Documenting acousmatic music interpretation : profiles of discourse across multiple dimensions

Abstract

Purpose : Extending documentation and analysis frameworks for acousmatic music to performance/interpretation, from an information science point of view, will benefit the transmission and preservation of a repertoire with an idiosyncratic relation to performance and technology. This paper presents the outcome of a qualitative research aiming at providing a conceptual model theorizing the intricate relationships between the multiple dimensions of acousmatic music interpretation. • Design/methodology/approach : The methodology relies on grounded theory. 12 Interviews were conducted over a period of 3 years in France, Québec and Belgium, grounded in theoretical sampling. • Findings : The analysis outcome describes eight dimensions in acousmatic performance, namely: musical; technical; anthropological; psychological; social; cultural; linguistic; and ontological. Discourse profiles are provided in relation to each participant. Theory development led to the distinction between documentation of interpretation as an expertise and as a profession. • Research limitations/implications : Data collection is limited to French-speaking experts, for historical and methodological reasons. • Practical implications : The model stemming from the analysis provides a framework for documentation which will benefit practitioners and organizations dedicated to the dissemination of acousmatic music. The model also provides this community with a tool for characterizing expert discourses about acousmatic performance and identifying content areas to further investigate. From a research point of view, the theorization leads to the specification of new directions and the identification of relevant epistemological frameworks. • Originality/value : This research brings a new vision of acousmatic interpretation, extending the literature on this repertoire’s performance with a more holistic perspective.