The third work of the trilogy, Parametric formalizations studies, was begun in 2007 and finished in October 2011. It is for a small chamber ensemble, string quartet, piano, percussion, and contrabass. This work is about the problem of the concept of time in music.
It is very common to read in musical aesthetics literature that time is the stuff of music and eventually, all composers have to do a reflection about time in their own work. It was something I had to take in consideration somewhere in the studies, and is the focus of Parametric formalizations studies. In my case, I have not taken the time as a single parameter but I searched the possibilities regarding its relationship with movement. For me, it makes no sense to consider the problem of time in isolation without taking into consideration how it coexists with the movement and speed. Talking about time and motion, as an integrated entity, inevitably leads to time relativity.
Parametric formalizations studies is about creating an open perception of musical temporality through the musical formalization of the concept of time relativity.
This involves integrating the concepts of time and movement like spectralism has integrated the concepts of pitch and timbre. Just as pitch and timbre are two phenomena that cannot be studied separately, time and motion must be considered as a whole phenomenon.
The perception of movement is relative to the listener. For achieving this I create a formal system wherein the position of certain musical material with respect to its position in the movement of the work determines the parameters of other musical objects. The perception of temporality is derived from this musical object’s movement which is very ambiguous and can, therefore, be perceived in a very different way.
The work pretends that psychological experience of time is relative to the cognitive dissonances associated with the recognition of patterns. If the person who listens to music recognizes certain regularities, he will feel that time passes in slowly. If there is not any regularities recognition, then the tempo experience will be void and we will have the feeling that passes quickly. We do not realize that time happens.
More information:
What is Cognitive-Parametric Music?
Introduction to Cognitive-Parametric music
Book:
Towards an Aesthetics of Cognitive-Parametric Music.
Divulgation writings
Fernando Egido 