#16 Ascolta Acousmatic Listening Session

Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology / (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts

#16 ascolta Acousmatic Listening Session

ascolta

Experiment

  • Thursday, 16. October, 18:00
  • Toni-Areal, Kompositionsstudio 3.D02, Ebene 3,
  • Pfingstweidstrasse 96, Zürich

Free admission

At ICST we have launched a pilot project to enable the best possible and simple access to electroacoustic works. This idea is derived from the writings and techniques of Michael Gerzon and his team, that B-format in ambisonics is ideally suited for this.

Objective:

B-format as a platform for dealing with immersive audio, not only in composition/production, but in the handling of existing repertoire.

  • Interpretation
  • Processing as immersive audio
  • Archiving in B-format

Advantages:

  • A file format that ‘B-format ambiX’ from which any other common format can be derived.
  • A file format for archiving together with metadata.
  • Not dependent on short-term commercial format hype.

Experiment:

(Listening examples)

Stereo tape compositions:

  • Judy Klein (*1943): “The Wolves of Bays Mountain” for 2-channel tape (1998)
  • Georg Katzer (1935-2019): “Aide-mémoire” for 2-channel tape (1983)

Quadrophonic

  • Jean-Claude Risset (1938-2016) “Songes” for 4-channel tape (1979)

Eight-channel

  • Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012): “Mortus Plango, Vivos Voco” for eight-channel tape (1980)
  • Various versions

Ambisonics UHJ

  • Maurice Ravel “Pavane pour une Infante défunte”, Vlado Perlemuter, piano (Nimbus release in UHJ (2-channel/stereo compatible), 1977)

Ambisonics recording (B-format OA1)

  • Ensemble peregrina at Heiligkreuz, Binningen/Basel (2025)

Each example will be presented in three different versions:

  • Original Format
  • Ambisonics
  • Ambisonics UpScaled mit ICST MultiDecoder

Presentation: Johannes Schütt

©2025 ICST