PHENOMENOLOGY, SPATIAL MUSIC AND THE COMPOSER: PRELUDE TO A PHENOMENOLOGY OF SPACE IN ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC

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1 PHENOMENOLOGY, SPATIAL MUSIC AND THE COMPOSER: PRELUDE TO A PHENOMENOLOGY OF SPACE IN ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC Frederico Macedo Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts Lancaster University, UK ABSTRACT In this paper I intend to show how phenomenology can be used as a tool for the description of the process of composition of electroacoustic music, more specifically, spatial electroacoustic music. It is also intended as a contribution to the phenomenology of aesthetic experience, as conceptualized by Dufrenne, from the point of view of the composer. Phenomenology is also used as a philosophical framework to describe and support my aesthetic position and beliefs regarding the relationship between means and ends in composition. In order to define spatial music and to clarify the many senses in which the idea of space and spatial concepts have been used in music, I propose a typology in which four categories are used to describe the four senses of space which I identified in the recent literature about space in music. At the end of the paper, I explain how some of the aspects of space mentioned in my typology were explored as compositionally in one of my recent electroacoustic compositions: Journey I. 1. INTRODUCTION Phenomenological approaches to music and the arts tend to prioritize the point of view of the spectator, and in most cases can be understood as theories of reception. I am looking at one aspect which has not been approached either by Mikel Dufrenne or any of the phenomenologists of music: musical experience from the point of view of the creator. Despite adopting the point of view of the spectator, Dufrenne recognizes the importance of taking into consideration the point of view of the creator: we believe that an exhaustive study of aesthetic experience would in any case have to unite the two approaches, since, while it is true that art presupposes the initiative of an artist, it is also true that it awaits consecration by a public. And, at a deeper level, the experiences of creator and spectator are not unconnected; for the artist becomes the spectator of his [or her] own work as he [or she] creates it [12]. Because phenomenology can be understood as a philosophical attitude rather than an analytical method, it is possible to use it to describe the experience of the musical subject, defined by Smith as the working musician, not as a biographical item [...] but as an historical subject defined in terms of his [or her] creative subjectivity [30]. Phenomenology gave me the tools to reflect about, conceptualize and describe my attitude towards music and the process of composition, which I summarized in five points: working mode and listening mode; the mechanisms of human perception; composition as an intersubjective process; the means and ends of composition and musical theory and interdisciplinarity. In order to define spatial music, I expose the four senses of space in music, a typology I am proposing to clarify the uses of the idea of space in the recent literature about composition, especially, but not exclusively, in the field of electroacoustic music. Then I describe briefly one of my recent compositions Journey I in which I incorporated some of the aspects of space discussed. 2. THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS MUSIC AND COMPOSITION 2.1. Working Mode and Listening Mode Dufrenne conceives work of art and aesthetic object as two different, but intimately connected concepts. The idea of work of art is related to the materiality of the work, defined as a thing in the world, independent of the act which aims at it [13]. The idea of aesthetic object presupposes the spectator, and is defined as the work of art as perceived [4]. The aesthetic object is the work of art as perceived and completed by the spectator in the aesthetic experience. The distinction between work of art and aesthetic object and the idea that the creator is a spectator of his or her work gave me the tools to conceptualize the process of creation as an alternation between two modes: working mode and listening mode. I understand the work of art as the domain of the creator, which has to deal with the different problems posed by the work: technical and formal problems, and also questions related to conception and potential meaning. When dealing directly with these problems the composer is in working mode. Among other 29

