translation
March 6, 2009
I wasn’t too happy with my presentation last Monday. The presentation itself should’ve been more clear on what I have tried and didn’t like, instead of skipping it entirely. Because I didn’t really show anything, visually, it was difficult to comment on it.
Today, the goal for today is to design a translation, based on a set ‘ method’, which for now only exists in my head. Though it may change during the modeling, I will write a short description, explaining how and why I link the specific elements.
The piece is built on four aspects. First, there is the motif, which runs through the entire piece, stringing the different parts together. It stays the same for a long time, but at the end and around the middle of the piece there is a distinct variation. The motif is something which is quite regular throughout the piece/space, and becomes dominant when it is varied upon. In architecture, this can be associated with a pattern of windows, columns, etcetera, for example the repetition of window frames in our studio. Though it’s quite obvious, it doesn’t catch the eye. But if someone were to take out several frames, and put in something on big frame, that specific change would certainly be more apparent. In the translation, I will use a grid of columns. thin ones, so they are visible, but won’t dominate the space (hopefully). Then, where the musical motif varies, the grid will be altered.
The second element is the theme/melody. The melody is the most pronounced in the music. It’s what one hums when one hums music. It is also not a constant line, but several somewhat separated parts. The melody in archtiecture can be several volumes, objects, in space, which are the eyecatchers, the things we remember. The exact form and size of the volumes is a difficult subject. I hope to figure this out during the modeling.
The third aspect is the bass line. The bass line accentuates the themes, and variations in the motif. In the architecture, it should do just that, accentuate variations in the column grid, and the theme objects. This could be done with a small, but noticeable, change in floor height.
The final aspect is the dynamics, the loudness of the music. The piece starts really soft (pianissimo), then gradually gets louder (crescendo) and softer again (decrescendo). This happens several times. When the notes are played louder, especially the higher tones which form the melody get more pronounced. In architecture, light has a similar effect. Hard direct light makes shapes more distinguishable then soft diffuse light. So as the music varies in loudness, the space will have a varying lighting.
Some of these aspects aren’t quite clear yet, but they should, during the modeling.
