The Collaborative Role of the Technician in ...sofferte onde serene...

Abstract

The music of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries presents a challenge to traditional music theory through the adoption of a musical language containing sonic elements that previously fell outside the scope of accepted musical categories (primarily those of pitch and rhythm). Experiences gained by performing the electronics in a transitional work ("¦..sofferte onde serene...) by a pivotal figure (Luigi Nono) in this development are explored as a potential inspiration for new notational and analytical models of sound-based composition. Spectrograms and other technologically derived visualizations of sound are proposed as potential aids to both the performance and analysis of music from this period. The importance of .....sofferte onde serene... is emphasized not only in the context of these analytical developments, but also within the oeuvre of Nono as a whole, with its revolutionary shift towards pure sound as a primary compositional material.