2 aspects, the working mode in electroacoustic music involves recording, processing, editing, selecting and putting all materials together to create the composition. The use of different technical procedures, from the most simple volume, panning, equalization and dynamic processing to the most complex algorithms created for specific and unique sound transformations, are all part of the working mode. The listening mode means changing the focus from the mentioned problems to the aural results. In different stages of the composition, to have this twofold approach means, as often as possible, to listen and let the ear be the final judge in the process of decision of what the final work will be. In this sense, an important part of the process of composition consists in the development of the listening skills in order to focus on different aspects of the work technical aspects, formal aspects, referential aspects, expressive aspects. It means also to take into consideration the responses of different kinds of listeners to the work, in order to assess to what extent the composer s intentions can be heard in the composition. To spend some time far from the piece and then approach it with fresh ears is an effective way of changing from working mode to listening mode, and may be helpful in noticing important aspects which may not be noticed when working very closely to the piece, say, on a daily basis Art, Music and Perception Both Merleau-Ponty and Dufrenne recognize the central role of perception for the arts. Merleau-Ponty points out that, in order to rediscover the world of perception, it is necessary to review the conceptions about science and the role of the senses in the constitution of knowledge. He restores the world of perception as a dimension which has its own value and which can be a legitimate source of knowledge. Art is intimately related to perception, and to be properly understood, the work of art should be first conceived as an object primarily given to perception: If I accept the tutelage of perception, I find [...] [that] the work of art resembles the object of perception: its nature is to be seen or heard and no attempt to define or analyse it, however valuable that may be afterwards as a way of taking stock of this experience, can ever stand in place of the direct perceptual experience [26]. In a similar way, Dufrenne defines art as the apotheosis of the sensuous. This does not mean that all aspects of art can be reduced to its sensorial aspects, but that the other dimensions of the aesthetic object representation, imagination, reflection and feeling are supported by the sensuous. Describing his experience of a performance of Wagner s Tristan and Isolde, Dufrenne says that: what is irreplaceable, the very substance of the work, is the sensuous or perceptible element [...] which is communicated only in its presence; it is that fullness of the music into which I strive to be absorbed, that conjunction of color, song, and orchestral accompaniment [...]. I came to open myself to the work [...] to experience the apotheosis of the sensuous [14]. As a natural consequence of the intimate relationship between art and perception, the artist would benefit from taking into consideration the mechanisms of human perception when creating his or her work. The work of art would benefit of being informed about perception, especially when working with aspects which have a direct correspondence with ordinary perception, as is the case with spatial perception and the perception of space in electroacoustic music. These considerations led to the study of the mechanisms of spatial perception in general and, in particular, of its aural aspects Composition as an Intersubjective Process Another essential aspect of the phenomenological attitude towards composition is the consideration of the process of creation as an intersubjective process, which can be understood on two levels. Firstly, it is an intersubjective experience between the composer and the listener mediated by the musical work. In Smith s words: music is an intersubjective experience, not a solipsistic one. Therefore a composer needs his [or her] audience, his [or her] creative listeners, in order to be truly a composer. It is not just a question of playing down to or merely playing for an audience, as it were, to feed the audience into one s boundless ego. Rather, the true composer plays for and with his listeners in an intersubjective dialogue which reduces mere ego and all its external concomitants, such as fortune and fame [32]. In this sense, when composing, I try to use the conclusions of my theoretical research in a way that leads to results which can be perceived aurally by the listener. In the piece discussed in the end of this presentation, I tried to think in a way in which the knowledge about spatial perception could be translated into compositional techniques which, ultimately, would lead to aural results to be perceived by the listener. Secondly, I understand the intersubjectivity of the process of composition as permeating the relationship of the creator with the work during the process of composition. When speaking of the world of the aesthetic object, Dufrenne defines it as a quasi subject: the world of the work is a finite but unlimited totality, a totality which the work shows through both its form and its content [...]. This world is the work itself [...], considered not in its immediate and meaningless reality as a mute thing without a soul, but as a thing which surpasses itself toward its meaning that is, a quasi subject [15]. In his analysis of Varèse s Poème Électronique, Ferrara also speaks of the exchange of roles between 30

