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 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 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, 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 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 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

Classical Composition and Electroacoustic Composition specializations:

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'