Classical music meets the machine

By: Alex Pagan

Posted: 9/22/09

Those who listen to a symphony on record may begin to take the orchestra for granted. The sound one hears is whole; the orchestra, when playing, is one thing. To see an orchestra perform, however, is an entirely different thing. With about 100 members, such an orchestra is both visually stunning and slightly overwhelming. Because of the sheer size of such an ensemble, there are relatively few nationwide (only 350 or so). Consequently, fewer people are able to witness performances of great symphonic works, and fewer conductors are able to conduct large ensembles.

Paul Henry Smith M.F.A. '04 may be able to change this with his project, the Fauxharmonic Orchestra. The Fauxharmonic Orchestra uses sampling software to digitally simulate a musical ensemble, which can be as large and complex as a symphony orchestra. While this is excellent news for young composers who want relatively inexpensive recordings of their compositions, the possibilities afforded by this technology are even greater.

With the aid of a specialized conducting apparatus, one is able to not only play back recordings of the Fauxharmonic Orchestra but also conduct the Orchestra-that is, control the tempo, dynamics, timbre and brightness of the synthesized group. This means that the Fauxharmonic can also be used as a means of accompaniment, allowing a few instrumental soloists to perform a piece that was written for many more performers. Even more astoundingly, this mechanism obviates the need to contend with the prickly egos of professional musicians when establishing his or her musical vision.

Such a performance of Smith's Fauxharmonic Orchestra will occur at Brandeis on Oct. 4. In addition to works by Anton Webern and Edgard Varese and a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major, Smith will conduct two student compositions: Animated Watercolors by Jeremy Spindler Ph.D. '11 and A Piece For Several Instruments (or a futile attempt to explain the magical powers of nothingness) by Christian Gentry Ph.D. '12.

One may wonder what such an instrument sounds like. According to a test performed for the Wall Street Journal, it sounds remarkably like an actual symphony orchestra. In the trial, two professors of music listened to four renditions of a passage from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7-one of which was Smith's synthetic version-and tried to identify the computer-generated version. On both occasions, the professors misidentified the sample.

Smith's Fauxharmonic Orchestra uses a bank of millions of samples-digital sound clips of acoustic orchestral instruments-which are then arranged to correspond to the requisite pitches and timbres of the music. Given the rapid improvements in computer technology in the last several decades, it is unsurprising that such a feat-a "brute force" approach that 30 years ago may have been considered impossible-is feasible today. In an e-mail interview with justArts, Smith mentioned that even 15 years ago, the equipment being developed for music synthesis in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab was inadequate for the task of replicating an orchestra, especially in a real-time performance situation.

Now, all that is needed for such an instrument is equipment that can be bought at relatively little cost, as well as patience and expertise. Smith gave a brief overview of the apparatus that he uses to conduct: "During my concerts I stand on stage holding a wireless controller, called a Wii-mote (the controller used with Nintendo's Wii gaming console), which acts as a baton programmed to respond to my conducting gestures to affect the tempo. I also stand on a pressure-sensitive platform (the Wii balance board) that detects the movement of my body so that different sections of the orchestra can be brought out simply by leaning toward their would-be location on the stage." In this way Smith is able to control various parameters of the software, which are initially preset to "a close approximation of [his] ideal performance" and then modulated according to his preference, the acoustics of the venue, and the needs of any other soloists.

Even though the equipment is sufficient for playing high-quality music, as with any instrument the onus is on the musician to do creative work required for a good performance. In Smith's own words: "Anyone can walk into a store and buy a Steinway piano, but that doesn't mean they're going to play it like Horowitz. Musical ability is far more important than any technical factor." The approximations of the music to be performed take many hours to produce-about 80 hours for a single movement of a Beethoven symphony-and once assembled, it is the conductor that lends the piece the subtlety and responsiveness that provide realism and emotional depth.

The agenda of the Oct. 4 performance is notable for its varied compositions. Contrasted with the Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major is Webern's atonal Symphonie, which is itself contrasted with largely atonal and percussive work, Varese's Ionisation. While there is also contrast between Spindler's Animated Watercolors and Gentry's Piece For Several Instruments, they both share the quality of being "very imaginative and powerfully expressive."

The concert will be held Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Slosberg Recital Hall. All are invited to bring questions about The Fauxharmonic Orchestra, as there will be a demonstration of the technology and question-and-answer session before and after the performance.