rhoadley.net   music   research   software   blogs

aru    seminars    m&t    critski    focm1a    cmc    circuit bending    mic2b    sensor technology    comp 3    sonic art    major project
youtube    vimeo    facebook

Artefact Creation

The Emulation Project

Project List


The Project

You are required to emulate three of the pieces listed below according to the rules below. You are recommended to emulate these specific pieces, but you may choose another specified piece by the same composer and use that. All recordings and scores should be available in the Library.

BeethovenString Quartet Op 18 No 1 in F Major
MessiaenQuartet for the End of Time (esp I - Liturgie; V - Louange; VI - Danse)
WebernConcerto
StravinskyEbony Concerto or Milhaud La Creation du Monde
BartokString Quartet No 4
PalestrinaMissa Papae Marcelli

NB A piece of your choice (may be used for emulations one and two only).

The General Process

In order to emulate something, you will need to understand it. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to study the object of your emulation. You will need to listen carefully to, and look at the scores of the composers involved and try to work out what it is about the way they work that makes the music what it is. Emulating earlier composers will generally seem easier as their styles will be more familiar to us. However, because of this, to emulate them well is often more difficult. There are already elements of emulation in other courses and these generally are emulations of earlier styles.

Look specifically at the way harmony, counterpoint and melody are used. Is the style melody and accompaniment, or contrapuntal. If the style is contrapuntal are there any rules associated with it that you can spot? Are there any books available that can help? The resultant pieces should aim at being in a similar style to the composer and/or the sample. Bear in mind that some composers use highly varied styles (for example, Stravinsky) which you may like to investigate.

Emulations One and Two

The Third Emulation

Good luck!