Research On Spectral Composition Techniques Based On OpenMusic

Spectral Music is a term referring to music composed mainly in Europe since the 1970s which uses the acoustic properties of sound itself (or sound spectra) as the basis of its compositional material.OpenMusic is applicable software, designed by IRCAM, especially according to the techniques of spectral music. With icons of musical classes or functions, it organically and systematically generates many elements of dimensions of the music, providing composers with availability, convenience, efficiency, and humanization to carry on the music-creation of different genres.In this essay, the author has firstly introduced two aspects of the basic concepts and techniques of spectral composition-one is to explain the basic ideas, technical background of its origin source and main key techniques, and the other is to summarize the characteristics of all structural force of spectral composition, such as pitch-especially microtonal pitch, harmony and chords, rhythm, beats and duration, form and means of evolution, polyphony and orchestration.Secondly, this essay has introduced OpenMusic, which is developed especially for spectral composition, and has described the theories of material-generating and operations of this software. In this part, the paper starts from the technical prepares that OpenMusic has provided for composition, including elements such as workspace, packages, classes, methods, patches and maquettes. Then the principles of the parameter-generating on OpenMusic are discussed. At the end of this chapter, the author narrates the ways how this software creating original materials, by telling the material-generating measures based on known single notes, intervals, chords or note-rows, and the organizations of different kinds of materials.At last, analyzing fragments of the magnum opus by and recurring the processes of certain material-generating and evolutions of development in the author's own work via OpenMusic, this essay connects spectral composition and OpenMusic, then puts forward the opinion that OpenMusic provides spectral composition with convenient means of material-generating, and that meanwhile, OpenMusic hasn't restricted the freedom of composers, but has helped them complete their music-creating more easily and more precisely.