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Volume 35, Number 3, pages 287-290 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.26830/symmetry_2024_3_287
BRIEF LOOK AT PALINDROMIC STRUCTURES IN MUSICAL DISCOURSE
Rexleigh Bunyard1*, Dominik Chapman2
1,2 Department of Science ed., Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
Email: amit@bgu.ac.iltr
* corresponding author
Abstract: The concept of palindromes or mirrors in serialism refers to the use of symmetrical transformations, such as retrograde and inversion, to create structured and cohesive musical compositions. These techniques allow composers to explore symmetry, repetition, and order within the context of serialised musical material. Composers in the current era are free to select any of these and any other compositional methods in their works, reflecting on the past and/or incorporating new forms of expression and delivery. An intersecting conversation exists between palindromes in musical material, and the symmetries of the Supershape formula of Dr Johan Gielis, (Gielis 2003:50) including the Supershape sounds generated from this formula by software engineer Dominik Chapman. (Chapman, Gielis, 2021).
The purpose of the Gielis-Chapman-Bunyard arts-sciences collaboration is towards a better understanding of nature and sounds, and waves in general. In order to achieve this goal, it is exploring several themes focusing on the synthesis between science and art, and on making music, as defined in the extensive Superformula sounds database. The creation of a musical entity from this synthesis of science and art involves research into supershape sounds and music. Furthermore, considerations ranging from supershapes obtained from nature to patterns of existence (involving mythic shapes and how to measure these), as expressed in mythic structure and musical discourse, arise.
A research project will include an R&D stage, the compositional work, a potential performance/recording of a multidisciplinary artwork, and a research paper that could be submitted to related conferences or journals. The artistic installation to be developed from these reflections will aim to address the following consideration: How can supershapes be used to shift human consciousness towards an enhanced language of understanding through musical application to patterns of existence existing in archetypal and/or symbolic entities, including story, gesture, movement, drama and visual arts?
References:
Bunyard R, (2008) Archetypes and symbols and how they are expressed in musical discourse in selected hero theme musicals of the 20th. https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/25177
Campbell, J. 1993. The Hero with a thousand faces, London: Fontana.
Chapman, D., Gielis, J. (2021) Gielis transformations for the audiovisual geometry database, Symmetry: culture and science, 32, 2, 177-180. https://doi.org/10.26830/SYMMETRY_2021_2_177
Chapman, D. (2023) Audiovisual Applications of Supershape Polygons and Complementary N-gon Waves. Proceedings of the 2nd Square Bamboo and Geometree Symposium (to be published in 2024) https://sites.google.com/view/geometree-symposium/proceedings
Gielis, J. (2003a) Inventing the Circle. Antwerp: Johan Gielis and Geniaal Bvba.
Gielis, J. (2003b) A generic geometric transformation that unifies a wide range of natural and abstract shapes. American journal of botany, 90(3), 333-338. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.90.3.333
Lévi-Strauss, C. (1978) Myth and Meaning, Minneapolis: Routledge and Kegan Paul. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203278871
Abu Qouder, F., Amit, M., (2023) Ethnomathematics of Bedouin Culture (Geometry in Bedouin Embroidery), in Morska, Janina & Rogerson, Alan (Eds) Innovative Teaching Practices, Proceedings of the First International Symposium of The Mathematics Education for the Future Project, Oxford University, Aug 14-18, 2023 (pp 1-6), Münster: WTM. https://doi.org/10.37626/GA9783959872508.0.
Amit, M., & Abu Qouder, F. A. (2017) Weaving Culture and Mathematics in the Classroom: The Case of Bedouin Ethnomathematics, In M. Rosa, S. Lawrence, M. E. Gavarrete, and W.V. Alangui. (Eds.), Ethnomathematics and Its Diverse Approaches for Mathematics Education (pp. 23-50), ICME-13 Monographs, Berlin: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59220-6_2
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