ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an analysis of music for which conventional notation is inadequate. The text is based on a ‘spectral examination’ of a performance of Luigi Nono’s A Pierre. Dell’azzurro silenzio, inquietum (1985) for contrabass flute, contrabass clarinet and live electronics. Thus, the analysis will not be of the work per se, but rather of a transcription of a performance prepared by Jan Burle and presented in the preceding chapter. The adjective refers to the fact that our examination is based primarily on a spectrogram or sonogram of audio data recorded during a performance of A Pierre at The Banff Centre (Alberta Canada) on 28 February 2009. The term ‘spectral’ is rarely if ever associated with Nono’s late work (ca. 1980–90). Indeed, the connection implied by the term can seem counter-intuitive. Useful and insightful relationships can be drawn between some of the compositions of Nono’s last decade and the music of the spectral composers. An examination of Nono’s music from this perspective provides a rich context that enables a better understanding of its specificities.
