Visualizing Music: a transposition into architecture

Visualizing Music a transposition into architecture

Natalie Pierro Thesis, Bachelor of Architecture Cornell University 2010

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â€œâ€Śmusic and architecture differ from the other arts in their capacity to surround man entirely. This immersive quality derives from the fact that both arts deal with space.â€?

Sven Sterken

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Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Melody 1.1 Music and Architecture The Score The Site III. Development Architectural Precedents Diagrams IV. Melody 1.2 Final Drawings Model Photographs Film Discussion V. Epilogue

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trans•pose (trăns-pōz΄) v. trans•posed, trans•pos•ing, trans•pos•es v.tr.

1. To reverse or transfer the order or place of; interchange.

2. To alter in form or nature; transform.

3. Music: to write or perform (a composition) in a key other than the original or given key.

4. Mathematics: to move (a term) from one side of an algebraic equation to the other side, reversing its sign to maintain equality.

5. To render into another language.

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I. Introduction

Having chosen the second movement of Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 20 as the means for this exploration, the score was formally analyzed as intended. However, the project took a turn when it became apparent that a geographical site was needed for the anticipated architectural intervention. In choosing Ithaca Falls, a dramatic site with a complicated topography, new methods of musical comparison were brought to light, as well as layers of historical intrigue. The thesis was no longer about architectural design alone, but instead sought to tie the chosen piece of music to the physical site by using architecture as its means.

Now, in transposing the exploration into written documentation, it seemed fitting to format the book similarly to the project, which of course gained its structure from the Serenade for Strings, Larghetto. This movement can be read as five distinct sections or "ideas": Introduction, Melody 1.1, Development, Melody 1.2, and Epilogue. As these will be discussed in detail farther into the book, for now it will suffice to say that the following diagram best illustrates the relationships between these sections and the overall structure of the piece.

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The thesis presented in this book began as an investigation in designing architecture based on a piece of music – a so-called act of “transposition”, as one often does when changing the key of a musical composition. In the attempt to transpose music into architecture, the goal was to understand the fundamentals of each art in relation to one another, as well as to produce an end result that had been informed by conscious decisions. This product was to be gained through drawing analysis, using the score as a diagram for space and seeing the architectural drawing as its counterpart.

Introduction

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Melody 1.1

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I.

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III. Development

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IV. Melody 1.2 V. Epilogue

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Here, you will see that the Introduction and Epilogue are aligned, reflecting qualities of the other. Additionally, the two Melody sections have the same relationship, whereas the Development stands alone, creating the turning point at which the piece begins to melodically travel in the reverse order - allowing the piece to end where it once began. As the content of this book has been formatted into these same five sections, the reader will be asked to flip the book upside down in the middle of the Development section and to continue reading in the opposite direction, all the while staying focused on the right-hand page. This move in itself becomes yet another manifestation of transposition.

The combination and comparison of different art forms is an exercise that has often led to new discoveries and reinvention. The association between Music and Architecture is no exception and is a relationship with which many are already familiar. “I call architecture frozen music”, spoken by John Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1842), reflects a perspective that has been further built upon since his time by many an artist, architect, musician and theorist.

Iannis Xenakis Active as both an architect and composer throughout his career, music and architecture were inextricably linked for Xenakis (1922-2001). Having studied engineering in Athens, Xenakis joined Le Corbusier’s office in Paris during the 1950’s. His most recognized architectural works were completed during this time, including Sainte Marie de La Tourette, for which he was the project director, and the Philips Pavilion at 1958 World Fair in Brussels. Xenakis’ time with Corbusier also greatly affected his musical life in that he found inspiration in Le Corbusier’s Modulor system of proportions.

Mathematics in general as well as the analogy between the orthogonal co-ordinate system and the musical notation system were also great influences on his composition style. With the latter method, the graph itself acted as a staff - the vertical axis representing pitch and the horizontal axis representing the flow of time. In drawing straight lines to connect the dots on the graph paper, it raised the question of what could happen between the dots.

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II. Melody 1.1

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He used this method as well as numerical proportions in his first major composition, Metastasis (1954). The famous drawing of the Coda of the piece, (bars 309-314) features the projection, in a plane, of a hyperbolic paraboloid. Soon after completing the piece, Xenakis went on to create an architectural icon within the paradigm of ruled surfaces: the Philips Pavilion. The similarity between the structure of the pavilion and the graphical score of Metastasis is quite clear, however, it exists beyond the formal level.

