Computer composition
Composition and sound synthesis are complementary
processes because the first may lead to the second. A
composer may elect to use a set of compositional
programs to produce a composition. He may then stop
using a computer and print his results for
transcription to instrumental performance.
Alternatively, he may transfer his results directly into
electronic sounds by means of a second set of programs
for sound synthesis. Finally, he may desire only to
convert an already composed score into sound. When he
does this, he translates his score into a form that can
be entered into a computer and uses the computer
essentially as a data translator.
The first point to understand about computer
composition is that, like electronic music, it is not a
style but a technique. In principle, any kind of music,
from traditional to completely novel, can be written by
these machines. For a composer, however, the main appeal
consists not in duplicating known styles of music, but,
rather, in seeking new modes of musical expression that
are uniquely the result of interaction between man and
this new type of instrument.
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