3 the analyst and the work as one of the tactics of phenomenological analysis: rather than manipulate a work through a formal grid of analytical questions and positions, one responds to the questions posed by the work. The interpreter discovers that, in the traditional sense of the terms subject and object ; he is now the object; the music, as subject, questions the analyst [16]. Both Dufrenne and Ferrara suggest that the relationship between the spectator or the analyst and the work is more than a simple relationship where the work is an object and the spectator or analyst is the subject. This is an intersubjective relationship, in which the aesthetic object becomes a quasi subject. In the same way, in the process of composition, the work being created becomes a quasi subject, and the relationship established between the composer and the composition can be understood as an intersubjective relationship. This intersubjective process describes the kind of relationship I develop with my work in the process of composition. This relationship is dialogical in the sense that the work sometimes behaves as if it had its own life, or as if it were a subject, in the sense that it poses its questions and sometimes develops through directions which were not the originally intended for the piece. Chance may be an important element in the process. Unpredictable and unintended actions may produce interesting results which can be eventually incorporated in the final work. In this respect, the attitude of listening is essential to the process of decision-making about what should be kept and about what should be eliminated. Sometimes ideas which initially seem interesting do not sound right and sometimes accidental or not fully planned procedures can lead to good results. It is important to listen to the work and to allow it to develop its own voice, which expresses itself directly to the composer in the listening mode, or through other listeners voices, when they give direct feedback about the composition or report their listening experience. This is particularly relevant for the timing of the composition, or the relative duration of sound events and sections and their importance for the whole piece, but also for many other aspects, such as the character, expressive and referential value and specific technical points The Means and Ends of Composition Another important aspect of phenomenology of music is the reflection about the relationship between compositional technique and aural results. The already mentioned distinction between work of art and aesthetic experience is also revealing in this respect. This dichotomy parallels the distinction established by Batstone between the means and ends of musical composition, in his criticism of the attitude of analysts who believe that the description of the compositional techniques always corresponds to the description of the music as perceived by the listener: There have been periods in music history which have produced music with respect to which the analyst can be fairly confident that descriptions of the means do correspond meaningfully with descriptions of the aural phenomena. This century does not appear to be one of those periods, at least it does not when one surveys the general body of composed music. Often it is much more interesting to discuss a contemporary composer s methods than to listen to his [or her] music [2]. This reflection leads to the consideration of the importance of the means used in the composition and their relevance for the work from the aural point of view: are the techniques used relevant from the point of view of the listener? If they are, in which sense? Should the listener be aware of the technical procedures? If so, in which sense? This reflection may also lead to considerations about what kind of musical background and experience is expected from the listener. There are different answers to these questions, and the way they are answered reflects the composer s aesthetic position and beliefs. Here I give some answers suggested by phenomenology, which reflect my aesthetic position and beliefs. In the same way that Ferrara thinks that in phenomenological analysis the method should not take prominence in relation to the work, I believe that in composition the techniques should not take prominence in relation to the work as perceived aurally. When composing, I may experiment different techniques and procedures, which includes the use of a rigorous approach to develop the materials through different kinds of processing and also the use of some level of determinacy in the organization of the materials. Despite of the importance of these procedures to expand and reveal new possibilities for composition, my final choices and decisions are led by the aural properties of the material and their potential to develop structures which are interesting and effective from the musical point of view, taking in consideration their structural, expressive and referential potentialities. This attitude agrees with Clifton s considerations about the role of technique in music, from a phenomenological point of view: Phenomenology does not ignore the role of technique, since it plays a necessary (but not sufficient) part in at least the production of music. But it does urge that we understand the relation of technique to music itself as one of means to ends. If phenomenology criticizes those who make the study of technique an end in itself, [...] it is not because it denies the value of empirical methods, but because the non-empirical status of music is covered up with research on the empirical sounds which are its medium, the empirical techniques which are its means, and the empirical marks (the notation) which are its signs. The sounds, the techniques, and the notation are all vastly important aspects of music, but they are not music itself [8]. 31