Both creations can be considered two different hypostases of the same idea - the continuous transition between two discrete states. In music, this condition could be articulated in the movement from unison to clustered sounds, while in architectural space it is expressed by merging the horizontal level surface and vertical wall plane.

Continuing the relationship of music inspiring architecture, in turn, a piece of music was composed for the Philips Pavilion: Poeme Electronique, by Edgar Varese. The title was actually Corbusier’s name for the entire pavilion, saying he wanted to create a “poem in a bottle”. Varese composed the piece with the intention of creating a liberation between sounds and, as a result, used noises not usually considered “musical” throughout the piece.

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Another example of music’s influence on Iannis Xenakis’ design work is in Sainte Marie de La Tourette, a priory in a valley near Lyon, France (constructed between 1956 -1960). Designed by Le Corbusier, Xenakis served as his project architect and was additionally responsible for the design of the panes of glass located on three exterior faces – the so called pans de verre ondulatoire (the undulatory glass surface). The uneven horizontal divisions between these vertical windows were determined using Le Corbusier’s Modulor system as well as the musical principles of harmony and rhythm.

In the end, Xenakis was not preoccupied with “translating” music to architecture or vice versa, stating: “we are capable of speaking two languages at the same time. One is addressed to the eyes, the other to the ears.” Instead, he sought to use the similarities of their underlying structural principles to his benefit.

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“Musictecture” A particularly interesting study in the early ‘90’s was translated into a course at Montana State University, lead by Professors Gregory Young (Professor of Music) and Jerry Bancroft (Professor of Architetcure). Combining students of both music and architecture, the course was composed of a two-category taxonomy: “Terminology” and “Sources of Inspiration and Influence.” Essentially, these categories set the stage for a language-based comparison, where common terms were defined and compared in accord with the two arts. Examples of terminology include: articulation, color, composition, form, texture, rhythm, theme, etc. Examples of inspiration include: emotion/perception, history/style, function/ purpose, user/audience, etc. Using these common terms, the final project for the architecture students was to design a building using a pre-existing musical piece as their “leap vehicle,” and vice versa for the music students.

Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 20 (c. 1892) Elgar himself was a composer without much recognition, and his pieces are hardly well known outside of the music community, save for Pomp and Circumstance, (now heard at every graduation ceremony). Yet somehow the Serenade for Strings stands out in its rich melodic color and unusual choral relationship between instruments. Beyond all else, Elgar knew how to write a haunting melody line that flows and yearns for the following note. Its simplicity and lack of intellectual preoccupation made for the perfect subject of exploration, and its idealistic beauty make the piece something to enjoy repeatedly.

The Serenade for Strings has three movements: I. Allegro piacevole II. Larghetto III. Allegretto The second movement was chosen for this study.

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The Score

The reoccurrence of the note “G”. While the key of the piece is in C major, it begins with a strong emphasis on the note G. Throughout the movement, the note is exchanged between instruments and manipulated at both the beginning and end of phrases, giving the note a powerful existence. This is also seen in the way that many chords resolve from G major to C major.

The weight of the beat. Throughout the piece, the emphasis placed on beat 1 and 2 at different moments becomes an incredibly powerful gesture. Each distinguishes the movement of the phrase in different ways, and as such, the beat’s emphasis is used as a tool to manipulate the listener’s expectations. These distinctions then begin to lay a structure for form, allowing the listener to navigate through the piece.

Subdivisions within the movement. There are five distinct “ideas” in the Larghetto: Introduction, Melody 1.1, Development, Melody 1.2, and Epilogue. While the two Melody sections are comparable, so too are the Introduction and Epilogue, providing the building blocks for the entire piece. The Development section, meanwhile, is the center of the piece and yet the least important – exhibiting the leftovers of each musical idea. Nonetheless, the piece cannot function without the Development in that it supports its surroundings. An example of this is seen in the way the previous weight on beat 2 is re-oriented to beat 1 in this section. In the end, the journey to and from the center of the piece outweighs the importance of the center itself.

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Analyzing the Larghetto of the Serenade for Strings, a number of key components can be recognized...

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Spatial Diagrams: These diagrams are varied ways to understand the structure and relationships between the different subdivisions within the movement. In all three scenarios, there are five components, grouped into three elements. The last diagram is the most fitting for both the piece and the resulting exploration. Here, the piece folds back on itself, creating a turning point at the center of the Development. This then shows the direct correlation between the Introduction and Epilogue as well as the two Melody sections.

