Ritual Melodies

Ritual Melodies is a 1990 composition created at IRCAM by Jonathan Harvey.

Despite the sounds, some of which may seem instrumental at first listen, it is actually pure computer music. All the sounds are generated and manipulated by the computer. None have been sampled except for analysis and resynthesis purposes.

This process was implemented to create a continuously evolving sound material. The basic sounds of the piece are resynthesises of instruments of ceremonial and/or ritual origin (e.g., Indian oboe, Tibetan bells, bamboo flute, vocal fragments of various origins), whose characteristics are then altered during the synthesis phase to create intermediate sounds.

In my opinion, it is a decidedly beautiful piece, both compositionally and technically. The only aspect that is a bit off for me is a little disturbing is made up of some typical IRCAM sounds, like that damned bell ringing on the high frequencies, which may be nice at first listen, but is now found in almost all the songs made there.

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