ï~~Proportional Recursive Stochastic Composition Using COMP2,
a Smalltalk-80 Composition Program Within the
Kyma Digital Synthesis System
Brian Belet
Assistant Professor of Music
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Clark University
950 Main Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01610-1477, USA
e-mail: bbelet@vax.clarku.edu
Abstract
COMP2 is a proportionally governed recursive stochastic composition program written by the
composer in 1991 using the Smalltalk-80 programming language within the Kyma digital
synthesis system. COMP2 is designed to compose music in which all aspects of the
composition are unified aesthetically and procedurally. This is accomplished through the use
of a composer-defined set of initial values which directly or indirectly determine all of the
required variable values through recursive stochastic procedures.
Like its 1985 Fortran predecessor COMP1, COMP2 uses twelve ratios as its generating "Ur
set". These ratios correspond to twelve primary interval ratios (or proportions) of Just
Intonation, and are used here as an aesthetic dedication to Ben Johnston (although any number
of composer-defined values can be used). Two compositions were generated with COMP1,
and to date one new work is currently being refined with COMP2 (for flute and Kyma system,
with early 1992 performances scheduled). The resulting proportional recursive stochastic
compositions utilize pseudo-curved aural space in several parameters to insure that parameter
boundaries are neither exceeded nor actually reached. Not specifically microtonal, these
works are micro-x-al, where "x" represents every parameter and every relationship in the
work. COMP2, operating on the Kyma system, permits real-time software synthesis in an
intuitive, composer-friendly, yet extremely powerful desktop environment, which is a
significant improvement over COMP1.
Introduction
It has been and remains this composer's interest to aesthetically and procedurally unify the diverse aspects
of human compositional and computer processes within a given musical work. A series of related
compositions have been generated using algorithmic programming and software synthesis to explore the
possibilities of creating resultant unified compositional complexity from initial aesthetic simplicity
("simplicity" is used here as "elegance"). This relates conceptually to the various explorations and
experiments in astrophysics that seek to discover one or more Grand Unification Theories [GUTs] that will
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