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The magic of sound: What is the sound concrete music that makes people amazed?
In the world of music, there is a unique form of music that transcends traditional melody, harmony and rhythm and uses recorded sounds as the raw material for creation: musique concrète. Since musique concrète was proposed by French composer Pierre Schaeffer in the early 1940s, this musical form has opened up new explorations in composition and performance. Today, we will not only learn about the history of this musical form, but also explore how it breaks the routine of our auditory world through the magic of sound, which is amazing.
Music concrète is a creative style that makes free use of specific sounds, which come from nature, recordings of musical instruments, and even human voices, and are processed to form a sound collage.
The origins of musique concrète
Music concrète's roots can be traced back to the ideas and experiments of various musicians in the early 20th century. In 1928, music critic André Cœuroy mentioned that in the future composers would be able to create music through recordings. This interest in new musical forms grew over time. In 1931, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky suggested that the way music is written would lead to greater interest in the use of records. This view formed a rudimentary thinking about sound creation at the time.
Pierre Chaffer and the "Symphony of Recordings"
In 1942, Pierre Chaffier founded the "Studio d'Essai" and began to explore radiophony. During this period he began recording and experimenting with various sounds, and in 1948 he wrote a journal describing his pursuit of sound creation. His first book, "In Search of Concrete Music" (A la recherche d'une musique concrète), was published in 1952, marking the formation of concrete music. Shafir's exploration is not only a combination of concrete sounds, but also a deep reflection on the nature of music. He argues that recording, as a creative medium, has the power to reshape our auditory experience.
In Xia Feier's view, musique concrète is not a study of timbre, but focuses on the appearance and shape of sound, with the emphasis on the playfulness of the creative process.
Technological Revolution
The development of musique concrète not only depends on the creativity of composers, but also benefits from the emerging music technology at that time. With the invention of microphones, phonographs and even tape recorders, these technological innovations have given composers a wider range of sound manipulation capabilities. In 1948, the facilities of radio recording studios at that time had already distinguished various operational possibilities. Combined with sound processors and filters, sound collage became a reality, and the creative tools of sound concrete music were also extended.
Aesthetic Observation of Concrete Music
With the establishment of musique concrète, this form has also attracted a large number of musicians, sound artists and sound engineers. They strive to explore the diversity of sound art through different technical means. Musique concrète no longer follows the chord relationship of traditional music, but explores the essence of sound through the free use of sound objects (l'objet sonore), blurring the boundaries of music. As Shaffield said: when he proposed the concept of "music concrète", he wanted to emphasize the opposition to traditional musical notation.
The future of sound concrete music
As digital technology advances, the platforms and tools for creating musique concrète continue to evolve. Nowadays, music producers can not only create through traditional recording methods, but also use computers and various digital audio workstations (DAW) to build their sound world in a virtual environment. The emergence of various sound design software has undoubtedly provided new possibilities for the creation of acoustic concrete music.
The real charm of musique concrète lies in that it makes us rethink the meaning of sound and the essence of music, and allows every daily sound to transform into a part of music.
Halim El Dabi and Early Experiments
In addition to Shaffir, the early experiments of Egyptian composer Halim El-Dabh in the 1940s cannot be ignored. He used a bulky tape recorder to record the sounds of the ancient Zar ritual and post-processed them in the studio of a Middle East radio station, creating a recording work called "Expressions of Zar". Although Eldabi's name was unknown at the time, as time went on, his works had a profound influence on later sound experimental music.
Conclusion
The birth and development of musique concrète marked a profound change in music creation. This form makes music not just an expression of harmony, but an exploration and understanding of sound itself. As we immerse ourselves in the magic of audio, we can’t help but ask: In this new world of sound, how will future music creation once again subvert our auditory experience?
