Ralph J. Blauvelt

From Notation to Music Ralph J. Blauvelt

FROM NOTATION TO MUSIC tells the story of one composer's search for meaning in the musical notations of the late 20th Century. Radical departures from the traditional composer-performer relationship contributed to a re-evaluation of traditional notation. Ralph Blauvelt recounts his confrontation with these issues and the development of his own philosophy in the music he composed between 1964 and 1981. He traces the evolution of his ideas through more than eighty compositions. After working to master the notation of traditional music and the highly determinate notations of serial music, he describes the influence of Karlheinz Stockhausen on his first compositions with indeterminate notations. Studies with Lejaren Hiller and experiments with computer and electronic music inspired new compositions. With over 190 photographs and illustrations Ralph Blauvelt describes his journey and the ideas that led to his text pieces and graphic 'visual' scores.