4 2.5. Musical Theory and Interdisciplinarity One of the central concepts for phenomenology is the idea of life-world, proposed by Edmund Husserl, to refer to the original experience of the world, source of all knowledge, including art and science. Husserl was not opposed to science and scientific description and, in fact, the reflection about the methods of science is an important part of his philosophical project, but he did not believe that the methods and views of science should be regarded as the foundation of all knowledge. According to him, if one wants to discover the original world of experience it is necessary to abandon the prejudices produced by science and return to the primordial experience of the world as lived. Husserl conceived all cognitive activity as derived from a pregiven domain, the world as found by the consciousness of the knower. To return to this pregiven world is to return to the lifeworld (Lebenswelt). Husserl called this pregiven experience of the world, prepredicative experience, defined by Moran as the experience before it has been formulated in judgments and expressed in outward linguistic form [27]. The idea of life-world and the openness to different levels of experience is reflected in the centrality of experience in musical phenomenology. In opposition to the idea that music is a non referential and pure art, detached from any connection with the real world, most musical phenomenologists recognize and describe different levels of experience and meaning which emerge from musical experience. As Ferrara states: A musical experience is marked by the synthesis of passion and rationality, emotion and understanding, and body and mind. [...] Listeners experience music as a multiplicity of levels of significance which may include the sound-in-time, formal properties or syntax, the symbolic transformation of human feelings and the exemplification of a sense of the historical epoch in which the musical work was created [17]. While reflecting about the relationship between space and music and how space can be incorporated as an essential aspect of composition it is important to take into consideration the potential multiplicity of levels of meaning offered by the experience of music, especially the power of music to evoke experiences of other senses. Perception of space involves the contribution of different perceptual systems, something which has been increasingly recognized in the interdisciplinary field of the studies of perception, such as in the study of crossmodal attention [11]. Because sound and music have the power to activate perceptions other than aural, space can be explored as an essential aspect of composition. Therefore, in order to understand spatial music it is important to include any field of knowledge which can give relevant information about human perception of space and human aural perception, such as the traditional fields of psychology and psychoacoustics and, also, the different areas of research which presently offer important contributions to the studies of perception, such as neurosciences, cognitive sciences and aural architecture [4]. 3. FOUR SENSES OF SPACE IN MUSIC Spatial concepts have been used in musicology, music analysis and compositional writing to refer to different aspects of music. In order to clarify the many uses of spatial concepts in music, I propose a typology to classify the different uses of the idea of space in the recent literature about composition, especially, but not exclusively, in the field of electroacoustic music. The first sense is metaphorical musical space as metaphor. The three remaining senses musical space as performance place, musical space as sound spatialisation and musical space as soundscape are related to space in a literal sense, here understood as the space as perceived by human beings. Perception of space has been defined by Gibson (1966) as: a basic type of perception on which other perceptions depend, that is, the detection of the stable permanent framework of the environment. This is sometimes called the perception of space, but that term implies something abstract and intellectual, whereas what it means is something concrete and primitive a dim, underlying, and ceaseless awareness of what is permanent in the world [18]. Three aural aspects of aural perception of space are particularly important for the typology proposed here: (1) the acoustical effects of the environment on the sound, especially through the phenomena of diffraction, acoustic shadows, echoes and reverberation; (2) the perception of an auditory field which surrounds the listener from all directions, related to the detection of motion and sound localization and (3) the recognition of sources, related to the identity of the sound in terms of the objects or entities responsible for its production. Each of these three aspects corresponds to one of the three literal senses of space in music discussed here Musical Space as Metaphor Musical space as metaphor is the use of spatial concepts for music description, which may not necessarily be related to the spatial aspects of music, from a literal point of view. Spatial metaphors have been used to describe different aspects of musical structures, among them rhythm, overall organization and the dimension of pitch. Many spatial concepts are incorporated in the current musical terminology, such as structure, materials and form to describe an experience which, ultimately, is temporal one. The use of the concepts of high and low to refer to the dimension of pitch is another example of spatial metaphor used for music description. Some authors went further, and developed systems of musical 32

