Combination-Tone Class Sets and Redefining the Role of les Couleurs in Claude Vivier’s Bouchara
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15006260 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bryan Christian (Duke University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2014-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Music Theory Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1067-3040 • E-ISSN: 1067-3040 |
| Publisher | Society for Music Theory (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.30535/mto.20.2.2 |
| OpenAlex | W2167359585 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
Claude Vivier’s homophonic treatment of combination tones—what he called les couleurs —demands an extension of traditional methods of harmonic and spectral analysis. Incomplete explanations of this technique throughout the secondary literature further demand a revised and cohesive definition. To analyze all variations of les couleurs , I developed the analytical concept of combination-tone classes (CTCs) and built upon Angela Lohri’s (2010) combination tone matrix to create a dynamic CTC matrix, from which CTC sets may be extracted. Intensive CTC set analysis reveals a definitive correlation between CTC set and formal sections in Vivier’s composition Bouchara . Although formally adjacent CTC sets are often markedly varied, all sets share a subset of lower-order CTCs, aiding in perception of spectral cohesion across formal boundaries. This analysis illuminates the interrelationships of CTC sets to their parent dyads, their orchestration, their playing technique, and form in Bouchara . CTC set analysis is compared with Vivier’s sketches for Bouchara , which suggest that les couleurs were intended as integral components of the work’s musical structure
Art · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Musical · Orchestration · Perception · Physics · Spectral analysis · Computer Science · Music Technology and Sound Studies · Musicology and Musical Analysis · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Philosophy · Artificial Intelligence
| Highly cited | No |
|---|