![[Column] Choral / Vocal Experimental](/../assets/images/column-choral-vocal-experimental.webp)
Chorus/Vocal Experiment
Text: mmr｜Theme: Historical development, representative artists, technique analysis, sound recording/video context, contemporary work trends
“Choral/Vocal Experimental” is a field that was born from the intersection of experimental music, acoustic research, and electroacoustic ideas from the latter half of the 20th century on the oldest musical form of chorus. Its distinctive feature is that it goes beyond simply pursuing the beauty of harmonies, and spans a wide variety of techniques, including the exploration of acoustic phenomena using voice as a material, spatialization, microtonal manipulation, phase structure, and fusion with electronic processing. This trend presented a new listening style to traditional choral culture and had a major impact on acoustic art as a whole.
1. Introduction
The most primitive musical instrument in human history is the voice, and the collaborative expression of multiple people through voice has developed closely with religious rituals and community structures. However, the modern image of ““chorus = disciplined, homogeneous harmony’’ is actually just a set of values that became dominant during a limited period from the 19th to the 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century, with the advent of avant-garde music and developments in acoustics, choral singing was expanded dramatically as the voice rediscovered that it could do more.
Choral/Vocal Experimental is a field that was established in the flow of rediscovery, and it is more accurate to think of it as a group of methodologies for maximizing the artistic potential of the voice, rather than just a genre.
2. Historical formation
Here we take a bird’s-eye view of how choral music acquired experimental elements over a long period from the 15th century to the present day.
2-1. Renaissance to Baroque: Foundations of polyphony
- The development of polyphony by Palestrina and Josquin from the monophony of Gregorian chant formed the basis of the multilayered structure of the voice.
- Already during the Renaissance, there were works that used textural layering and spatial arrangement in canons, masses, and motets, and this became the prototype for later experimental approaches.
2-2. First half of the 20th century: the emergence of avant-garde perspectives on voice
- The use of the voice also rapidly expanded, with Schoenberg and Webern”s twelve-tone technique, Stravinsky”s multilayered rhythms, and Bartok’s introduction of acoustic aspects of folk music.
- Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (1937) is cited as a symbolic work that treats the voice as a ““primitive energy source.’’
2-3. Ligeti and new acoustic thinking (1960s)
György Ligeti is an important figure in choral experimentation. He established a technique called ““micropolyphony,’’ and proposed a new form of voice in which a large number of small sound patterns are densely packed to form an acoustic cloud-like texture.
especially
*《Requiem》(1963–65) *《Lux Aeterna》(1966)
- 《Clocks and Clouds》 (1972–73)
These works marked a turning point in treating chorus as ““an acoustic substance rather than a collection of harmonies.’’
2-4. Spectral music school and vocalization (1970s-1980s)
Spectral music, which developed mainly in Paris, emphasized the overtone structure of the voice, resonance phenomena, and dynamic changes in timbre.
Typical example:
- Gerard Grisée
- Tristan Murail
Particularly in works dealing with voices, the position of the larynx, resonant cavity, and vowel formants were analyzed acoustically, and the chorus was constructed based on this analysis.
2-5. 21st Century: Eric Whitaker and New Developments in the Digital Age
Eric Whitacre is a bridge between traditional choral music and a spirit of sonic experimentation.
*《Lux Aurumque》(2000) *《Sleep》(2000) etc., are located between polyphony and rich parallel harmony, and are characterized by harmonic density and manipulation of textural density.
Furthermore, the “Virtual Choir” initiative was innovative in that it expanded the reality of choral singing into digital collaborative production.
3. Chronology: Major developments in Choral/Vocal Experimental
4. Technique analysis: Acoustic phenomena using voice as material
Experimental choral techniques can be broadly classified into the following six categories.
4-1. Micropolyphony
A technique developed by Ligeti, in which each voice plays slightly different rhythms and sound patterns at the same time. Form an acoustic cloud that is “moving and still”.
Acoustic phenomenon (example)
- When a chorus of 100 people smoothly transitions to a different pitch every second, it becomes difficult to hear individual voices. A texture like a huge overtone group appears. *Especially in the beginning of “Lux Aeterna”, the unaccompanied chorus overlaps in layers, creating the effect of three-dimensional expansion of the sound.
4-2. Microtone/Pitch bend
A method that uses pitches finer than normal semitones (such as 1/4 tone) and utilizes the ““sway”, ““interference”, and ““groan’’ of the voice.
Acoustic phenomena
- When two voices emit slightly different frequencies, a beat is created, creating a trembling effect in the space.
- In the vocal works of the spectral music school, rich timbre transitions are designed by combining changes in vowel formants and microtonal manipulation.
4-3. Topology/canon structure
This method is also seen in Steve Reich’s Come Out and Tehillim. Create complex patterns by repeating the same phrase while shifting in time.
Acoustic phenomena
- The same phrase gradually becomes out of sync, causing harmonic interference and cognitive illusions.
- In chorus, differences in vowel shapes can sometimes sound like spatial holograms.
