Gerard Grisey and Spectral Music: Composition in the Information Age

A ground-breaking study that explores the development of spectral music in France from 1972 to 1982, combining existing techniques from post-war music with information technology. It focuses on Gérard Grisey and the Parisian collective L Itinéraire, showing how they developed a common vision of music that embraced seismic developments in psychoacoustics and computer sound synthesis.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 14 December 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Spectral music, alongside minimalism, has emerged as one of the most influential compositional movements of the last fifty years. This comprehensive historical overview delves into the development of spectral music in France from 1972 to 1982. It establishes how spectral music's innovations merged existing techniques from post-war music with the utilization of information technology.

The first section focuses on Gérard Grisey, showcasing his creative development of techniques from composers such as Messiaen, Xenakis, Ligeti, Stockhausen, and Boulez. This fusion led to the creation of a distinctive style of music characterized by groups of sounds evolving over time.

The second section highlights the work of a wider generation of young composers centered around the Parisian collective L Itinéraire. These composers embraced seismic developments in psychoacoustics and computer sound synthesis, shaping a common vision of music that embraced these advancements.

Spectral music is positioned within the context of institutional and political developments in France. It is seen as both an inventive artistic response to the information age and a continuation of the French coloristic tradition. This study provides a deep understanding of spectral music's evolution, its influences, and its impact on contemporary music.

ISBN-13: 9781009399524