KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Electro-Acoustic Works by Ricardo Dal Farra and Arturo Gervasoni
Analog Audio
Event Type
MusicOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
P.DAL.RIC.01Program Length
28 minDates
1989 | createdDescription
Two electronic works by Ricardo Dal Farra and two electro-acoustic by Dal Farra and guitarist Arturo Gervasoni. In the words of the composer, taken from some accompanying notes written around 1989:Karma
“We can find in ‘Karma’ sounds with more than 100 seconds of duration that slowly change timbre, that seems to come from several points in space, that have unstable pitch. These coexist with other very short sounds that appear in groups of hundreds multiplying the density of attacks, and that surround the listener. And with others that remember traditional instruments and standard tunings in spite of do not follow any conventional rule. The sound generation and the simulation of traveling sounds sources was made using a digital synthesizer-processor (’Samson Box’). The score is a listing of instructions and data in PLA language. The sound synthesis techniques used were: FM, and extensions of the Karplus-Strong algorithm.”
PH
“ The composition is built over repetitive patterns of rhythm and pitch, with gradual transformations on timbre and strong variations of the intensity levels. The sounds coming from a traditional guitar are processed through a mixing desk, a delay line and a digital signal processor. All the compositions is the outcome of direct interaction in real time of the two musicians, one generating and the other processing the sounds, (all the sounds heard on this piece were played and processed live during recording).”
G
“This composition was made using a MIDI guitar as a control unit of a digital synthesizer DX7. ‘Gravitacional’ is constructed over a rhythmic-melodic ostinato and longs sounds. The gradual transformation of them is the outcome of changes in register, control of durations, and different kinds of attacks in the guitar; at the same time the work on the synthesizer is emphasized over the spectrum, controlling the distribution and frequency ratios of the partials. ‘Inercial’ is based on a dialogue between registers. the velocity and direction of each moving sound is controlled from the synthesizer.”
Due Giorni Dopo
“I worked with the Interactive Computer Music System (ICMS) developed by Graziano Tisato to access a file with all the elementary components of the Italian language (vocals, vocal to vocal transitions, consonants, consonant to vocal transitions), and to convert texts written directly to the computer into typical speech sounds. The linear predictive coding (LPC) technique was used to synthesize the vocal sounds. With unusual texts and fine control of resynthesis parameters four electronic ‘singers’ were created. A text-to-speech-to-music process was carried out.”
Genres
Electro-Acoustic / ElectronicMusical Selections
Karma, for electronics (1986) (5:50) / Ricardo Dal Farra -- PH, for guitar and electronics (1986) (8:44) / Ricardo Dal Farra & Arturo Gervasoni -- G: Gravitacional ; Inercial, for guitar and electronics (1987) (5:30) / Ricardo Dal Farra & Arturo Gervasoni -- Due Giorni Dopo, for synthesized speech (1988) (3:10) / Ricardo Dal FarraPerformers
Ricardo Dal Farra, electronics (all)Arturo Gervasoni, guitar (PH ; G)
Subjects
Electro-acousticElectronic music
Computer music
Electronic and guitar music
Synthesized speech music