An Analysis of Jonathan Harvey’s “Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco”

10.11.09 14:07CEC - eContact! 9.2 - An Analysis of Jonathan Harvey’s “Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco”

Pagina 1 di 12http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/9_2/dirks.html

CEC Communauté électroacoustique canadienneCanadian Electroacoustic Community

Université Concordia - RF-302, 7141 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal QC H4B 1R6 Canadahttp://cec.concordia.ca – [email protected]

SOURCE http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/9_2/dirks.html

An Analysis of Jonathan Harvey’s “MortuosPlango, Vivos Voco”By Patricia Lynn Dirks

Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco is a tape composition by British composer Jonathan Harvey.Completed in 1980 as a commission by the Centre George Pompidou in Paris, it was realizedat IRCAM (Institute de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique-Musique) with the technicalassistance of Stanley Haynes (Harvey 1981, 22). The piece is based on two natural soundsources; the great tenor bell at Winchester Cathedral and the voice of Harvey’s young son, achorister there from 1975 to 1980 (Manning, 233). The title and text of the work are takenfrom the bell’s inscription: “Horas Avolantes Numero, MortuosPlango: Vivos ad PrecesVoco” [I count the fleeting hours, I lament the dead: the living I call to prayer]. Harveyanalyzed the bell’s harmonic spectrum with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) program atIRCAM. Synthesizing and mixing was done with IRCAM’s version of MusicV, originallycreated by Max Mathews in 1969. (1) The boy’s voice was synthesized from a live recordingusing the singing synthesis program CHANT developed by Gerald Bennett and Xavier Rodet.(2)

I

http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/9_2/dirks.html#2




Diagram 1. Golden Sections.

conducted my own analytical research in relation to this work to further investigate theharmonic spectra of the bell and the boy’s voice. Samples were taken directly from thecompact disc recording of Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco (Harvey 1990) and saved as SoundDesigner II stereo sound files at a sampling rate of 44100 Hz. All samples were analyzed withthe 1992/93 spectral analysis program AnnaLies Version 3.2, created by Chris Scallan andThomas Stainsby based on the 1991 program AnnaLies Version 1.0 by David Hirst andThomas Stainsby. (3) The software performs a Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT)analysis of the samples and stores the information in a Fast Fourier transform (FFT) file,which can then be displayed in a 2D or 3D format. For comparative analysis, all samplesrecorded were analyzed at a window length and hop size of 4096 samples, with a hammingwindow type, a start sample at 0Hz and end sample at 44100Hz. The purpose of thisinvestigation is to analyze the harmonic spectrum, find the formant regions present in eachsample and compare the results, especially in the vocal vowel sounds.

Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco contains eightsections. Each of the sections is announcedby and based on one of the eight lowestpartials from the bell’s harmonic spectrum(Harvey 1981, 22). Modulations from onebell transformation to another are generallyachieved by sine-tone glissandi and/or tacetpauses. The partials present are related to thefollowing pitches and corresponding frequencies rounded up to the nearest whole number;example 1 shows C3=138Hz, C4=261Hz,Eb4=311Hz, F4=349Hz, C5=523Hz, F5=698Hz,G5=784Hz and A5=880Hz. The analyzed sample taken at (00:48) of the opening bell tollverifies these eight harmonics and their intensities. Each harmonic present relates not only tothe pitch material but also to the duration of each section (Harvey 1990, liner notes), (i.e. thehigher the partial, the shorter the duration and vice versa). While the durations are inverselyproportional to the partials of the tenor bell, further calculations show that they are also basedon the Golden Section. This is proven when the ratio formed by the proportions of the longersegment (A) to the shorter section (B) is equivalent to that of the whole to the longersegment, where A:B::(A+B):A. (4) To calculate the Golden Section of this work, the totalduration of the work (08:58) is converted to 538 seconds and multiplied by the averageGolden Mean percentage of 0.618, producing the A value of 333 seconds. Then the A valueis converted back into minutes and seconds, with a result of 5 minutes and 33 seconds. Oncomparing the A value to the existing sections of Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco, it isdiscovered to be the exact starting time of Section G. To find the value for B, the samecalculations apply, this time with a starting value of 5 minutes and 33 seconds. The end resultfor B is 3 minutes and 26 seconds, or 206 seconds. (Further calculations place the values forA and B into the equation [B/A=A/(A+B)] producing the equal resultant ratio of 0.618...=0.618... thus proving that the overall form is based on the golden mean). The A valueincludes the Sections A through F and the value B, Sections G to the end of H, as delineatedin the analysis (see Diagram 1).





Diagram 2. Legend of symbols used in the analysis.

