Peer reviewed papers
S. Catena and E. Dorigatti, “Missing memories: why we need to analyse and annotate spatialisation”, in
XXVI Colloquio d'Informatica Musicale, Torino, Sept 30th - Oct 2nd, 2024
Abstract: This paper aims to foster a discussion over the necessity of developing an analysis and classification framework of the spatial parameter in music, especially within the electroacoustic and acousmatic music contexts.
As the exploration of space as an artistic feature is not novel in music, our discourse builds up from a review of the field, investigating its origins and identifying previous key experiences.
This paper considers the state of the art of spatial analysis, comparing it with issues currently affecting electroacoustic and acousmatic music musicology, namely the lack of an agreed notation system and the technological fragmentation of the field.
The following discussion proposes spatialisation as an experiential feature and recommends a perspective that contrast the dominant philosophy which interprets space from a geometrical and technological perspective.
From this novel standpoint, we advocate that spatialisation should be studied independently from the technology employed, focusing only on aural implications.
By inviting a conversation on this matter, we also suggest that the proposed perspective could work retrospectively, improving the analysis of electroacoustic pieces belonging to the historical repertoire.
S. Catena and H. Frisk, “A speaker agnostic approach to spatialisation in electroacoustic music”, in
21st Sound and Music Computing (SMC) Conference, Porto, ESMAE, July 4-6 2024
Abstract: While spatial audio technologies have developed dramatically in the last twenty years, the compositional approaches to spatialisation in electroacoustic music are still fragmented.
No coherent and shared language for spatialisation exists yet, and it is often challenging to reproduce an electroacoustic piece in different space from the one it was conceived in. In this paper we delve deeper into an approach about spatial audio and spatialisation techniques in the electroacoustic arts that we called 'speaker agnosticism'.
By introducing Lilla Salen, a multichannel system of up to 49 speakers in a dome like configuration, and the authors' compositions, we describe a method of treating the concert hall as an instrument irrespective of the number of speakers it contains, or their arrangement. This paradigm shift encourages an 'organic' approach to music spatialisation, steering away from the traditional 'Euclidean' mindset.
Finally, this project hints at the possibility of 'touring' pieces: by treating multichannel systems rather as instruments. Thanks to current audio technologies it is possible to 'transcribe' works between concert halls without losing the musical intention.
S. Catena, “Concepts and approaches in analysing spatial gestures: a link between Mozart and
acousmatic music”, in XXIII Colloqui d’Informatica Musicale, Ancona, Oct. 2022, pp. 105–111.
Abstract: There are many studies which identify the compositional exploration and exploitation of space throughout history; in the twentieth century - and particularly in acousmatic music - the spatial experience has become one of the central musical concerns.
The qualities of sound moving in space might be considered distinct in instrumental or voice-based music if compared to electroacoustic and acousmatic music, where spatialisation technologies and reproduction systems have given a great range of possibilities to composers.
By introducing a coupling-decoupling process for the analysis of spatial motions and their sounding parameters, it is possible to abstract movements in space from their intrinsic timbral characteristics that might be applicable in the studies of a range of music,
both instrumental and electroacoustic. The concept of spatial sonorous object is introduced and used as basic unit for the analysis of the Notturno in Dmajor K.286 by W.A. Mozart and identification of spatial motion archetypes.
In this discussion, a preliminary analysis of ’traditional’ spatial sound movements is proposed together with a process of coupling-decoupling, an approach in linking spatial movements from different music contexts and their repurpose in the creative practice.
S. Catena, “Real-time algorithmic timbral spatialisation: compositional approaches and techniques”, in
2021 18th Sound and Music Computing (SMC) Conference, Torino, Jul. 2021, pp. 323–339.
Abstract:This paper introduces a series of techniques and approaches to algorithmic timbral spatialisation, the real-time processing of audio data and its musical organization in a binaural or multichannel listening space.
The intent of the work is to explore different ways for the automated spatialisation of the audio spectrum, especially in contexts of electroacoustic and acousmatic music composition.
Typical Digital Signal Processing operations and algorithms will be used in order to create and/or retrieve data for the dynamic positioning of the audio sources.
Firstly, in order to describe the processes, the concept of timbral spatialisation will be introduced, describing the compositional interest of such approach.
Then the different techniques for data generation will be formalized, describing their “audioparous” process, that is when information regarding musical organization is extrapolated from an audio source.
The various approaches to interpretation and usage of the data will be discussed, as well as their implementation in SuperCollider.
S. Catena and A. Bolzoni, “Virtual Acousmonium, a study on expressiveness of musical gestures”, in
2021 18th Sound and Music Computing (SMC) Conference, Torino, Jul. 2021, pp. 338–344
Abstract:For the composer and the interpreter of acousmatic music, the ability to place a sound in space has become an essential element in the creative practice.
Together with pitch, timbre, intensity and duration, the position of sounds in space determines its role as a whole.
Even more, the movement of sound in space allows them to evoke, with the help of the interpreter, representations of physical environments and gestures.
The gesture as a source of motion and the movement that follows, allows you to dive fully in the sound environments depicted.
The relevance of this aspect has led us to study and to experiment the behavior of a virtual environment, more precisely a Virtual Acousmonium, testing on it various gestures that are part of the tradition repertoire of acousmatic interpretation.
The goal is to verify its effectiveness as a compositional tool, as a tool for studying, for the preparation of acousmatic music performances, and as a didactic support for interpretative practice.
S. Catena and A. Bolzoni, “Distorsione di Massa”, in 2018 Colloqui d’Informatica Musicale (CIM),
Udine, Nov. 2018, pp. 237–242
Abstract: Distorsione di Massa é un'installazione interattiva che, sotto forma di gioco, permette all'utente di riflettere sul tema delle fake news.
Si presenta come una postazione di ascolto, costituita da una sedia e da un tavolo su cui si trova un tablet, posizionata al centro di uno spazio di diffusione sonora quadrifonica.
Il gioco é organizzato in livelli, di difficoltá crescente, in cui l'obiettivo é quello di riconoscere una frase musicale che rappresenta una notizia vera.
All'inizio di ogni livello viene fatta ascoltare la frase musicale "vera" che, successivamente, viene moltiplicata e le cui copie vengono sottoposte a un processo di distorsione.
Passato un lasso di tempo direttamente proporzionale alla difficoltá del livello, viene sbloccata la possibilitá di selezionare, attraverso la visualizzazione delle posizioni delle sorgenti sul tablet, quale tra le voci ascoltate é quella rimasta inalterata.