Admission requirements for MA - Composition

Formal Analysis (written and oral exam)

Classical Composition:

Analysis of a Classical or a Romantic, and a 20th-century or contemporary composition (or excerpt)

Electroacoustic Composition specialization:

Analysis of a 20th-century instrumental, and an electroacoustic composition (or excerpt)

The oral exam part is the evaluation of the written part.

Orchestration

Classical and Applied Composition specialization:

• Based on the candidate's previously orchestrated material: Presentation of the candidate's knowledge and skills in orchestration by orchestrating a Romantic piece and a piece from the first half of the 20th century, employing a full traditional symphony orchestra

Electroacoustic Composition specialization:

• Based on the candidate's previously orchestrated material: Presentation of the candidate's knowledge and skills in MIDI sequencer orchestrating a chamber music piece for MIDI instruments or sampler.

Score reading

Classical and Applied Composition specialization:

• Sight reading of a piece from the Viennese Classical or the Romantic period and from the 20th century or contemporary period

Electroacoustic Composition specialization:

• Analysis of a contemporary graphic music notation

Personal interview

Classical Composition, Applied and Electroacoustic Composition specializations:

The applicant will talk about their artistic beliefs, personal goals and demonstrate his/her general musical literacy as well as their knowledge about composition.

COMPOSITION EXAMINATION - main subject

Free composition:

Classical and Applied Composition:

Presentation of a portfolio of previous compositions (to include at least one vocal and one instrumental composition or excerpt).

One composition should preferably be written for a large instrumental ensemble. Either pieces may employ electronics (tape, live electronics, computer music, MIDI etc.).

Electroacoustic Composition specialization:

Presentation of a fixed electroacoustic music piece and another piece applying live electronics with an acoustic instrument

The pieces submitted together must not exceed 25-30 minutes.

Style exercises:

Classical and Applied Composition specialization:

• 1 – (at least) three parts fugue in the style of J.S.Bach
• 1 movement of a Viennese Classical sonata (either in a sonata or a sonata rondo form) in the style of J Haydn, W.A.Mozart or L. van Beethoven
• 1 short etude in the style of any significant composer of the 20th century

Electroacoustic Composition specialization:

• 1 short etude in the style of any significant 20th-century musique concrète composer
• 1 short etude in the style of significant 20th-century synthesis technique composer

For Electroacoustic Composition specialization is mandatory:

For Classical and Applied Composition is only a test survey; the outcome will not affect admission evaluation

Written part:

The basics of electronic music: test

Syllabus of the test:

• the history of electronic music (Edgare Varése, concrete music/Paris, electronic music/Cologne, IRCAM/Paris, RAI/Milano, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis, Alvin Lucier, Jean-Claude Risset, John Chowning, Jonathan Harvey)
• the basic parameters of sound: frequency, amplitude, amplitude envelope)
• the representations of sounds (waveform, 2D spectrum, sonogram)
• the structure of sound, the types of sounds (harmonic sound, inharmonic sound, noise)
• sound systems, tunings
• the parameters of digitalized sounds (sampling rate, Nyquist sampling theorem, bits)
• sound synthesis techniques (additive, subtractive, FM, granular synthesis)

Oral part:

The basics of electronic music: a practical task to be completed on a computer.

To complete one of the following tasks:

• mounting using the programme ProTools (or another DAW programme)
• writing algorithmic music using the programme MAX/MSP (Pd)
• sound synthesis using the programme MAX/MSP or CSound (Pd, SuperCollider)

Additional information: those students who apply for Classical Composition and have not studied electronic music before, may have to complete two semesters of the course ‘The basics of electronic composition'

Applied composition Specialization:

Applicants must present their previous work in the field of theatre and/or film, and demonstrate their proficiency in the profession.