The first section (Section A, 00:00–01:41) is based on the second partialof the eight lowest partials of thebell, C4. It is the second longestsection of the work with a durationof 1 minute and 41 seconds (seeSection A and Diagram 2). SectionA begins with a quick succession oftolling bells on various pitches. Thisquickly chiming figure gradually



Click on image for a bigger view

slows down, decreasing in volumeand variety of pitches until iteventually stops at 00:42. As thechiming is fading out, a singledistinct bell toll on C4 is heard inintervals of 20 seconds at 00:00,00:20 and 00:40. The boy’s voice

first enters quietly within multiple entries at 00:15 while chanting the text “Horas AvolantesNumero, Mortuos Plango” on the pitch C4. The chanting varies in tempo and increases involume while the bells’ loudness decreases. At 00:34 the boy’s voice enters again on C4 (thistime as a solo voice), chanting “Horas Avolantes Numero.” When the single bell tolls again at00:51 it is imposed with the envelope of the voice, thus producing a longer attack with noimmediate decay, prolonged sustain, and a gradual release. This seven note bell motive(beginning with the pitches C4, G4 and F4) fades out to silence by 01:07 while the voicemerges chanting at 01:00 to 01:29. The chanting is first heard, with many voices chanting tothe same text, “Horas Avolantes Numero, Mortuos Plango,” at varying tempos. As thechanting fades out, the seven note bell motive is repeated at 01:20 to 01:36. During the returnof the motive, at 01:34 to 01:39 the voice begins to sing alone quietly the text “a-vo-lante,mort.” The last consonant of “mort”, is emphasized both by a strong accent from the voiceand by the absence of any other sounds. The consonant “t” is of a percussive quality andcontains mostly noise. When displayed in a 3D image it is clear that it has a short attack andvery little sustain, similar to that of a bell-like envelope (5) (see Example 2). Therefore, whenconsonants occur in the voice, they are acting like the bell toll and when a bell sound hasbeen imposed with a voice-like envelope, it is acting as a vowel sound. In Section A theconsonant “t” is followed by one second of silence 01:40 to 01:41 representing the end of onesection and the beginning of the next.

Section B (01:41–02:13) is based on the seventhpartial of the bell, G5, and is the shortest section,with a duration of 32 seconds (see Section B). Itbegins with a short bell toll on G5. The voice then





enters with an accented solo spoken consonant “t”at 01:46. The bell toll has been transforming sincethe beginning of the section from a bell-likeenvelope to a voice-like envelope. While this isoccurring the vowel sounds “aa” (“father”) and “o”(“more”) at 01:49 are being sustained throughchanting. The vowel sounds are quicklytransformed by 01:51 into short consonants with abell-like envelope; a short attack, immediate decay,little sustain, and a short release. Solo chantingemerges at 02:09 on the text’s phonemes, “ha raa”.Here the last syllable “aa” is sustained until anascending and descending glissandi begins in thevoice. Taking a sample of this vowel “aa”(“father”) the formant region can be seen occurringon the third harmonic at 2640Hz with the

fundamental at 880Hz (see Example 3). Harvey Fletcher’s 1953 study states that the formantregion for “aa” is around the frequency region of 900Hz. When the fundamental of thissample is taken down one octave and a fifth to D4 (294Hz), the formant region is almost onethird of the original at 882Hz, corresponding to Fletcher’s findings. (Fletcher, 53) Once theglissandi begin, it is this figure that modulates the work into the next section. Modulationbetween the bell’s partials, and thus the sections, occur either by tacet breaks or transformingglissandi.

Section C (02:13–03:31) is unique in this work as it is the only section where only the bellsonorities are used. It is based on the fourth partial of the bell, F4, and is the third longestsection with a duration of 1 minute and 18 seconds. This section opens with both a short belltoll on F4 and a bell sound with a voice-like envelope and a wide fluctuating vibrato. Thesesounds continue until the next bell toll at 02:36. This bell toll is accompanied by a short



Click on image for a bigger view Click on image for a bigger view

cluster of quicker bell tolls in varying registers. Ascending and descending glissandi in thelower register begins at 02:44, and is followed by an ascending and descending glissando inthe middle register at 02:50. Two more bell tolls are heard in succession at 03:05. While theglissandi are transformed into an ascending glissando in the upper register which continuesuntil the tacet at 03:28 to 03:31. It is then both the glissandi and silence which usher inSection D.