The differences in variation. Elgar makes a clear effort to vary the two groups of comparable sections in different ways. Between the Introduction and Epilogue, musical ideas are cut and paste, extended and trimmed – all of which being physical manipulations. Whereas in each Melody section, the main line remains intact and only the color, volume and depth are altered – manipulating on a more emotional and ethereal plane. The second of the two Melody sections is vibrant and seems to be pushed forward with an undulating current. This feeling is achieved by giving the Violin II/ Viola constant triplets that reflect and harmonize with the main melody played by the Violin I. The depth of this section is due to the main melody being doubled, both in the Violin I and Viola, as well as a full bass line, played by both the Bass and Cello.

Diagramming the Score: In an attempt to break down the intricate differences between the Introduction and Epilogue, detailed studies were made both 2-dimensionally and 3-dimensionally, (shown on the following pages).

The intentions of both were to highlight the physical manipulations between the two sections.

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Ascension of the melody. The most rewarding moment of the piece is in the middle of Melody 1.2 – at the climax of the melody line. The brilliance of this melody is that Elgar uses the same two-measure phrase three times in succession, only each time the phase is raised a 3rd above the previous one. Theoretically speaking, a note 3 steps above the 1st is the most basic harmony in composition, and yet here, because the phrases are being played sequentially and not directly on top of one another, the harmony heard is in the ethers – something like an echo. The climax itself occurs in the third phrase, (the melody is now a 5th above the original) when the Violin I peaks at a “C” while the basses are playing a “G” – once again playing on the dynamic between those two notes.

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Collage Study: Epilogue

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Collage Study: Introduction

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Open flap to see Section Model Study

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Today, without the need for water as a source of energy, the tunnel and raceway run dry, overgrown with weeds and grasses. Part of the dam spanning across the top of Ithaca Falls has been demolished, lowering the water level and leaving the remains of the dam exposed. The wheel-driven gate built into the dam at the mouth of the tunnel has since been closed. Lining the walls of the dark, damp tunnel are a series of cement pillars, once used to support wooden planks, now left scattered on the ground. These planks once formed a board-walk just above the rushing waters, used for both maintenance of the tunnel during the cold winter months, and by plant visitors who would tour the tunnel. The last tours ended in 1941 when Ithaca Gun Company (the only remaining factory in the area) began fulfilling their military contracts and had to fence and secure the premises.

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Ithaca Falls, Ithaca, NY The city of Ithaca is known for the simple beauty of its gorges and the complicated geography that forms them. The area of Fall Creek, home of the stunning Ithaca Falls, was once populated by mills and factories, having been industrialized by 1813. When a young Ezra Cornell was hired in the 1830s by J.S. Beebe to maintain his mills, one of his first tasks was to design and execute a new energy source for the mills. Completed in 1832, the project tunneled through 200 feet of rock, diverting water from above the falls to a raceway paralleling Fall Creek. Dams were placed at various intervals along the raceway and flumes were constructed to direct water from these dams to the wheels of the various mills.

Open flap to see Plan

The Site

IV. Melody 1.2

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y Willard Wa

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Site Plan; open flap to see marked views of the existing site

The final project was represented in three ways, through drawing, model, and film.

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Model To represent the relationship of the boardwalk to the landscape, a physical model was constructed at 1/16” = 1’0”, making the base of the model 58”x17”. Materials: chipboard and bass wood.

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Open flap to see Diagrammatic Section

Present-day aerial photograph

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Historical photographs

Walking through the remains of the raceway, it became apparent that there was a clear relationship between the site and the idea of sequence, much like the Serenade for Strings.

Beginning at the base of the gorge, where the water once carried by the raceway rejoined that of Fall Creek, there is a natural desire to continue following the path through this man-made gorge, ascending towards the tunnel. Once reached, the light at the far end continues to draw the occupant farther until the open expanse above Ithaca Falls is reached. However, the view out over the valley is blocked by the gorge wall. One could imagine climbing a staircase along that wall, taunting the viewer with every switchback away from the view, inevitably bringing them to the land above the tunnel. Somewhat isolated, with the gorge to the right and the raceway to the left, this land mass begins to gently slope downwards – naturally drawing the walker in the same direction they once came, but at a different elevation.

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III. Development

Architectural Precedents The following three projects were referenced during the design process. Considerations included: • Ascending a landscape • Dialogue of a boardwalk • Architectural aesthetics

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This sequence through the site – beginning in one direction and doubling back to re-experience the path in the opposite direction – was the key to connecting the site to the structure of the musical piece. Through this, the project took on the program of a recreational path. By reactivating the raceway with water flow, this set up the path’s structure to have three main components: the boardwalk (referencing the history of the site), the staircase, and the groundscape.

