bien par les étapes intermédiaires entre l'un et l'autre, pour réaliser une ‘courbe de tension’ dans le domaine harmonique”.

[^mod] : On peut trouver les paramètres dans une esquisse conservée à la Fondazione Cini et ils sont confirmés par les patchs transmis par Pottier. En Lisp, une fois chargé le set de fonctions développé par Romitelli, on peut évaluer les fonctions suivantes :
Porteuse si b : (fmmodplus 233 (jinterpol 7 7 0.7 116.5) 2).
Porteuse ré b : (fmmodplus 277.18 (jinterpol 7 7 0.7 116.5) 2).
Porteuse fa : (fmmodplus 349 (jinterpol 7 7 0.7 116.5) 2).

[^rock]: Parmi les esquisses conservées dans le dossier d'EnTrance [Arch. Fondation Cini], il n'est pas rare de rencontrer des noms d'artistes cités tels que Nirvana et Jimi Hendrix.