A Xenakis's Stochastic Synthesis

Sound Masses and Dynamic Compositional Processes in Micro and Macrotemporal Scales

Abstract

Xenakis defined the theoretical basis of stochastic synthesis in his article “New Proposals on Microsound Structure”, written in 1971, during his period as an associate professor at Indiana University. At this time, concurrently coordinating research centers in France and the United States, he developed research on computer-aided synthesis models, opening new synthesis possibilities on microtemporal scale. This article contains a historical approach regarding the development of stochastic synthesis, and its relationship with the notion of sound mass, in addition to discussing its transformations and technological implementations, highlighting four works that utilized this synthesis method in some manner: Polytope de Cluny (1972), Mikka “S” (1976), La Légende D’Eer (1977) e Gendy3 (1991), focusing on the generation of sound masses with different morphologies. We conclude by emphasizing the relationship between the micro and macrostructure of the works presented, in addition to the transfer of compositional processes between electroacoustic and instrumental works of the period.