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Time to re-wire? Problems and strategies for the maintenance of live electronics

Time to re-wire? Problems and strategies for the maintenance of live electronics
Time to re-wire? Problems and strategies for the maintenance of live electronics
While much work is proceeding with regard to the preservation and restoration of audio documents in general and compositions for tape in particular, relatively little research has been published with regard to the issues of preserving compositions for live electronics. Such works often involve a distinct performance element difficult to capture in a single recording, and it is typically only in performance that such works can be experienced as the composer intended. However, performances can become difficult or even impossible to present over time due to data and/or equipment issues. Sustainability here therefore refers to the effective recording of all the information necessary to set up the live electronics for a performance. Equally, it refers to the availability of appropriate devices, as rapid technological change soon makes systems obsolete and manufacturers discontinue production. The authors have had a range of experience re-working performances over a number of years, including compositions by Luigi Nono and Jonathan Harvey, amongst others. In this paper we look at the problem as a whole, focusing on Jonathan Harvey's works with electronic elements, which span some twenty-six years, as exemplars of the types of problems involved.
1469-8153
229-242
Polfreman, Richard
26424c3d-b750-4868-bf6e-2bbb3990df84
Sheppard, David
f4464abe-f70b-41e4-88c7-8e6c93c98e86
Dearden, Ian
e1976181-1aee-4d70-8e12-a188cbb38915
Polfreman, Richard
26424c3d-b750-4868-bf6e-2bbb3990df84
Sheppard, David
f4464abe-f70b-41e4-88c7-8e6c93c98e86
Dearden, Ian
e1976181-1aee-4d70-8e12-a188cbb38915

Polfreman, Richard, Sheppard, David and Dearden, Ian (2006) Time to re-wire? Problems and strategies for the maintenance of live electronics. Organised Sound, 11 (3), 229-242. (doi:10.1017/S1355771806001543).

Record type: Article

Abstract

While much work is proceeding with regard to the preservation and restoration of audio documents in general and compositions for tape in particular, relatively little research has been published with regard to the issues of preserving compositions for live electronics. Such works often involve a distinct performance element difficult to capture in a single recording, and it is typically only in performance that such works can be experienced as the composer intended. However, performances can become difficult or even impossible to present over time due to data and/or equipment issues. Sustainability here therefore refers to the effective recording of all the information necessary to set up the live electronics for a performance. Equally, it refers to the availability of appropriate devices, as rapid technological change soon makes systems obsolete and manufacturers discontinue production. The authors have had a range of experience re-working performances over a number of years, including compositions by Luigi Nono and Jonathan Harvey, amongst others. In this paper we look at the problem as a whole, focusing on Jonathan Harvey's works with electronic elements, which span some twenty-six years, as exemplars of the types of problems involved.

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Published date: 2006

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 45973
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/45973
ISSN: 1469-8153
PURE UUID: 48ac13b0-ce3d-4e7d-8746-03f5a2e4d280

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Date deposited: 01 May 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 09:15

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Author: David Sheppard
Author: Ian Dearden

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