RE: [microsound] sound-psychology

["Paulo Mouat" <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, I am aware of his work in documenting his synaesthetic perception =
and I
do believe he was able to see colours whenever he heard sounds -- in =
fact,
despite the fact that I don't like his music that much (Varese is so =
much
more inspiring and I actually prefer Messiaen's students, i.e. Boulez,
Stockhausen, Xenakis...) I firmly believe his synaesthetic experience =
has
given his music an overall consistency to the point that you can =
actually
say "it's Messiaen" from an out-of-context passage of his music.  IMHO =
(and
of others), he was truly a great and inspiring pedagogue, and a few =
video
documentaries I have with him lecturing or otherwise presenting his =
views
demonstrate that.  The "Technique de mon langage musical" is also a =
worthy
addition to any musician's personal library.

Regarding the "scientific approach" to things (in particular =
audio-visual
work), I would say it is ultimately always subjective.  Even if you
establish a large, consistent, all-encompassing theoretical edifice, be =
it
for a sense of "safety" or because you want to remove yourself from the
process as much as possible, whenever you are faced with options you are
employing your own sense of aesthetics and thus a little subjectivity =
creeps
in.  I am all for the scientific grounding of those options, but no =
matter
how hard you try (Cage notwithstanding), in the end it'll be YOUR =
option,
and its appeal will vary from one person to the next -- and that appeal =
is
entirely subjective.

Cheers,
//paulo

P.S.  If I had to choose the "best" composer of the 20th century, I =
would
probably choose Nono.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kurt Ralske [mailto:kranning@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]=20
> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2003 1:41 PM
> To: microsound
> Subject: Re: [microsound] sound-psychology
>
> (...)
>=20
> Messiaen (my nomination for the best composer of the 20th=20
> century) was so convinced of his synaesthetic perceptions=20
> that he believed it must be a objective phenomena, but only =20
> perceivable by some. He compiled long lists of the color=20
> combinations produced by his various modes, in various keys:=20
> "...violet-purple...orange striped with red...gold and milky-white..."
>=20
> He said: "The great tragic drama of my life consists of my=20
> telling people that I see colors whenever I hear music -- and=20
> they see nothing. That's terrible. And they don't even believe me."
>=20
> Connecting to a previous thread from a few weeks back: if=20
> synaesthesia is totally subjective, then to take a=20
> "scientific approach" to realizing audio-visual artwork is=20
> probably not the best route to really access subjective=20
> perceptions. You're more likely to reveal subjectivity by=20
> illogic than by logic. Keep the subjective subjective.=20

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