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🎸Music History – 1850 to Present

🎸music history – 1850 to present review

7.3 Electronic Music and Musique Concrète

5 min readLast Updated on August 13, 2024

After World War II, electronic music emerged as a groundbreaking new form. Technological advancements like audio recording and electronic instruments opened up new sonic possibilities, while post-war experimentation pushed artistic boundaries.

Electronic music and musique concrète took different approaches to sound creation. Electronic music focused on synthesizing new sounds electronically, while musique concrète used recorded real-world sounds as raw material for compositions.

Emergence of Electronic Music

Technological Advancements

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  • Development of audio recording technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (phonograph, magnetic tape) enabled manipulation and transformation of recorded sounds, laying the foundation for electronic music and musique concrète
  • Invention of electronic musical instruments (Theremin (1920), Ondes Martenot (1928), Hammond Organ (1935)) expanded sonic possibilities and inspired composers to explore new forms of musical expression
  • Post-World War II era saw a surge in technological advancements and a spirit of experimentation, fostering an environment conducive to the emergence of electronic music and musique concrète
  • Establishment of electronic music studios (Studio for Electronic Music (WDR) in Cologne, Germany (1951), Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) in Paris, France (1958)) provided composers with access to cutting-edge technology and resources to create and develop these new musical forms

Post-War Experimentation

  • Composers and artists sought new forms of expression and experimentation in the aftermath of World War II, leading to the exploration of electronic and recorded sounds
  • The avant-garde movement in art and music challenged traditional notions of composition and performance, encouraging the use of unconventional materials and techniques
  • Advancements in communication and transportation facilitated the exchange of ideas and collaboration among composers and researchers across different countries and institutions
  • The Cold War era's emphasis on scientific and technological progress also contributed to the development and funding of electronic music research and studios

Electronic Music vs Musique Concrète

Compositional Techniques

  • Electronic music focused on the creation of sounds using electronic devices and techniques (sine wave generators, filters, ring modulators), often based on mathematical principles and serialist techniques
  • Musique concrète emphasized the use of recorded sounds from the environment (natural sounds, industrial noises) as the primary source material for compositions, which were then manipulated and transformed using tape splicing, looping, and other studio techniques
  • Electronic music composers aimed to create new, abstract sounds and sonic structures not possible with traditional acoustic instruments
  • Musique concrète composers sought to recontextualize and find musical value in everyday sounds, embracing the serendipitous and unpredictable nature of working with recorded sounds

Philosophical Differences

  • Electronic music tended to be more focused on the precise control and organization of sound, reflecting a modernist and rationalist approach to composition
  • Musique concrète often embraced the inherent qualities and imperfections of recorded sounds, emphasizing the importance of listening and the composer's intuition in shaping the material
  • Electronic music composers often worked with abstract, synthesized sounds, while musique concrète composers worked with concrete, real-world sounds as their source material
  • The two approaches represented different attitudes towards the role of technology in music creation: electronic music saw technology as a means to create entirely new sounds, while musique concrète used technology to manipulate and transform existing sounds

Pioneers of Electronic Music

Karlheinz Stockhausen

  • "Gesang der Jünglinge" (1955-56) - one of the first compositions to combine electronically generated sounds with recorded human vocals
  • "Kontakte" (1958-60) - a groundbreaking work for electronic sounds, piano, and percussion, exploring the spatial distribution of sound and the integration of live and electronic elements
  • Stockhausen's works often employed serialist techniques and complex compositional processes, pushing the boundaries of electronic music and influencing generations of composers

Pierre Schaeffer

  • "Cinq études de bruits" (1948) - the first musique concrète pieces, created using recorded sounds of trains, boats, and other objects, demonstrating the potential of found sounds as musical material
  • "Symphonie pour un homme seul" (1949-50) - a collaboration with Pierre Henry, featuring manipulated recordings of the human voice and body sounds, showcasing the expressive possibilities of musique concrète
  • Schaeffer's theoretical writings, including the "Traité des objets musicaux" (1966), laid the foundation for the conceptual and aesthetic principles of musique concrète

Other Notable Pioneers

  • Edgard Varèse: "Poème électronique" (1958) - a pioneering work of spatial music composed for the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, using electronic sounds and recorded samples
  • Iannis Xenakis: "Concret PH" (1958) - a musique concrète piece created using recorded sounds of burning charcoal, and "Diamorphoses" (1957-58) - an early work combining musique concrète techniques with statistical and mathematical processes
  • Herbert Eimert: Co-founder of the Studio for Electronic Music (WDR) in Cologne and a key figure in the development of electronic music in Germany, known for his theoretical writings and compositions such as "Klangstudie II" (1952)
  • Pierre Henry: Collaborated with Pierre Schaeffer on several seminal musique concrète works, including "Symphonie pour un homme seul" (1949-50), and created numerous solo compositions, such as "Variations pour une porte et un soupir" (1963)

Influence of Electronic Music

Expansion of Musical Possibilities

  • Innovations of electronic music and musique concrète expanded the palette of sounds available to composers and challenged traditional notions of music
  • New musical forms and genres emerged as a result of the experimentation with electronic and recorded sounds (avant-garde, experimental music, electronic dance music)
  • Techniques and philosophies of these movements influenced composers such as John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, who incorporated elements of electronic music and found sounds into their works

Impact on Music Production and Technology

  • Tape manipulation and electronic sound processing techniques pioneered by electronic music and musique concrète composers laid the groundwork for the development of electronic dance music (EDM) genres (techno, house, ambient) in the 1980s and beyond
  • Legacy of electronic music and musique concrète can be seen in the widespread use of electronic instruments, digital audio workstations, and sampling techniques in contemporary music production across various genres (pop, hip-hop, experimental, avant-garde)
  • Advancements in music technology, such as synthesizers, samplers, and software instruments, have made electronic music production more accessible and widespread, shaping the sound of modern music

Influence on Other Art Forms and Practices

  • Aesthetics of musique concrète, particularly the use of environmental and everyday sounds, influenced the development of soundscape composition and field recording as distinct artistic practices
  • Electronic music and musique concrète inspired experimentation in other art forms, such as film, video art, and multimedia installations, leading to the emergence of new audiovisual and interdisciplinary works
  • The philosophies and approaches of these movements have had a lasting impact on the way artists and audiences perceive and engage with sound, challenging conventional notions of music and encouraging a more open-minded and exploratory approach to listening and composition


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.