4-4. Resonance/formant manipulation
A technique that manipulates the resonant frequency of vowels by changing the shape of the vocal tract. Electroacoustic spectral analysis was introduced, allowing for more conscious construction.
Acoustic phenomena
- Even the same “A” can have completely different tones depending on the opening of the vocal tract and how it is sounded.
- Changing the formants throughout the chorus creates a acoustic transformation that changes color spatially.
4-5. Voice noise
- Consonant lengthening
- Use of breath sounds
- Onomatopoeia/Humming/Whisper A technique that actively uses voices without pitch as musical material.
4-6. Electronic processing/spatialization
Recent experiments sometimes use real-time processing and multichannel spreading.
*Delay
- Pitch shift
- Granular processing
With these, the static image of the chorus is completely dismantled, and the particleization and spatial distribution of the voices becomes the center of the musical structure.
5. Introduction of main characters
5-1. György Ligeti
Ligeti was a composer who symbolized 20th century acoustic thinking and brought about the most radical innovations in choral music.
Features of representative works
*《Lux Aeterna》: Micropolyphony without accompaniment
- 《Requiem》: Dense texture and tension in “Kyrie” *《Clocks and Clouds》: A contrast between the floating feeling and rhythm group created by the female chorus and instrumental music
Ligeti’s method also influenced film music, most notably gaining general recognition when used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
5-2. Eric Whitacre
Whittaker is known for her choral works that maintain a classical beauty while layering modern sonic sensibilities.
Features
- Soft use of parallel harmony and clusters
- Clear texture and sense of space
- Designed to structure the breath of the chorus
Virtual Choir
“Virtual Choir”, which took place in the 2010s, is an attempt to integrate individual voices recorded from all over the world and create a gigantic chorus. This is noteworthy in terms of music history as an expansion of the concept of choral singing in the internet age.
5-3. Other important people
- Meredith Monk: A minimalist approach that combines voice with physical expression
- Karlheinz Stockhausen: Structural treatment of overtone singing in Stimmung (1968)
- Krzysztof Penderecki: Acoustic arrangement of voice clusters and cries/whispers
- John Tavener: Minimalist acoustic purification in religious choir
- Caroline Shaw: “Partita for 8 Voices” includes beatboxing, storytelling, and overtone singing
6. Visualization of acoustic phenomena: Structural diagram of voice multilayering
7. Image and chorus: Visualized sound
Chorus is an expression that is strongly connected to the visual sense. Especially for experimental choruses, the following synchronization of audio and video is important.
7-1. Visualization of spatial layout
- Circular/scattered arrangement
- Chorus with movement
- Producing distance differences for each voice
This emphasizes the auditory illusion caused by the distance and angle of the sound source.
7-2. Direction of breathing and body movements
- Show your breath
- Emphasize humming mouth shape
- Simultaneous movement of consonants
These give visual persuasion to the acoustic structure.
7-3. Video works (MV/Installation)
In modern times, many video installations based on recorded choruses have been created. There are examples of expressing the particle nature and spatialization of voices through visual effects and 3D animation.
8. Acoustic analysis of representative works
8-1. Ligeti《Lux Aeterna》
- Unaccompanied chorus
- Alto group whose pitch rises and falls smoothly
- Dynamic texture changes on fixed chords
Although the acoustics are like “fog,” there is sophisticated rhythm and pitch control inside.
8-2. Whitacre《Lux Aurumque》
- Smooth parallel harmony
- Transparent sound in the high range
- A sense of energy that makes the harmonies “shine”
When many voices resonate, the overtones become richer and the space becomes brighter and more open.
8-3. Stockhausen《Stimmung》
- Unique tone due to overtone singing
- Structuring voice as frequency components
- A meditative composition that mixes narrative and sustained sounds.
This is a typical example of the voice becoming an instrument.
9. Trends in the 21st century
Modern Vocal Experimental has made further progress in the following areas.
9-1. Integration of voice and electronic sound
using real-time processing
- Granular
- Polyphony generation
- Spatial diffusion
As a result, voices are becoming more and more “overtoned” and “materialized.”
9-2. VR/Metaverse chorus
Research is being conducted on choral works in which multiple voices are arranged in 3D space and the texture changes depending on the listening position.
9-3. Fusion with physical expression
Collaborations with dance companies and performing arts that integrate voice and physical movement are on the rise.
10. Summary
Choral / Vocal Experimental does not consider the voice as a collection of pitches, but rather It is an area that comprehensively deals with acoustic, spatial, physical, and social phenomena.
The vocal possibilities demonstrated by Ligeti and Whittaker have been further expanded by modern composers. The voice is now the most flexible and complex acoustic material in music.
Chorus is a medium that connects tradition and the future, and the resonance of the physical and universal element of the voice with the latest technology and acoustic research will continue to create new forms of expression.
![[Column] Experimental Vocal / Voice Manipulation — History and techniques of vocal experiments](/../assets/images/column-experimental-vocal-voice-manipulation.webp)