5 description or analysis rooted in spatial metaphors. Three examples of the conceptual use of metaphors for music description are the conception of space as one of the essentials of music experience, proposed by Thomas Clifton [9]; the concept of sonic space proposed by Trevor Wishart [36] and the idea of tonal pitch space proposed by Fred Lerdahl [25]. In all these examples, the authors use spatial metaphors to refer to specific aspects of music: instrumental texture, the possibilities of different kinds of sonic material for composition and the pitch dimension of music, respectively. The use of spatial metaphors for music description is widespread in musicology and music analysis, and does not necessarily relate to space in a literal sense, which is what defines spatial music Musical Space as Performance Place Musical space as performance place is the first of the three literal senses of space in music, and refers to the effects of the environment on the sound, or in musical contexts, the effect of the acoustics of the performance places on music. Basically, the most important of these effects is reverberation. The effects of room acoustics on musical sound have been described by acoustics, psychoacoustics and aural architecture [4]. The many musical implications of reverberation have also been discussed by composers of electroacoustic music. Reverberation can be incorporated in the materials of electroacoustic music in three ways: (1) the use of stereo or surround microphone techniques to capture natural reverberation; (2) the use of artificial reverberation in the studio to simulate natural acoustics and (3) the use of artificial reverberation or other kinds of sound processing to create unrealistic virtual reverberant spaces. The interaction between recorded or artificially created reverberation and the reverberation of the concert place is one of the important topics in the discussion of the spatial aspects of electroacoustic music. Smalley, for example, proposes the concepts of superimposed space and diffused space to discuss the interaction between composed space and listening space [31]. Other composers also discuss this as one of the problems related to the diffusion of electroacoustic music, such as Harrison [21] [22] and Truax [33] Musical Space as Sound Spatialisation Musical space as sound spatialisation is the second literal sense of space in music, and is referred by different authors [38] [39] [27] [19] as the distinctive feature of spatial music, which is can be defined as any kind of music in which the sound sources are dispersed throughout the performance place, in a way that the relationship between the sounds and the audience is different from the traditional frontoriented relationship characteristic of western concert music. In this sense, all antiphonal music is spatial, including religious antiphonal music, polychoral compositions of Venetian composers such as Adrian Willaert and Andrea Gabrieli, and the complex settings designed by Henry Brant and other contemporary composers such as Stockhausen, Boulez or Xenakis, in which the musicians are placed in the performance place in a way that the sound comes from different directions. If the composer uses only instrumental or vocal resources, this kind of music can be conceptualized as instrumental spatial music. In the case of electroacoustic music, when the loudspeakers are dispersed throughout the performance place, instead of placed in front of the audience, it can be conceptualized as electroacoustic spatial music. When the composer uses both instrumental and electroacoustic sources, the music can be conceptualized as mixed spatial music. This conceptualization takes in consideration just the physical placement of sound sources, however, in order to be defined as spatial music, it is important that the music composed explores in an effective way the possibilities offered by the dispersal of sound sources, either as parameters of composition predefined in the score or in recorded multichannel formats, or as parameters to be manipulated in real time during the of performance or diffusion of the piece to the audience. Different aural effects can be achieved with the dispersal of sound sources. Two of them are particularly important for the discussion and evaluation of spatial music: (1) stream segregation and (2) motion of sound. Harley discusses how many composers in 20 th century seemed to have an intuitive awareness of the principles studied by Bregman [6], according to which spatial separation makes the differentiation between different sources what he calls stream segregation easier for the listener. In her words: Many composers, from Bartók to Brant and Boulez, from Stockhausen to Ptaszynska and Gorecki, have intuitively stumbled upon the primitive or innate principles of scene analysis regarding sound spatiality. There seems to be a consensus that the spatial segregation helps to clarify complex textures; and that it works best in conjunction with other cues for stream segregation, especially pitch and timbre [20]. The second important perceptual effect which may be achieved with the dispersal of sound sources is the motion of sound. Although the effect has been attempted using instrumental resources, this possibility can be better explored with the use of electroacoustic technology. When the sound is detached from its natural source, through recording or capture by microphones in a live situation, it can move freely in space, provided there is sufficient number of loudspeakers dispersed in the performance place and some kind of process of spatialisation, performed live, pre-programmed or composed in the studio using multichannel technology. Chowning was 33