Section D (03:31–04:10) is based on the sixth partial of the bell, F5, an octave higher thanthe previous section. It is the third shortest section with a duration of 39 seconds. Like all thesections in Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco, it is announced with a bell toll on a pitch from thetenor bell’s harmonic spectrum. In this case, the voice announces the opening simultaneouslywith the bell toll on the pitch F5 singing the text “ha, a, a”. Both the bell and the voice beginwith bell-like envelopes that quickly become voice-like envelopes by the end of their initialreleases. It is in this sustaining texture that the bell-like and voice-like qualities alternate inprominence for most of the section. This changing of sound quality over time, is evident inthe 3D image of a sample taken of this event (6) (see Example 4). Here the voice’s intensityis shown increasing over time while the bell’s intensity is decreasing over time. Such atechnique was accomplished by reading both the bell and boy’s voice sound files forward andbackwards in rapid oscillations of various rhythms (Harvey 1981, 24). It is these constanttransformations between the sounds of the boy’s voice and of the bell that unify thesecontrasting sources of material (Manning, 233). By 04:03 the voice and the bell sonoritieshave begun to decrease in dynamics and begin to glissando, ascending and descendingrespectively. Both continue in opposite directions until the tacet occurs (04:08–04:10), settingup anticipation of the next section and signaling the close of Section D.




Section E (04:10–04:59) is the fourth shortest section in Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco, lasting49 seconds. The pitch it is based on is C5, the fifth partial in the bell’s spectral analysis. Thesection opens with three simultaneous events: the first being a sung vowel sound “aa” on C5.The remaining events include a bell toll on C5 and a group of short bell sonorities at variousupper-register pitches. By 04:15 the bell sounds have ended and downward, continuously-spiraling glissandi on the vowel, “aa,” begins. These glissandi continues until 04:46. The bellsonorities at this point remain tacet for the remainder of the section. A chorus of voices enterat 04:30 singing the text, “preces” with varying rhythms. At 04:46 ascending glissandi on“aa” takes over all of the voices. It is this chorus of glissandi that modulates to the next bellpartial, A5, marking the end of Section E by 04:59.



Click on image for a bigger view Click on image for a bigger view

Section F (04:59–05:33) is based on the eighth partial of the bell, A5, and is the secondshortest section in duration, lasting only 34 seconds. Similar to Section E, it begins with twosimultaneous events. The first is a sustained bell toll on A5 and the second consists ofchanting on A5 the vowel “ee”. Taking a further look into the vowel “ee” (“eat”) the formantregion occurs on the fifth harmonic at 4430Hz with the fundamental at 880Hz (see Example5). When the fundamental is taken down one octave to A4 (440Hz) the formant region is halfof the original at 2215Hz corresponds with Harvey Fletcher’s 1929 study that states theformant region for “ee” is around the frequency regions of 300 and 2300Hz (Fletcher, 53).The bell toll with it’s voice-like envelope is sustained until the tacet at 05:19 to 05:24. Thevowel “ee” chanting continues until its transformation into the vowel “aa” (“father”) at 05:19.This vowel “aa” is then repeated while its sound envelope changes from that of a voice-likesustain to a bell-like attack. As the attack is being shortened, the text also undergoes atransformation from chanted vowels to rapidly spoken consonants at 05:24. This process oftransformation then extends to changing the vocally produced consonants to rapidly tollingbell sounds at various pitches at 05:27. It is these bell sonorities that continue whiledecreasing in tempo and dynamics until the end of the section at 05:33.




Unlike previous modulations, Section G (05:33–06:33), is neither preceded by pitchtransforming glissandi nor by a tacet pause. This section begins with a pulsing bell toll on E-flat 4, the third partial of the tenor bell. The bell toll’s dynamics continue to pulsate for theremainder of the fourth longest section, exactly one minute in duration. The boy’s voiceenters at 05:44 singing on a vowel sound, “aa” (“father”) that pulsates and sustains to the endof the section. At 05:44 bell sounds at various pitches are heard mixing in and out of thepulsating bell tone that already exists. Mixed voices of varying tempos enter at 06:15 singingthe vowel “aa”, mixing with the previously sustaining “aa” still on E-flat 4. A chorus singingthe same vowel appears at a sforzando dynamic at 06:30 with a burst marking the end of thesection at 06:33. Section G does not end with a tacet pause or glissandi, like the ending of theprevious section.




