ritornello

During a preliminary phase, a student will have transformed the sound [E_arpeggio], by slowing it down and transposing it down two octaves, using the speed-pitch tool.

• The teacher suggests that this motive be used as a foundation (an ostinatoIn music, an ostinato (derived from Italian: stubborn, compare English, from Latin: 'obstinate') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include both classical compositions such as Ravel's Boléro and the Carol of the Bells, and popular songs such as Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's I Feel...).
• The students agree to accompany this motive with soft sounds, taken exclusively from the bank “Nature”.

A. Soft, calm, harmony

• Each student chooses a soft sound from the “Nature” bank of sounds.
• Students are then asked to intermittently initiate cresc/decresc so as to occasionally have their sound surface above the others in the texture.
• Performance with comments.

B. Noise, chaos - the process of rupture

All ruminate on what will follow and agree that everyone chooses (or creates) a loud sound that clearly contrasts with what preceded, the goal being to dramatically contrast with the soft and harmonious section-A.

• Each student chooses a loud sound that clearly contrasts with the sounds of section-A.
• At the conductor’s signal, everyone enters together, without transition.

A’. Soft, calm, harmonious. The process of rupture and maskingHighly used in contemporary instrumental and electroacoustic music, masking consists of hiding a sound, generally something soft and linear, by another larger sound that occupies the entire acoustic space. The sudden removal of this layer in the foreground (rupture) reveals the existence of another musical layer that was previously masked.. A very popular technique in contemporary instrumental and electroacoustic music, the process of maskingHighly used in contemporary instrumental and electroacoustic music, masking consists of hiding a sound, generally something soft and linear, by another larger sound that occupies the entire acoustic space. The sudden removal of this layer in the foreground (rupture) reveals the existence of another musical layer that was previously masked. is when one layer (usually soft and linear) is drowned out by another layer that occupies the entire acoustic space. The sudden removal of this louder layer reveals another musical discourse, hidden (or masked) until then.

• At the conductor’s signal, everyone cuts their noisy sounds. What we realize, is that the soft sounds of layer A were never interrupted but simply masked by the sonic mass of the B-section.
• A student suggests to add the [music_box] sound. Other students do the same with normal and reverse playback. It’s interesting to note that this sound is in the same key (C-major) as the ostinatoIn music, an ostinato (derived from Italian: stubborn, compare English, from Latin: 'obstinate') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include both classical compositions such as Ravel's Boléro and the Carol of the Bells, and popular songs such as Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's I Feel... arpeggio.

Assessment

• Was the idea of opposition effective?
• Was the choice of sounds appropriate?
• Was the performance effective?
• What could be improved?

Notions learned: rupture, mask