6 one of the first composers to discuss the many aspects involved in the perception and digital simulation of moving sounds using stationary sources [7] and Wishart [37] describes many possibilities of motion of sound in a single plane. To make the motion of sound in space an effective experience for the listener is, in the present, one of the challenges for composers working with electroacoustic music. Due to the limitations and high cost of technologies, a perfect simulation of motion is still difficult to achieve. In spite of that, with the use of multichannel diffusion systems such as BEAST [23], Acousmonium [3] and Gmebaphone [10], to diffuse stereo or multichannel pieces, it is possible to achieve effective results in terms of motion of sound. Some composers, among them Barrett [1] also started to use ambisonics to explore different aspects of space in electroacoustic composition, including motion of sound Musical Space as Soundscape Musical space as soundscape is the third literal sense of space in music, and refers to the power of sound to recall the experience of different places through the use of referential sound. Composers of soundscape music use sound to evoke specific soundscapes through the use of sounds which are part of these places, such as sounds of animals and natural phenomena to evoke natural settings, and sounds of traffic, means of transport and machines to evoke urban settings [28] [29] [34] [35]. The imitation of sounds of the world by musical instruments has a long and well-documented history in western music [24], however, recorded sound seems to be the best way to fully explore the allusive potential of referential sound. Different techniques of electroacoustic music developed to explore reverberation, placement of sources and motion of sound, can be used to enhance the impact and realism of referential sound, when this effect is aimed by the composer, or to give more effectiveness and additional realism to imaginary soundscapes. 4. Journey I Journey I (2011) has evolved from a former study based on sounds of harpsichord composed in Originally a stereo piece lasting 8 35, it intended to explore some of the timbral and spatial possibilities offered by the sound of the instrument in the stereo field, it was further developed into a fourchannel piece. The piece has three parts, defined by the materials, kind of processing and the spatial design. The original material consists of chords and a melodic theme recorded in the harpsichord using Messiaen s fifth mode of limited transposition (C-Db- F-Gb-G-B) in different keys, played with different timbres of the instrument, and also sounds produced through direct manipulation of strings. The piece develops from a relatively subtle processing of the original sounds, through the use of increasingly processed sounds, reaching, in the last part, the use of processing in a way that makes the identity of the original sounds barely recognizable. In terms of the first literal sense of space, performance place and reverberation, the piece develops from a relatively small space characterized by the natural resonances of the instrument (first part), through a large artificial reverberant space (second part) to a huge artificial reverberant space (third part). In terms of the second sense of space, sound spatialisation, the quadraphonic format has been chosen because of the possibilities of working with sounds coming from behind the listener, together with the sounds coming from the loudspeakers facing the listener. The possibilities of motion of sound offered by the format are limited, however, some of these possibilities, especially diagonal motion, were used. In the first part ( ) the sounds were processed using equalization, dynamic processing, edition, convolution reverb and Doppler effect. The reverberation is primarily the original resonances of the instrument, also used to convolute the transformed sounds. In terms of spatial design, gestural sounds cross the quad field in motion, using especially diagonal trajectories. In the second part ( ) the sounds are processed using extreme time stretching and spectral processing. After a short introduction ( ) the second part develops around a theme ( ) with three variations ( ), in which the unprocessed sounds are combined with the processed sounds and artificial reverberation. In terms of spatial design the sounds do not move, but come from different points in the quad field. In the third and last part ( ) drones created through the repetition of very small cycles taken from the original chords are used with slow attack and long artificial reverberation to suggest an infinite space. Slow spatial motion of sounds match the temporal development of the drones, which become increasingly less noticeable with the increase of the proportion of reverberated sound relative to the direct sound. The diffusion of the piece in multiple loudspeakers should enhance the spatial design. If there are two or three sets of four loudspeakers at different distances from the audience, there should be an emphasis on closer speakers in the first part, emphasis on middle distance speakers in the second part and an emphasis in distant speakers in the third part In terms of the third literal sense of space, soundscape and reference, the piece does not use any direct reference to environmental sounds, as all sounds are taken from the harpsichord. However, Journey I can be understood as a piece of soundscape music, in which the places visited by the travellerlistener do not correspond to real places, but to imaginary spaces, as suggested by Harrison: 34