The first component and last components would be aligned in section (as the Introduction and Melody 1.1 do with the Epilogue and Melody 1.2), and the middle component would act as the turning point in the sequence (comparable to the Development).

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Ascending a landscape:

Alvaro Siza - Tolo House, Lugar das Carvalhinhas, Alvite

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Dialogue of a boardwalk:

German del Sol - Geometric Hot Springs, Villarica, Chile

...in order to continue reading Please flip book upside down...

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Architectural aesthetics:

Plasma Studio - Esker Haus, Sandcanido, Italy

With the site and piece linked through overall structure, the purpose of the architectural intervention developed into acting as a cohesive between the two elements. The diagrams on the following pages begin to illustrate the factors that were considered in the design process.

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The structure indicates the start/end of each measure (the musical structure) The railing indicates the four beats per measure - another relationship to structure Changes in orientation represent the movement of the melody line between instruments.

Each tread deals with the rhythmic representation of each note The rise of each tread is a factor of both the tempo of the outstanding musical lines while accommodating the needs of the site.

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Diagrams

Diagrammatic Plan Visualizing Music . Development . 25

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Historical photographs

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Open flap to see Diagrammatic Section

Present-day aerial photograph

tu urning poin nt in n musical structure Introduction

Diagrammatic Section

Melody 1.1

Development

Melody 1.2

Epilogue

The final project was represented in three ways, through drawing, model, and film.

Drawings • Plan • Section • Renderings (3) Model To represent the relationship of the boardwalk to the landscape, a physical model was constructed at 1/16” = 1’0”, making the base of the model 58”x17”. Materials: chipboard and bass wood.

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IV. Melody 1.2

The Site Ithaca Falls, Ithaca, NY The city of Ithaca is known for the simple beauty of its gorges and the complicated geography that forms them. The area of Fall Creek, home of the stunning Ithaca Falls, was once populated by mills and factories, having been industrialized by 1813. When a young Ezra Cornell was hired in the 1830s by J.S. Beebe to maintain his mills, one of his first tasks was to design and execute a new energy source for the mills. Completed in 1832, the project tunneled through 200 feet of rock, diverting water from above the falls to a raceway paralleling Fall Creek. Dams were placed at various intervals along the raceway and flumes were constructed to direct water from these dams to the wheels of the various mills.

Visualizing Music . Melody 1.1 . 16 Visualizing Music . Melody 1.2 . 28

Today, without the need for water as a source of energy, the tunnel and raceway run dry, overgrown with weeds and grasses. Part of the dam spanning across the top of Ithaca Falls has been demolished, lowering the water level and leaving the remains of the dam exposed. The wheel-driven gate built into the dam at the mouth of the tunnel has since been closed. Lining the walls of the dark, damp tunnel are a series of cement pillars, once used to support wooden planks, now left scattered on the ground. These planks once formed a board-walk just above the rushing waters, used for both maintenance of the tunnel during the cold winter months, and by plant visitors who would tour the tunnel. The last tours ended in 1941 when Ithaca Gun Company (the only remaining factory in the area) began fulfilling their military contracts and had to fence and secure the premises.

Open flap to see Plan

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Model Study Open flap to see Section

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The purpose of the film was to allow the viewer to experience the architectural intervention in the site while having the Serenade for Strings as a soundtrack. Using the Introduction section as an example, a walk-through of the computerbuilt model provided an idealistic scenario where movement through the project could be manipulated and timed to align perfectly with the music – heightening the experience of the viewer. The remaining four sections of the piece were used as an opportunity to showcase the views along the path of the existing site. Again, this was timed in sync with particular moments of the piece according to one’s position on the path.

Notice the still images on the bottom-right corner of each page. These have all been taken from the Introduction section of the film. As if using a flip-book, please enjoy the video through these pages. Additionally, a DVD has been included behind the front cover.

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Film Discussion

Through analysis, the thesis presented in this book sought to tie the chosen piece of music to the physical site by using architecture as its means. Using Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 20 as musical inspiration as well as the geography of Ithaca Falls in Ithaca, NY, the project took advantage of their similar dependence on the idea of sequence.

In doing so, a recreational path in the form of a boardwalk, staircase, and groundscape choreographed the movement of the participant through the landscape while taking cues from both the music and the site. Retaining the overall structure of both, the sequence contains five different components, grouped into three elements, creating a turning point at the center that allows the participant to complete the path where they once began.

