An acousmonium in concerts and workshops

Three stages, in three local schools, will see the installation of an acousmonium, a public concert at one o'clock to meet as many pupils as possible, and a workshop on electroacoustic music and its diffusion, given for interested classes.

Claude Jordan and Julie Chapuis lead these workshops and perform works by Bernard Parmegiani, Åke Parmerud, Amon Tobin, Alain Savouret and Luc Ferrari on this acousmonium.

The first meeting took place on January 10. The next dates are February 15 at 4pm at the Ecole d'arts appliqués, and March 8 at 12pm at ESTER.

But what is an acousmonium?

As early as the 1950s, a number of composers began to question the value of producing concerts of electroacoustic music. Indeed, the musical content of these works is fixed on a listening medium - the magnetic tape, then the CD - and it already exists "concretely". How, then, can we give meaning, dynamics and relevance to listening to this music in concert, when the listener can listen to it at home?

Reflection on this subject led to the creation of the acousmonium. Loudspeakers of various qualities are installed in the concert hall, immersing the audience in the sound mass of the work at different levels. From this point on, the sound diffusion work becomes a genuine musical interpretation.

Claude Jordan and Julie Chapuis have chosen works that best illustrate this story.

The performers

Claude Jordan studied flute, synthesizer programming, composition and counterpoint. A student of Rainer Boesch, he became a specialist in electroacoustic music, working actively to integrate synthesis and traditional instruments. He is a member of AMEG (Association pour la Musique Electroacoustique à Genève).

Julie Chapuis studied electroacoustic composition and performance at the Val-Maubuée Conservatory, notably with Denis Dufourt and Jonathan Prager.

To hear an acousmonium: vimeo.com/29419223

Photo an acousmonium by François Bayle, in 1980.