The last part of this work, Section H (06:33–08:58) is actually on the first partial, C3, of thebell’s spectrum. It is also the work’s longest section, lasting 2 minutes and 25 seconds. LikeSection A, it is announced with a bell toll that continues to toll on the pitch of the sectionevery twenty seconds. In this case, the bell toll is an octave lower than the opening on thepitch C3. The other noticeable difference from the opening constant bell toll is the increasedreverberation. This is applied to the sound gradually and eventually takes over the bell’squalities and becomes the bell itself after 08:26 until it fades out to end the work at 08:58.While this transformation and constant tolling occur with the bell sonorities, a chorus effectof the boys’ voice sings a quick chord at various intervals (06:34, 06:49, 07:06, 07:18, 07:32,07:41, 07:55, 08:15 and 08:26). From analyzing the harmonics present in the vocal chorus, itrepresents a B-flat minor chord. (see Example 6) This is evident as the following pitches arepresent in each chord; D-flat 3, B-flat 3, D-flat 5, F5, B-flat 5 and D-flat 6. The chord itselfhas a unique quality as it uses the vowel sound “oo” (“moon”) and “aa” (“father”)simultaneously adding a hollow, breathy like quality to the sound. It is this variance ofdynamics and timings that make these chords so effective against the strict tempo of the belltolls.



In conclusion, Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco has best been described as an important additionto the repertoire of compositions that employ digital signal processing (Manning, 233). Fromits sonorities to the harmonic content of the work, the durational proportions of each sectionand treatment of amplitude envelopes, it is clearly based on the tenor bell. The bell’s partialsare statically distributed in space producing the sonic impression of being inside the bell,whereas the boy’s voice has the tendency to act as a free moving spirit throughout the concerthall (Harvey 1990, liner notes p.14). One could take the contrast of the bell and the boy’svoice one step further in regards to the inscribed text, “Horas Avolantes Numero, MortuosPlango: Vivos ad Preces Voco,” and interpret the bell as representing the dead and the boy’svoice, the living.

Notes1. For more information about the program MusicV, see Stanley Haynes, “The Musician-machine

Interface in Digital Sound Synthesis,” Computer Music Journal 4/4 (1980), 23–44, and MaxMathews, The Technology of Computer Music (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969).

2. For a more technical discussion of Harvey’s analysis and synthesis techniques, see Jonathan Harvey,1981.

3. For more information about the program AnnaLies, see David J.G. Hirst, “Digital Sound Analysis andSynthesis Using the Short-Time Fourier Transform” (M.A. Thesis, La Trobe University), 1985.

4. Values used in the above calculations were rounded up to the nearest whole number for the purposeof not dealing with units less than one second in duration.

5. This sample was re-analyzed at a window and hop length of 512 samples for the purpose ofproducing a larger display area only.

6. This sample was re-analyzed at a window and hop length of 1024 samples for the purpose ofproducing a larger display area only.



producing a larger display area only.

ReferencesBackus, John. The Acoustical Foundations of Music. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1977.

Fletcher, Harvey. Speech and Hearing in Communication. New York: D. Van Nostrand Company Inc., 1953.

Harvey, Jonathan. Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco. Computer Music Currents 5. Wergo, WER 2025-2, 1990.

_____. “Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco: A Realization at IRCAM.” Computer Music Journal 5/4 (1981), pp.22-4.

Manning, Peter. Electronic and Computer Music. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993.

BiographyCanadian composer PATRICIAN LYNN DIRKS (1972) earned her Master of Music degreein composition, with a special emphasis on electroacoustic music, from the University ofCalgary, and now resides in Ontario. Ms. Dirks also holds a Bachelor of Music in HonoursComposition from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has won various awards for hercompositions, previous works involved the integration of computer music and acousticelements. Currently she is a member of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) andholds the position of web administrator for the Association of Canadian Women Composers(ACWC).

http://www.acwc.ca/members-info.php?id=45 (http://www.acwc.ca/members-info.php?id=45)

Other Articles by the AuthorReviews

Robert Normandeau, Claire de terre. Computer Music Journal (http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj)Vol. 29, No. 2 (Summer 2005), pp. 94–6.

Various, Electroshock Presents Electroacoustic Music, Volume VII. Computer Music Journal(http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj) Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter 2004), pp. 96–8.

Various, Harangue II. Computer Music Journal (http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj) Vol. 28, No. 4(Winter 2004), pp. 98–100.

Various, Presence II (Canadian Electroacoustic Community (http://cec.concordia.ca/CD) ). Computer MusicJournal (http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj) Vol. 25, No. 2 (Summer 2001), pp. 84–5.

Hans Tutschku, Moment. Computer Music Journal (http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj) Vol. 25, No. 4(Winter 2001), pp. 100–102.

Originally published in eContact! 9.2 Canadian Regions: The Prairies (index.html) . Montréal: Communautéélectroacoustique canadienne / Canadian Electroacoustic Community (../../index.html) , March 2007.

http://www.acwc.ca/members-info.php?id=45

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/comj



http://cec.concordia.ca/CD



http://cec.concordia.ca/index.html

http://cec.concordia.ca/econtact/9_2/index.html

An Analysis of Jonathan Harvey’s “Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco”

Documents

Transcript of An Analysis of Jonathan Harvey’s “Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco”