Arras

One of 4,756 items in the series: MISAME available on this site.
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Description

Recording of Barry Truax's Arras for four computer-synthesized soundtracks. Arras refers metaphorically to the heavy wall hanging or tapestry originally produced in the French town of the same name. The threads running through the material form both a background and, when colored, a foreground pattern as well, even when they are the same thread. In the piece there is a constant ambiguity between whether a component sound is heard as part of the background texture, or whether it is heard as a foreground event because, in fact, the frequencies are the same. The listener can easily be drawn into the … continued below

Physical Description

4 sound recordings (40 min., 8 sec.)

Creation Information

Truax, Barry 1980.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: Mnemothèque Internationale des Arts Electroacoustiques and was provided by the UNT Music Library to the UNT Digital Library, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

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UNT Music Library

The UNT Music Library supports the scholarly and performance research needs of the College of Music by collecting and preserving monographs, reference works, periodicals, printed music, and sound recording formats, as well as subscribing to electronic databases for research and streaming music. Special collections are a particular strength of the Music Library's holdings.

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  • Main Title: Arras
  • Series Title: MISAME

Description

Recording of Barry Truax's Arras for four computer-synthesized soundtracks. Arras refers metaphorically to the heavy wall hanging or tapestry originally produced in the French town of the same name. The threads running through the material form both a background and, when colored, a foreground pattern as well, even when they are the same thread. In the piece there is a constant ambiguity between whether a component sound is heard as part of the background texture, or whether it is heard as a foreground event because, in fact, the frequencies are the same. The listener can easily be drawn into the internal complexity of the constantly shifting pattern, but at the same time can sense the overall flow of the entire structure. Arras is a continuously evolving texture based on a fusion of harmonic and inharmonic spectra. The large-scale structure of the piece follows a pattern of harmonic change going from closely spaced odd harmonics through to widely spaced harmonics towards the end. Each harmonic timbre is paired with an inharmonic one with which it shares specific harmonics, and with which it overlaps after each twenty-five second interval. This harmonic/inharmonic structure forms a background against which specific events are poised: shorter events, specific high pitches which otherwise would be imbedded in the overall timbre, and some percussive events. However, all frequencies found in the foreground events are the same as those in the background texture. The work was realized with the composer's POD6 and POD7 programs for computer sound synthesis and composition at Simon Fraser University. All the component sounds are examples of frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, generated in binaural stereo, with both amplitude and time differences between channels. However, considerable digital mixing, and later analog mixing in the Sonic Research Studio, produced the resulting complex texture.

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4 sound recordings (40 min., 8 sec.)

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Mnemothèque Internationale des Arts Electroacoustiques

Sound recordings of electroacoustic music from the archive of the International de musique électroacoustique de Bourges (IMEB). The works were created in the IMEB studios or submitted by participants of the Festival Synthèse or the Bourges Electroacoustic Music Competition. Access is restricted to the UNT community.

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Creation Date

  • 1980

Added to The UNT Digital Library

  • May 27, 2021, 11:10 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • June 16, 2021, 1:38 p.m.

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Truax, Barry. Arras, audio recording, 1980; Bourges, France. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1808608/: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Music Library.

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