Cosmophonia: Musical Expressions of Astronomy and Cosmology Page: 25
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The pitches of the flare recordings were discerned using the Sinusoidal Partial
Editing Analysis and Resynthesis (SPEAR) software developed by Michael Klingbeil.
This program generates pitch and temporal-based graphics that are easily interpreted
using the positive xy-plane (first quadrant of the Cartesian coordinate system), where y
is Hertz frequency and x is time. Hovering the cursor over a line will display the Hertz,
pitch class, and octave for that particular moment of the tone. Amplitude is indicated by
gradated shade intensities of lines; louder tones are darker than quieter tones. SPEAR
is helpful in analyzing complex sounds like those of solar flares or sonifications of
helioseismic data. However, this piece was not composed as a clinical conveyance of
data, but rather as an aesthetic and conceptual interpretation of these phenomena.
As mentioned above, the dedicatee's initials provide the foundation of the
structure. Taking inventory of the available natural harmonics of the three fundamentals
for various instruments in the orchestra (primarily the flutes and strings) was a requisite
precompositional task. Not all instruments conveniently produce natural harmonics
within the three series used in the piece. Therefore, not all the tones within each series
are present. Artificial harmonics such as those available on strings were not desired.
Some license was taken with regards to the accuracy of the pitches. For example, the
seventh, eleventh, and fourteenth partials in the harmonic series are significantly flatter
and the thirteenth is sharper to the ear accustomed to equal temperament. For the sake
of leniency and convenience, these details were not strictly observed but
accommodated whenever possible.
Hellos is divided into three sections that blend into each other through slow
transitions from one harmonic series to the next. The first three minutes are built on the25
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DiFalco, Elaine. Cosmophonia: Musical Expressions of Astronomy and Cosmology, thesis, August 2018; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1259404/m1/32/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .