1. Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

The concept of “music as act” is central to this research project devoted to Grisey’s Les Espaces Acoustiques. The concept – initially developed in the context of the GREAM Research Centre – involves considering music “from the viewpoint of its concrete expression and material realisation – in a word, its ‘enactment’ [1].” This approach prompted us to embark on a study of Grisey’s composition on the basis of one of its concrete sound realisation, in addition to the existing studies on its written dimension [2]. The twofold purpose of this project was to better understand both the musical work itself and the issues related to its performance in the context of the “dual status of musical art” [3]. In the words of Alessandro Arbo: “The ability to discern whether a phenomenon is primarily [...] the result of an intention to reproduce a pre-existing musical structure or to focus on a performative dimension that has an intrinsic value will allow us to provide a more solid foundation for the descriptions, explanations and judgements of the musical facts or events we are examining [4].” This reflection emphasises the importance of distinguishing, in the study of a musical fact, between what corresponds to the execution of a pre-existing compositional object – which may be a musical work – and what concerns performance – as a generalisation of the idea of interpretation – with its own creative dimension. Our project on Les Espaces Acoustiques sought to examine the performers’ realisations vis-à-vis the score of the piece, as well as the margin they had for their own creative freedom. This approach was all the more relevant for a work of spectral music, in which the sound and perceptual aspects are at the very heart of the compositional thinking.

The concept of music as act also prompted the consideration of music not only as a finished product – the more traditional view – but also as a process in the making. As Alessandro Arbo explains: “Two lines of thought have emerged: firstly, the study of music as an activity in progress and, secondly, the study of music as the result or product of an action. In the recent musicological literature, it is probably the first line that has attracted the attention of researchers [5].” Here, Alessandro Arbo is referring to the interest of recent music research in living and dynamic objects, in contrast to musicological practices that focus on fixed and finished objects – be they scores or musical realisations. The project on Grisey’s Les Espaces Acoustiques thus focused primarily on the process leading up to the performance of Grisey’s work in a live concert, rather than on the concert itself, which the team nevertheless attended. The project also included a perspective on the learning of the work by students in higher education [6].

Finally, the concept of music as act is intimately bound up with the notion of inscription. As Alessandro Arbo points out: “a musical act depends on a form of inscription [7].” He also adds that “the term inscription is to be taken here in a broader sense than simply referring to the ideas of notation and writing: it refers to any form of constitution of a trace deemed valid in the context of a given musical culture [8]”. One of the challenges of our project on the performance of Les Espaces Acoustiques was therefore to try to collect material traces relating to a performative activity that is realised and transmitted mainly independently of written notation, in other words to document this activity. Such documentation, which could be consulted at will, was also indispensable for an in-depth study of the performance process – an ephemeral one by nature – of this Grisey cycle by Pierre-André Valade and the instrumentalists of the ZHdK.