IRCAM
|
The Western face of the IRCAM building |
The
IRCAM,
Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, is one of the most important European institutes for both
science about music and sound and avant garde
electro-acoustical
art music. It is situated next to, and is organizationally linked with, the
Centre Pompidou in
Paris. The extension of the building has been designed by
Renzo Piano and
Richard Rogers.
Since its conception, IRCAM has been the birth place for many of the most important concepts for electronic music and audio processing.
John Chowning did much of his pioneering work on
FM Synthesis at the IRCAM, and the real-time audio processing graphical programming environment
Max/MSP and its successor
jMax, were developed there. Max/MSP has subsequently become one of the most widely used tools in electroacoustic music. Many of the techniques associated with
spectralism, such as analyses based on
Fast Fourier Transforms, were only made practical by the technological clout of the IRCAM. The IRCAM also developed a special microphone capable of isolating each of the cello's four strings for separate amplification or electronic treatment. While IRCAM continues to produce many innovations, its role at the world's central music laboratory was lessened with the rise of cheaper electronics from Japan, which put complex audio computing within the reach of smaller institutions.
The IRCAM provides classes to train composers in music technology, and selects established composers to work within an unusual model; Composers who do not have programming experience to create the technology end of a piece for ensemble and electronics are provided with an assistant, who helps them to realize technically intensive parts of the technology for the piece. For example, the assistant will follow the conceptual advice of a composer with no technology experience to realize a computer part, or will help a composer who can program in
Max/MSP to make their "patch" more efficient and elegant.
Tristan Murail's "Désintégrations" is an example of a piece realized in this program by a composer with significant technological skill, whereas
Harrison Birtwistle's "Mask of Orpheus" required an active and creative role for the technology assistants, such as
Barry Anderson and
Ian Dearden.
The IRCAM has not only been instrumental in electroacoustic innovation, but as a sort of cultural mecca for contemporary classical music. It has been important in the dissemination of the music of post
World War 2 modernism, such as that of
Luciano Berio or
Pierre Boulez, as well as an important means of support for younger performers and composers. The growth of musical
spectralism is in many ways associated with the IRCAM. As mentioned above, Tristan Murail, one of the bellwethers of spectral music, received support from the IRCAM, and also taught there for a time.
Kaija Saariaho, whose work has been influenced by spectralism, has also been supported by the IRCAM.
The IRCAM has also helped to develop innovative performance models. What began as the resident ensemble of IRCAM,
Ensemble InterContemporain, was designed as an ensemble that would specialize in contemporary classical music, where each performer could be called upon to perform solo literature or ensemble literature. The enhanced flexibility of such an arrangement anticipated contemporary problems with orchestras, whose cumbersome size and format expectations have caused some to question their viability. Hence,
Ensemble InterContemporain has been a model for many large ensembles in Europe, for example the
Ensemble Modern and
Klangforum Wien. Many interesting classical contemporary pieces have been written for the
chamber orchestra dimensions of
Ensemble InterContemporain.
There are regular concerts at IRCAM.
In
1970 president Georges Pompidou asked
Pierre Boulez to found an institution for the research of music. In
1973 the part underneath
Place Igor Stravinsky was finished, and the center opened in
1977. From the outset, Boulez was in charge of the center, but the initial success of the IRCAM depended also on a diverse and innovative group. The initial administrators included
Luciano Berio,
Vinko Globokar,
Jean-Claude Risset, and
Max Mathews. In
1992 Boulez, who then became honorary director, was succeeded by
Laurent Bayle. In
2002 the
philosopher Bernard Stiegler became the new head of the institute. On January 1st,
2006, Stiegler became Director of Cultural Development at the Centre Pompidou and was replaced by
Frank Madlener.
The creation of the IRCAM coincided with the rise of musical
postmodernism, and a sort of crisis of confidence for musical
modernism. Because of the IRCAM's associations with musical modernism, and the ways that it puts into practice theoretical ideals of musical modernism, such as the advocacy of musical styles positively influenced
total serialization, education of audiences, or state funding of the arts, it has often been criticized by the advocates of musical postmodernism, who suggest that the arts would be better served by the intellectual and financial support of a
mass market.
NIME-06, the 6th International Conference on
New interfaces for musical expression was held at IRCAM, in June, 2006.
*
Instrumental acoustics*
Room acoustics*
Musical perception and
cognition*
Analysis/
synthesis*
Music representations*
Real-time applications
*
Free software and
software engineering*
Sound design*
Online servicesSoftware developed at IRCAM
Some software is being developed at IRCAM. Part of it is
free software, such as
OpenMusic,
jMax, a library to handle
SDIF data, and some development related to
AGNULA.
There are also partnerships with companies for the development of proprietary software.
*
George Benjamin:
Antara for ensemble and electronics
* Pierre Boulez:
...explosante-fixe... for two flutes, midi-flute, electronics and orchestra
*
Philippe Leroux:
M for ensemble and electronics
*
Magnus Lindberg:
Joy for orchestra and electronics
* Magnus Lindberg:
Related Rocks for two pianos, two percussionists, and electronics
*
Philippe Manoury:
Jupiter for flute and live electronics
* Philippe Manoury:
Pluton for piano and live electronics
* Philippe Manoury:
En Echo for soprano voice and live electronics
* Anderson, Julian. "Désintégrations." Within liner notes to "Tristan Murail". Montaigne MO 782175, 1989.
* Born, Georgina. "IRCAM, Boulez, and the Institutionalization of the Musical Avant-Garde." Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995.
* Dearden, Ian. "The Electronic Music of the Mask of Orpheus." Within liner notes to "The Mask of Orpheus" by Harrison Birtwistle. NMC D050, 1997.
* Peyser, Joan. "Boulez: Composer, Conductor, Enigma." New York: Schirmer Books, 1976.
*
the official site of the IRCAM*
the history of the IRCAM (in French)
