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Hoofdstuk

english language nederlandse taal

A 12-minute computer-composition (121 Megabytes, 16 bit stereo at 44.1 kHz) which I worked on from 1992 to 1994. I called it Hoofdstuk (which in Dutch may mean: "chapter", "main piece", "head piece", or "broken head") because it took the machines and me tremendous thinking. It is purely synthetic: it does not contain any recordings or manipulations of sounds from the real world, all sounds were generated by computers. Its larger structures were also determined by computer programs. This method of working may be called "algorithmic composition".

For generation and organisation of sound I used "Csound" and I programmed directly in C, Pascal and Basic. This way I was able to translate (very detailed) complex structures into sound. I programmed for months to implement the models and algorithms on which my music is based. Meanwhile, computers were busy calculating for thousends of hours.

Most sounds in Hoofdstuk were made by additive synthesis. I am being inspired by both the very small and the very large in our environment. Many bell and gong-like sounds were derived from the simple quantum mechanical models of the helium+ ion and the hydrogen atom: the light-waves these atoms may emit (from infrared to ultraviolet), were made audible by transposing them exactly 39 octaves downwards. Drone-like sounds were derived from our own solar system: I transposed orbit and rotation-speeds of planets and their moons 33 (and more) octaves upwards to make them audible.

The noise-like sounds were made by subtractive and fm-synthesis. Their origin is purely mathematical: prime-mumber series and fractals. With the Kameoka and Kuriyagawa sensory dissonance model I tried to create a regular dissonance-consonance cycle of 10.547 seconds.

My music is speculative: I wonder to what extend the used material is "outer-musical". Is there a secret music hidden in atoms and solar systems?

The piece should be played quite loud on a good public address installation. Especially a deep bass (down to 30 Hertz) is important. The piece then has an electrifying effect.

	Hoofdstuk was played:
feb 1, 1995	Utrechts Conservatorium, Fentener van Vlissingenzaal.
apr 13, 1995	Akademie voor Kunst en Vormgeving, Hogeschool 's Hertogenbosch.
jun 21, 1995	Theater Kikker, Utrecht.
sep 30, 1995	Broadcasted by the Concertzender.
jan 23, 1997	Technische Universiteit Delft.
jan 25, 1997	Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
apr 9, 1997	Broadcasted by the Concertzender.
may 7, 1997	Glockenhaus Luenenburg (Germany).
dec 22, 1997	Broadcasted by the Concertzender.
feb 21, 2001	Broadcasted by the Concertzender.
mar 10, 2001	Nicolai church, Utrecht.

Download: Hoofdstuk.aiff.
Pieter Suurmond, 2007