S t u d i o F i v e B e e k m a n
sound and intermedia gallery
Michael J. Schumacher
Room Piece
a 12 channel version of the newly released CD
Saturdays
2 - 9 PM
September 19 - 26, 1998
Notes on Room Piece:
Room Piece originated in 1994 as a 16 channel computer-generated sound environment installed first in my apartment and, since 1996, at my gallery, Studio Five Beekman, in New York City. The form of this and the 15 or so other multi-channel electronic pieces I've composed is created "in real time" by the computer, using a complex set of algorithms that control the random generation of timings for the articulation of the pitches by the various (synthesized) instruments. Everything on this recording except the voice and electric guitar is "played" by the computer, which makes its decisions about rhythm and pitch based on small sets of criteria.
Every rhythmic event in the piece is derived from six numbers: 13, 17, 23, 29, 37 and 43, which are the basis for all the mathematical operations that generate my sound environments. The fundamental concept is the alternation, in each instrument, of periods of silence with periods of sound. The timing of each period is determined by choosing one of the six numbers (representing milliseconds) and multiplying it by some numerical factor to determine:
1) the relative amounts of silence and sound in a given instrument and
2) the densities of the instruments in relation to each other.
Therefore, if, for Instrument A, the factor for the "off" cycle is 1,000 and that for the "on" cycle 5,000, there is an average ratio of silence to sound of 1 to 5. If, for instrument B, the factors are 5,000 and 10,000, the ratio of silence to sound will average out to 1 to 2. Instrument A will be heard more often than Instrument B, but when Instrument B is on, it will generally be on for twice as long as Instrument A. There are a total of 15 instruments (including voice) used in the piece.
The choice of pitches is also quite restricted. Each droning instrument has only one pitch, played throughout the entire piece. In the melodic instruments, such as the piano, the choice is between groups of small sets of pitches, whose order I've composed. The computer varies the tempo of the articulations and the order of the sets. The sets are divided into numerous subgroups: one hears repeated notes, arpeggia, and grace note figures.
I think of this music as being tonal, in the sense that some pitches exert a stronger pull than others and could therefore be considered tonal "centers". The most often heard pitches are B, C and C sharp. Thrown into what is essentially an equal-tempered landscape are a set of pitches tuned to the overtone series of a fifteen hertz tone, played melodically.
Every time the computer plays the piece, a different form emerges. This recording, then, is one of an infinite number of possible versions of Room Piece. I have mixed it according to the medium, keeping in mind the interesting fact of its relative permanence and the disadvantage of having two, as opposed to sixteen, channels. The overall structure is somewhat "shaped" and the sound balanced by altering volumes and editing out some of what the computer originally "played".
This recording should be played at low volume in a room relatively free from extraneous noise.The listener may use 2 speakers but 4, placed around the room, will give a better sound. The title has to do with the way the sound comes to find its place in a room. Even without an extensive multi-channel setup, each tone tends to occupy its own unique space. Like Feldman, I want the sound to "permeate" the room. The title also refers to a tradition, chamber music, one more intimate than the concert experience. Room Piece is available from the following distributors: Electronic Music Foundation Forced Exposure Wayside Music
for more information:
e-mail address: mschumacher@sprintmail.com
