inspiration/info/papers on visuals for classical music

[kalinta]

hi there!

I'm doing a project and a paper (for university) on the visualization of classical music - I've googled and youtubed the topic, but I find it quite hard to find a lot of information. I've found this topic http://www.vjforums.com/showthread.php?p=177446 here, but it's already 2 years old now.

has anybody done visuals for classical music recently (I mean music of orchestras, choirs etc, doesn't have to be "classical" in the original sense, can also be baroque or of the 20th century or anything) or does anybody know artists who are known for their visualization? or are there any books out there?

would be great to get some tips!

thanks in advance,
yours kalinta

[asterix]

Some of my VSXU plugins are awesome for textured instumental music. Not all of it mind you. You can find them at vsxu.com in the forums - and install to player.

[robotfunk]

search for Scriabin and Fischinger.
I'm very lucky to be coaching 7 visual effects students at the film academy i tutor at, for a project together with 7 classical composers from the conservatorium (music college) called 'music in motion'. The idea is that the visuals should react to the music and vice versa, to be played live by a film orchestra in april. Some collabs will be more of an interactive installation and some a pretty linear movie, but the results so far have been very cool.

[many2]

I did two gigs that would fit with your description :

Strange Poetry
Walt Disney Concert Hall opening show
with the Los Angeles Philarmonic Orchestra (directed by Esa-Peka Salonen)
in collaboration with Complicite (troupe from UK directed by Simon McBurney)
http://www.complicite.org/production...?id=33#reviews

Six Pianos
Contemporary music performance in Montreal
"Six Pianos" by Steve Reich
in collaboration with Yan Breuleux (from Purform)
http://www.ybx.ca/ecm/reich/index.htm

[kalinta]

thanks a lot for your help!

@ many2: I like the visuals for six pianos a lot - what software did you use? did you have any video footage or is it all computer generated and coded?

@ robotfunk: how are you planning to make the setup interactive? I get the idea, that the visuals should follow the music, but how can it work vice versa? would be great, if you could let me know a little more about the setup and what you're planning...

[lowRes]

Originally Posted by many2

Six Pianos
Contemporary music performance in Montreal
"Six Pianos" by Steve Reich
in collaboration with Yan Breuleux (from Purform)
http://www.ybx.ca/ecm/reich/index.htm

kalinta u should also do a search on visual music, many of its artists work(ed) with classical music, good starting point-> www.iotacenter.org/

r

[Bas]

A few weeks ago we had to watch Jordan Belson: 5 Essential Films at school.
Maybe it's just what you are looking for.
Although it's not realy the standart classical music, it has some realy good visuals responing to music, and it's old.

[many2]

Originally Posted by kalinta

thanks a lot for your help!

@ many2: I like the visuals for six pianos a lot - what software did you use? did you have any video footage or is it all computer generated and coded?

It was all done in visualJockey (vJo). No footage at all. In fact no prerendered content at all, not even still pictures : it was 100% procedural. The vJo composition for the whole show had a filesize under 4k !!! I was quite proud of myself

Basically, I designed a visual synth with many parameters controlled in real time with a midi controller. You could change the size and shape of rectangles, the colors, their speed and direction, add motion blur and many other effects, play with feedback, change the warp space, and many many other things. Yan Breuleux, my partner for this project, was the performer - all I did was create the video synth.

[mikef]

Hi Kalinta
we [D-Fuse] did a performance with the LSO at the barbican to Steve Reichs Desert Music. if you send me an email to mike@dfuse.com I can try dig out some supporting material documenting the event

mikef