Reflecting on the project, there are a number of variables that could have dramatically changed the outcome. For example, what would have happened had a Philip Glass piece been chosen? Elgar instead composed a rather conservative option that, while providing a straight forward subject for analysis, defines musical “space� in a very traditional sense. Additionally, was the expression of the music restricted by a linear representation? By involving the Ithaca Falls raceway, the project became concentrated in sequencing movement along a linear path and with this, the full range of motion that the music could have provided was left unexplored. Given more time, the intervention could have developed into something with a greater 3-dimensional quality.

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V. Epilogue

Programmatically, there is also a great deal of room for development. Details could have been furnished through the dialogue of the architecture – using the continuous angular ribs to create elements like seating, lighting, information boards, and water fountains. Additionally, one has to consider the future of the recreational path: would it function without recognition of its inspiration, the Serenade for Strings? Or could one walk the path while listening to the piece?

During the design stage, could the walk have actually been timed to the piece as opposed to the idealistic increase and decrease of speed shown in the video? ...

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This leads to other musical aspects that may have been overlooked in the design process. Preoccupied with the intricacy of the site, the project lost a great deal of focus on the detailed analysis of the musical piece. Instead of only considering the formal aspects (i.e. structure, rhythm, instrumental relationships), the intervention could have incorporated the experiential qualities of the music – color, density, texture, etc. This then raises the question, how does one measure these ambiguous qualities? Is it something that can be diagrammed? Perhaps the consideration of these aspects could have pushed the project into a more spatial form.

End

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Having raised a number of questions regarding ideology, process and outcome, the project presented here was – at the very least – successful in generating thought. The ties between music and architecture, between architecture and site, between the structural and non-structural components of all related subjects‌ these things could be analyzed continually. With this in mind, this thesis, while successful in producing an architectural intervention inspired by the intended musical piece and geographical site, provides a basis for understanding the potential in these relationships and with it, a great deal of room for further investigation and exploration.

Bancroft, Jerry, Mark Sanderson and Gregory Young. “Musi-tecture: Seeking Useful Correlations Between Music and Architecture.” Leonardo Music Journal. The MIT Press, 1993: 3. (pp. 39-43) Blesser, Barry and Linda-Ruth Salter. Spaces speak, are you listening?: experiencing aural architecture. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, c2007. (online resource: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy.library.cornell.edu/lib/cornell/Doc?id=10173546) Bonde, Jasper. “Sound-generated Space.” 2008.

Drew, Joe. “Reconstructing the Philips Pavilion.” ANABlog. January 16, 2010. (online resource: http://www.analogartsensemble.net/2010/01/electronic-music-foundation-presented.html) Martin, Elizabeth, ed. “Architecture as a Translation of Music.” Pamphlet Architecture. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, Inc., 1994: 16.

Muecke, Mikesch W. and Miriam S. Zach, ed. Essays on the intersection of music and architecture. Ames: Culicidae Architectural Press, c2007.

Nazarian, Shadi. “Hyperprism,” a Tectonic Landscape of Sound. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: Thesis, 1989.

Pliable. “Iannis Xenakis Composes In Glass.” On An Overgrown Path. October 2, 2006. (online resource: http://www.overgrownpath.com/2006/10/ iannis-xenakis-composes-in-glass.html) Ripley, Colin. In the place of sound: music, architecture, acoustics. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007.

Snyder, Walter Claude. The Ithaca Gun Company: From the Beginning. Southern Pines: Cook & Uline, 2009.

Thomas, Troy. “Interart Analogy: Practice and Theory in Comparing the Arts.” Journal of Aesthetic Education. 1991-07: 25. (pp. 17-36) Treib, Marc. Space Calculated in Seconds. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1996.

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Bibliography

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“One could not better define the sensation produced by listening to music than to say it is identical to that evoked by contemplation of the interplay of architectural forms. Goethe thoroughly understood this when he called architecture ‘frozen music’.”

Young and Bancroft, “Musi-tecture”

Acknowledgements Thank you to all those who gave me love and support during my time at Cornell and through this project. A special thanks to my thesis advisors: Professors Henry Richardson, John Zissovici, and Chris Kim; my thesis helpers: Mike Esposito, Alan McNutt, Jacob Chamoun, and Cassandra Greene; and to the Class Notes for keeping my passion for music alive through college.

For my loving father and the memory of my mother.