7 When elaborated through the process of composition into the realm of performance practice, [...] [recorded sound] has the power to transport us quite literally, at the speed of sound into other places, other situations and even [...] other times. Ultimately, therefore, it can reach deep into the most inaccessible place of all: our imagination (Harrison: 2000). The choice of the name of the piece may exemplify the intersubjective relationship between the composer and the piece. The first title used Harpsichord Study I was a direct reference to the source of the material, and since the beginning was a provisional title. The second provisional title Alice in Harpsichland made a direct reference to Lewis Carol s character in Alice in Wonderland to suggest that the listener would travel through imaginary soundscapes made of sounds of harpsichord. When I had the opportunity to show the piece to a small audience and discuss with the listeners their impressions, only one in 30 listeners understood the title, which showed that it did not reflect the listener s experience in a consistent way. Also, because the word harpsichland is a neologism, it could sound strange or funny, which does not reflect the character of the piece. Eventually I decided to use Journey I because it is relatively open to different interpretations and suggests a journey that the listener makes through different imaginary soundscapes. The number I is in the title because it is part of a set of two pieces, of which Journey I is based on sounds of harpsichord and Journey II is based on sounds of the piano. 5. CONCLUSIONS This paper summarizes partial results of a larger research which aims to discuss the meaning of space in music and electroacoustic music, and how space can be incorporated as an essential aspect of composition. Phenomenology has proven to be an effective approach to connect the theoretical and practical aspects of the research. Phenomenology also offered the opportunity to reflect about important aspects of music and composition, and provided the conceptualization used to describe the aesthetic experience from the point of view of the composer. The typology proposed aims to help to understand and organize the many different senses in which space has been discussed in the recent literature about music in general, with particular emphasis in electroacoustic music. Because this typology, especially in the literal aspects of space discussed, is primarily related to perceived space, it can be useful to composers to organize, reflect and develop specific techniques to work with each aspect of space discussed. In the end I gave an example of how the concepts discussed can be used as tools for composition, analysis and description of music. 6. REFERENCES [1] BARRETT, Natasha. Spatio-musical composition strategies. Organised Sound 7(3), [2] BATSTONE, Philip. Musical Analysis as Phenomenology. Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 7 (Spring-Summer, 1969), pp [3] BAYLE, Francois. Space, and more. Organised Sound 12(3), [4] BLESSER, Barry and SALTER, Linda-Ruth. Spaces Speak, Are You Listening? Experiencing Aural Architecture. Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England: The MIT Press, [5] BRANT, Henry. Space as an Essential Aspect of Musical Composition. SCHWARZ, E. And CHILDS, B. (ed.) Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, [6] BREGMAN, Albert S. Auditory Scene Analysis: The Perceptual Organization of Sound. Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England: Bradford/The MIT Press, [7] CHOWNING, John. The Simulation of Moving Sound Sources. In. Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 19, 2-6, [8] CLIFTON, Thomas. Music as Heard: A Study in Applied Phenomenology. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp [9] CLIFTON, Thomas. Music as Heard: A Study in Applied Phenomenology. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, [10] CLOZIER, Christian. Composition, diffusion and interpretation in electroacoustic music. Composition/Diffusion in Electroacoustic Music. Actes III, 1997, vol. III. Bourges: Editions Mnemosyne. [11] DRIVER, Jon and SPENCE, Charles. Attention and the crossmodal construction of space. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Vol. 2, no. 7, July [12] DUFRENNE, Mikel. The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973, pp. xlvi-xvii. [13] DUFRENNE, Mikel. The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973, p. li. [14] DUFRENNE, Mikel. The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973, p. 11. [15] DUFRENNE, Mikel. The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973, p

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