The Rhetorical Method for the Critical Appraisal of Electroacoustic Structures

Abstract

In the absence of a concrete code for the critical appraisal of the structures of electroacoustic music, classical approaches were undertaken to construct coherent musical discourses which would eventually increase perception of musical expression. Electroacoustic pieces of music were selected to be analysed, in order to locate rhetoric elements and practices in them, as well as how these practices apply to electroacoustic form and musical expression. Several pieces were found to include rhetoric structure or philosophical approaches in composition based on rhetoric, while other pieces were proven to follow different modes of utterances. In order to create a concrete mode of utterance, emphasizing musical expression, rhetoric methods were used and applied in analysing electroacoustic pieces of music, which incorporate either philosophical approaches, or rhetoric structure, or both. The degree of musical expression accomplished depends on subjective perception and understanding of the musical outcome.

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Professor H. Xanthoudakis for his help and support. Also, many thanks go to Professor V. Kalfas, philosopher and academic and Dr A. Mniestris for their guidance and help.

Notes

The overall development and evolution of the musical elements in time, in a musical composition. The musical dialog works as a method for composing and structuring ideas by sound events in time.

The morphological analysis took place in the following electroacoustic pieces: Etude aux Chemins de Fer (Pierre Schaeffer), Williams Mix (John Cage), Kontakte (Karlheinz Stockhausen), Rainforest Version 1 (David Tudor), Mutations (Jean-Claude Risset), Hibiki-Hana-Ma (Iannis Xenakis), Tumbler (Alejandro Vinao), Artifices (Francis Dhomont), Fast Forward (Eric Chasalow), Pins (Paul Koonce), Masks of Eternity (Diane Thome), VOX-5 (Trevor Wishart), Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidential (Charles Dodge), of Wind Chimes (Denis Smalley).

Something that has to do with acoustical aesthetics that depend on listening experience and perceptual abilities of the sound, as well as on musical culture.

Logos refers to speech, words or lyrics.